Taiwan Foreign Investor Resident Visa
An Investment Commission approval letter comes first. With it, a foreign investor, or the representative of a Taiwanese company, can apply for a resident visa.
The number that circulates online for this route is NT$6,000,000. That is the Hong Kong and Macau investment residence rule. The general foreigner figure is different and considerably lower, and anyone budgeting to the wrong one is planning around a rule that does not apply to them.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Foreign nationals capitalising a Taiwan company, or representing a foreign corporation locally |
| Route family | investment |
| Validity | ARC tied to the investment approval, typically 1 to 3 years |
| Stay per entry | Continuous while the investment is maintained |
| Threshold | Roughly USD 200,000, not borrowed (2025 mission guidance, about NT$6,300,000 at TWD 32). The exact figure is not confirmed in the regulation text |
| Renewal | Renewable with a continuing MOEA approval and a live company |
| Settlement | Direct, via the investor APRC |
| PR clock | 3 years maintaining the investment and five local jobs, or 5 years of ordinary residence |
| Citizenship clock | 5 years, with renunciation |
| Family | Yes. Spouse and minor children as dependents |
| Local employment | Yes, within the invested company |
| Tax headline | Resident rates after 183 days; salary and dividends both taxable |
| Processing | 10 working days at the mission once MOEA approval is in hand; MOEA approval takes 1 to 3 months |
Application flow
- Incorporate or capitalise the Taiwan company and remit the funds from abroad in your own name.
- Apply to the Investment Commission at MOEA for investment approval, with the business plan and proof of remittance.
- Receive the approval letter.
- Apply for the resident visa at a mission abroad, presenting the approval.
- Enter Taiwan and collect the ARC.
- Renew annually or per the approval term, showing the investment is intact and the company is operating.
Good fit
Someone genuinely capitalising a Taiwan company with around USD 200,000, who intends to run it, employ people and stay. A founder who has already decided on Taiwan as an operating base rather than a residence of convenience.
Poor fit
Anyone treating this as a passive investment or a property purchase. Anyone whose money is already sitting in Taiwan, since cash held locally does not satisfy the remittance requirement. People who want a cheap residency and no business to run.
Watchpoints
- The USD 200,000 figure is mission guidance, not confirmed regulation text. Budget with headroom and confirm the current number with the mission handling your file before remitting anything.
- Money must come from abroad in your name. Funds already in Taiwan do not count, and a transfer from a relative’s account fails.
- Capital has to stay in the business. Withdrawing it collapses the ARC and any future PR claim built on it.
- A dormant company renews once and then fails. MOEA checks for actual operations, not just a registration.
- This visa is not permanent residence. The settlement step is a separate investor APRC application on its own criteria.
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs overseas mission guidance, investor resident visa requirements. Checked 2026-10-22.
- Investment Commission, Ministry of Economic Affairs, foreign investment approval procedure. Checked 2026-10-22.