ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) application and address change: what to bring and how long you have

On this page

1. Who needs to apply for an ARC?
2. How many days after arriving do you have to apply for an ARC?
3. What do you need to bring to apply for an ARC?
4. Can a lease be used as proof of address for an ARC?
5. Where do you apply, and can you do it online?
6. How much does an ARC cost?
7. How do you change the address on your ARC after moving?
8. Which resident certificate do Hong Kong and Macao residents get?
9. Do working holiday visa holders need an ARC?
10. What trips people up when applying for an ARC?
11. FAQ
12. What's next after your ARC?
13. Sources

Anyone moving to Taiwan on a resident visa to work or study has two 30-day deadlines to remember. The first starts the day after you arrive, and before it runs out you need to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). The second comes back every time you move house: within 30 days of the move, you update your address with the National Immigration Agency (NIA).

Missing either one can lead to a fine of between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000.

For the short version, start here:

1. The ARC is for foreign nationals who enter on a resident visa. If you hold a four-in-one card such as the Employment Gold Card, you don't apply separately.
2. The 30 days start the day after you arrive. Your arrival day doesn't count.
3. Bring the application form, a color photo taken within the last 2 years, your passport and resident visa, proof of your job or studies, and proof of address. The NIA's own example of proof of address is a lease.
4. Apply at the NIA service center for the city or county where you live. Students and foreign professionals can apply online.
5. The fee depends on how long the card is valid: NT$1,000 per year.
6. From then on, every move means changing your address within 30 days. Switching between Seal Co-living houses counts.

Who needs to apply for an ARC?

The rule is Article 22 of the Immigration Act. Foreign nationals who are granted residence after entering Taiwan must apply to the NIA for an ARC within 30 days, counting from the day after entry. In plain terms, that means anyone who came in on a resident visa, for example to take up a job, study for a degree or join family.

The same article says who is exempt. If you already hold a valid four-in-one card (work permit, resident visa, ARC and re-entry permit on one card), or another card that already works as an ARC, there's nothing to apply for. The Employment Gold Card is one of these (Article 9 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals).

If you entered visa-free or on a visitor visa, your status is "visitor" and the 30-day rule doesn't apply to you. People already in Taiwan who want to switch to residence without leaving should look at Article 23. Three common cases it covers:

• You entered visa-free or on a visitor visa and later got a work permit for professional work.
• You came on a visitor visa issued for study, Mandarin courses included. Mandarin students must already have studied for 4 months and be enrolling for at least 3 more.
• You entered on a visitor visa to join a spouse who has household registration in Taiwan or a residence permit here. The visa must allow a stay of 60 days or more, with no restrictions annotated on it.

Students who enter visa-free aren't on that list. They can't switch to residence once they're here, so if you're coming to study, sort out the visa before you leave.

Switching inside Taiwan also means more paperwork. The fee is NT$2,200 higher, and depending on your reason for applying you may need two extra documents: a health certificate from the last 3 months, and a criminal record certificate from your home country, issued within 1 year and covering the last 5 years. People applying as hired professional workers need neither. The NIA's filing guide has the details; the link is at the end of this article.

How many days after arriving do you have to apply for an ARC?

30 days, counted from the day after you arrive. Say you land on 10 October. Day 1 is 11 October, and day 30 is 9 November.

A late application can be fined under Article 85. Once you've applied, the card takes about 10 working days. Extra documents or an interview add to that. If something is missing, you get 15 days from the NIA's notice to hand it in.

Proof of address is where people lose time. Two or three weeks can slip by while you stay in a hotel and look for a room. With housing sorted before you fly, there's one less thing to chase after you land.

What do you need to bring to apply for an ARC?

For a first application, the NIA's filing guide for foreign nationals applying for residence, an extension or a change in the purpose of residence (published 16 Jan 2026) asks for:

1. The application form for foreign nationals' residence (visit) cases.
2. 1 color photo taken within the last 2 years: facing forward, no hat, same format as the photo on a Taiwanese national ID card.
3. Your passport and resident visa, originals plus photocopies. The originals are checked and handed back.
4. Proof of the purpose of your residence, original plus photocopy (see the table below).
5. Proof of your current address, such as a lease.
6. A letter of authorization, if someone else submits the application for you.

Documents issued abroad need to be authenticated first by a Taiwan embassy or representative office overseas. For anything in a foreign language, the NIA may also ask for a Chinese translation that has been authenticated or notarized. Get marriage and birth certificates authenticated in your home country before you leave. That beats discovering after you land that one stamp is missing.

Can a lease be used as proof of address for an ARC?

A lease is the NIA's own example. Under "proof of current address" in the filing guide, the first item listed is a lease. If you're staying with friends or family, attach a copy of the building ownership certificate or a copy of both sides of the owner's ID card instead, together with a consent statement from the owner. The service center has the final say on what it accepts.

Seal Co-living signs residential leases, and our minimum lease is 30 days. If you plan to use the lease for an ARC or an address change, tell us at the viewing and ask which documents we can provide. The NIA makes the decision, so we can't promise the result.

Where do you apply, and can you do it online?

In person, you go to the NIA service center for the place where you live. In Taipei City that's the Taipei City Service Center at No. 15, Guangzhou St., Zhongzheng District (main line 02-2388-5185). The NIA website gives counter hours of Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, open over lunch too. To check anything before you go, call the NIA's Foreigners in Taiwan Hotline on 1990 (+886-800-001990 from abroad).

All Seal Co-living houses are in Taipei City, so this is the center our residents use. Go yourself or have someone submit for you with a letter of authorization. The exception is the foreign spouse of a Taiwanese citizen applying to join family for the first time. In that case the Taiwanese spouse has to come along.

Online applications are open to three groups only:

• Foreign students and overseas compatriot students (僑生) use the NIA's online application system for students (外國與外僑、大陸與港澳、無戶籍國民學生線上申辦系統). You upload color images of your documents, and it takes about 5 working days.
• Foreign professionals and their spouses and children use the NIA's online application system for foreign professionals and their family members. It handles the Employment PASS Card and the ARC, and changes of registration as well.
• Employment Gold Card applicants go through the online application platform for foreign professionals.

Everyone else goes to a service center in person.

How much does an ARC cost?

These are the fees in the NIA's filing guides as of 9 Oct 2026:

So the fee follows the card's validity, and the validity depends on your status. A standard ARC lasts up to 3 years (Article 22). Foreign special professionals can get up to 5 years (Article 8 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals). If you're staying past the expiry date, apply for an extension within the 3 months before it.

How do you change the address on your ARC after moving?

Same 30 days, counted from the day after you move. Register the new address at the service center for the area you've moved to (Immigration Act, Article 31, Paragraph 6). Bring the originals of your passport, your ARC and proof of the new address, such as your new lease. Not registering it carries the same penalty as a late ARC application, also under Article 85. A change of workplace comes with the same 30 days.

Students and foreign professionals can register the change in their own online systems by uploading the ARC and proof of the new address. If your ARC is due for extension around then, the NIA's FAQ says you can change the address as part of the extension, as long as you're still within 30 days of the move.

Is there a fee just for a new address? In the online guides for students and foreign professionals, the cases that cost NT$500 don't include address changes. The Employment Gold Card guide says the fee may be waived when the card is reissued for an address change. The general filing guide used at the counters doesn't spell it out, so if you go in person, ask the service center when you hand in your papers.

Moving between Seal Co-living houses counts as a move too. New address, 30 days to change it. Ask us which documents to attach when you switch.

Which resident certificate do Hong Kong and Macao residents get?

Residents of Hong Kong and Macao apply for a Taiwan Area Resident Certificate (臺灣地區居留證). It's a different card from the ARC that foreign nationals hold. The rules come from the regulations on Hong Kong and Macao residents entering the Taiwan Area and residing or settling there (香港澳門居民進入臺灣地區及居留定居許可辦法), not from Article 22 of the Immigration Act.

Compared with foreign nationals, the differences are where you apply, what you bring, the fee and a final card exchange (NIA filing guide for Hong Kong and Macao residents applying for residence in the Taiwan Area).

Where you apply depends on where you are. In Hong Kong or Macao, it's the local Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. In another country, a Taiwan embassy or representative office. If you're already in Taiwan on an entry and exit permit and meet the conditions for residence, you go straight to a service center. Students from Hong Kong and Macao apply after they arrive.

More documents are needed as well. On top of the application form, photo, Hong Kong or Macao permanent resident ID card and passport, you need a letter of guarantee (not required for study and some other purposes), a police record certificate covering the last 5 years, and a health certificate from the last 3 months. Proof of your address in Taiwan is listed under "other supporting documents". The certificate fee is NT$1,300 if you apply from abroad and NT$1,000 if you apply while staying in Taiwan.

Last comes the card exchange. If you're approved from Hong Kong, Macao or overseas, you first receive an entry permit and a duplicate of the resident certificate. Within 15 days of the day you enter, exchange it at the NIA for the actual Taiwan Area Resident Certificate (Article 23 of the regulations).

For later steps such as an address change after a move, check directly with an NIA service center.

Do working holiday visa holders need an ARC?

It depends on your nationality. According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs' pages for each country, for most nationalities, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and France, the working holiday visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa. Each entry allows a stay of up to 180 days. Before that runs out you can apply at a service center to extend it, up to 1 year in total from your first entry.

A visitor visa doesn't come with an ARC. The NIA's filing guide also says that people who entered on a working holiday visa can't switch to residence in Taiwan, unless other rules say otherwise.

The UK is the exception. The Taiwan-UK Youth Mobility Scheme issues a resident visa, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs says you must apply for an ARC at an NIA service center within 30 days, counting from the day after you arrive. Conditions vary by country. Before you go, open the bureau's Working Holiday (Youth Exchange) page and read the one for your nationality.

If you're coming on a working holiday and still need a place to live, Finding a place on a Taiwan working holiday: before you fly, your first home and avoiding deposit scams covers that.

What trips people up when applying for an ARC?

• Counting the 30 days from arrival day. The count starts the next day, but don't leave it to the last few days anyway: your company or school has to issue the certificate of employment or enrollment, and that takes time.
• Getting the ARC while staying at a hotel, then forgetting to change the address after moving into a rented place.
• Entering visa-free to study or learn Mandarin, assuming you can switch to residence once you're here.
• Bringing documents from abroad that haven't been authenticated, or leaving out the Chinese translation.
• Going out without ID. Article 28 says foreign nationals in Taiwan must carry their passport or ARC.

FAQ

What happens if I apply for my ARC on day 31 after arriving?

You're already late. Under Article 85 of the Immigration Act, you can be fined from NT$2,000 to NT$10,000. Ask the service center where you live how to apply late.

Do I need to change my ARC address if I move to another Seal Co-living house?

Yes. A new address has to be registered within 30 days at the service center for the area you moved to. Students and foreign professionals can also do it in their online systems.

Do I need an ARC if I'm on a working holiday visa?

For most countries, no, because it's a visitor visa. The UK Youth Mobility Scheme is the exception: it issues a resident visa, so you apply within 30 days, counting from the day after you arrive.

What's next after your ARC?

The first month brings a few more errands. Work through them one at a time with Your first month in Taipei: the order and deadlines for your ARC, phone, bank account and health insurance. For a bank account, see Banking in Taiwan as a foreigner: what to bring to open an account, how to pay rent by transfer, and whether mobile payments work, and for a phone number, How to get a phone number in Taiwan: prepaid SIM, eSIM or monthly plan, and the ID you need. Deposits, agent fees and the lease rules worth knowing are covered in Common sticking points for foreigners renting in Taipei: agent's fees, deposits, lease language, ARC address registration, and how Seal Co-living handles them.

To see a room first, send 「看房」 (Chinese for "viewing") or "viewing" to our official account on LINE (add us as a friend on LINE), or fill in the online booking form.

Sources

(All retrieved on 9 Oct 2026.)

1. 1.Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Immigration Act (amended ROC 112-06-28)law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0080132
2. 2.Laws & Regulations Database, Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (amended ROC 114-09-24), Articles 8 and 9law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=A0030295
3. 3.National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, filing guide for foreign nationals applying for residence, an extension of residence or a change in the purpose of residenceimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7317/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/29996/
4. 4.National Immigration Agency, filing guide for foreign nationals applying for residence after entering on a visitor visa or visa-freeimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7317/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/181946/
5. 5.National Immigration Agency, FAQ on how many days foreign residents have to register a change of addressimmigration.gov.tw/5385/12162/12197/371903/
6. 6.National Immigration Agency, FAQ for foreign nationals (changing the address during an extension; applying within 30 days of entering on a resident visa)immigration.gov.tw/5385/12162/12197/CP_QA?alias=QAClass&type=%E5%A4%96%E7%B1%8D%E4%BA%BA%E5%A3%AB%E7%94%B3%E8%BE%A6%E7%9B%B8%E9%97%9C&Pagesize=300
7. 7.National Immigration Agency, Guidelines for Online Application for Residence, Extension of Residence, and Registration of Changes for Foreign Students and Overseas Compatriot Studentsimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7317/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/362168/
8. 8.National Immigration Agency, guidelines for online applications and extensions of the Employment PASS Card or ARC, and changes of registration, for foreign professionals and their spouses and childrenimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7317/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/httpswwwimmigrationgovtw5385724472507317%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/
9. 9.National Immigration Agency, guidelines for online Employment Gold Card applications by foreign or Hong Kong and Macao special professionalsimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7317/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/406403/
10. 10.National Immigration Agency, service center addresses (counter hours and the 1990 hotline at the bottom of the page)immigration.gov.tw/5385/5388/7181/7184/7193/
11. 11.National Immigration Agency, filing guide for Hong Kong and Macao residents applying for residence in the Taiwan Areaimmigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7296/%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99/148063/
12. 12.Laws & Regulations Database, 香港澳門居民進入臺灣地區及居留定居許可辦法 (regulations on Hong Kong and Macao residents entering the Taiwan Area and residing or settling there; amended ROC 111-06-13)law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=Q0020008
13. 13.Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Working Holiday (Youth Exchange) pages by countryboca.gov.tw/np-388-1.html
14. 14.Bureau of Consular Affairs, working holiday visa information for Japanese nationalsboca.gov.tw/cp-388-45-eee84-1.html
15. 15.Bureau of Consular Affairs, working holiday visa information for Korean nationalsboca.gov.tw/cp-388-51-cb41a-1.html
16. 16.Bureau of Consular Affairs, working holiday (youth exchange) visa information for UK nationalsboca.gov.tw/cp-388-50-4f69b-1.html