The procedure on how to immigrate to Taiwan is enforced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; in order to start the immigration process, foreigners are required to apply for a visa. In Taiwan, there are two main categories of visas – visitor visas and resident visas (the latter grant the right to living in Taiwan for a given period of time, while the first can be used only for visiting the country). Of course, there are also investor visas, which will be presented in this article.
Thus, regardless if you are a foreigner who wants to relocate here or visit the country or you want to open a company in Taiwan, you will need to apply for a visa designed for your particular situation. Here, our team of specialists in company registration can be of help.
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How to immigrate to Taiwan for business purposes
In order to relocate to this country for investment purposes, such as investing in a local company or a development project or for the purpose of starting the Taiwan company formation process, foreigners will have to obtain a specific type of visa, that is suitable for their needs. For this, they must qualify accordingly and meet criteria related to age, investment threshold, business experience and others. Below, our team of consultants in company formation in Taiwan has prepared a short presentation on the main visas foreigners can obtain:
- foreigner investor visa – qualifying investors can obtain the visa and residency in Taiwan if they can invest at least NT$ 6 million in a new company or an existing business;
- entrepreneur visa – it is available for foreign businessmen able to invest at least NT$ 2 million and can provide the right to residency for a year;
- the Plum Blossom Card – it can be used for investments of minimum NT$ 15 million in a local company that has created at least 5 new jobs;
- the Plum Blossom Card – it can also be used for investments in government bonds, where the investment is of at least NT$ 30 million;
- the Resident Investor Visa for investors from Macau and Hong Kong – the visa system is created for the nationals of these two countries, who can invest at least NT$ 6 million either in an existing company, either by opening a company in Taiwan.
What are the documents to submit for an investment visa in Taiwan?
Regardless of the visa type that the investor will select for the purpose of opening a company in Taiwan, the applicant must prepare a large set of documents. The types of documents can vary from a visa type to another, but in most of the cases, the documents will be similar.
The investor must prepare two passport photos, the original passport and a copy of the passport, various certificates that attest the ability to start a business (documents attesting the professional background of the investor, documents showing his or her level of study and specialization and others), as well as a medical certificate, which shows that the person has a good health and is able to arrive here for developing a business.
Besides these, the applicant must obtain a police clearance, issued by the police department in his or her home country, the document which will present the business investments of the applicant, as well as details regarding the funds that will be used for setting up a business in Taiwan.
Please mind that the local law requires the applicant to provide information on the sources from which the respective capital was obtained. When opening a company in Taiwan as a foreigner, the investor will also be asked to present a clear business plan and an investment plan. Our team of consultants in company registration in Taiwan can present the differences between the two and the types of information the document should show.
Our consultants can help you prepare your visa application file and can provide consultancy services throughout the entire procedure, including after you obtain the visa and relocate in this country. Given that the process to immigrate in Taiwan can be rather complex, we recommend you to address to a team of local specialists.
What are the fees charged for those who immigrate to Taiwan?
When starting the process to immigrate to Taiwan, you will be asked to pay certain fees, imposed by the consular missions and the immigration authorities of the country. The fees for the issuance of the visas are charged by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, as follows:
- the fees are charged in accordance with the regulations of the Article 14 of the Statute Governing the Issuance of Republic of China (Taiwan) Visas in Foreign Passports;
- the fees for visitor visas are charged for single entry visas (the fee is of NT$ 1,600 per each application made in Taiwan and for applications made overseas, the fee is of US$50), while multiple entry visas cost NT$3,200 for applications made in Taiwan and US$100 for overseas applications);
- for resident visas, the single entry visa fee is of NT$2,200 for applications made in Taiwan, while for applications made from overseas, the fee is of US$66;
- multiple entry resident visa fee is charged with NT$4,400 (application made in Taiwan) and with US$132 (applications made from overseas);
- those who want to reapply for any visa type are charged with a fee of NT$800.
What other types of visas can be used to immigrate in Taiwan?
If you want to arrive and you do not want to open a company in Taiwan, which means that you will not apply for a business/investor visa, you will have plenty of options to choose from. If the immigration is limited to several months, you can also apply for various visas, depending on your purpose of stay, but they will be used only for the purpose of arrival and will not provide any additional advantages, such as applying for permanent residency.
For instance, the law in Taiwan prescribes the right to apply for a Visitor Visa, which can be issued for a period of maximum 6 months. This visa can be requested for other reasons than just visiting the country, as for instance, one can arrive here under a Visitor Visa and while visiting various regions of Taiwan, he or she can also visit relatives, provided that the person has relatives or friends here.
One can apply for this visa type in the case in which the participation in an international conference is necessary, but it can also be used for short-term employment. The purposes of this immigration document are extensive, but there are a limited number of activities that one can perform while arriving here under the Visitor Visa.
The list of activities that are allowed in this case is prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but if you need more information and consultancy services regarding this short-term visa, our team of consultants in company registration in Taiwan remains at your disposal.
Young persons who want to visit and travel in Taiwan can apply for the Working Holiday Scheme, a program which is open for the nationals of certain countries. Under this program, one can work in Taiwan for a limited period of time, and there are numerous aspects that have to be respected, such as the age of the applicant and the types of activities that can be carried out here.
Those who are interested in this program have to verify the conditions applicable to their country of origin, as the basic requirements to be fulfilled can vary from one country to another. As a general rule, this program is open for persons who have an age of minimum 18 years old and maximum 30, but the maximum age can suffer modifications based on the agreements signed by Taiwan with its partner countries.
Persons who apply for this program should not be the holders of a previous visa issued for work and holiday purposes, issued by the Taiwanese authorities. The participants in the program must also make proof of having minimum financial resources when arriving here, and the sum is established at NT$100,000.
The requirement to have a minimum financial resource when arriving in Taiwan is imposed for most of the visa types, including for those issued for investment purposes. However, those who want to invest or open a company in Taiwan have to make the proof of having a large capital when arriving here, as presented in this article.
Obtain a Resident Visa for Investment in Taiwan
Foreign investors who want to immigrate to Taiwan can apply for a Resident Visa for Investment. Our team of consultants in company registration in Taiwan can provide legal advice on the documents that you must prepare for this procedure and below you can find out few details regarding the steps one has to complete for this visa type.
Some of the basic requirements that have to be fulfilled are to invest at least $200,000 in the local economy (one can invest in an existing company) and to live in Taiwan for at least 183 days per year in order to have the right to maintain the residency in this country.
Foreigners must know that this visa provides certain advantages besides the right to residency. For instance, successful applicants can bring in this country their spouse and dependent children. Besides these, foreigners can be entitled to obtain permanent residency after living here for at least 5 years.
However, in order to permanently immigrate to Taiwan under this visa program, the investor must make the proof of having a monthly income of minimum twice the average salary set up in Taiwan; another compulsory requirement is to make the proof of having a net worth of minimum NT$ 5 million. If you need additional information, please contact our team of consultants in company registration in Taiwan.