How to Become a Taiwan Citizen: What Foreign Residents Need to Know

Taiwan's naturalization process has attracted growing interest among the island's expanding population of long-term foreign residents — yet many remain uncertain about what the process actually entails. From the financial requirements to military obligations and the question of dual citizenship, the rules are more nuanced than commonly assumed.

Here is what applicants need to know, based onTaiwan's Nationality Act and guidance from the Ministry of the Interior.

Under Article 3 of the Nationality Act, most foreign nationals must meet five conditions simultaneously before an application can be considered.

Residency duration is the first hurdle. Applicants must have spent at least 183 days per year in Taiwan over five consecutive years. For foreign nationals married to ROC citizens, that threshold drops to three years — a significant difference that reflects the government's policy of facilitating family-based integration.

Legal capacity is the second requirement. Applicants must be of legal age under both ROC law — meaning at least 18 years old — and under the laws of their country of origin.

A clean criminal record is mandatory. Applicants must produce a police certificate — colloquially known in Taiwan as a "good citizen certificate" — showing no criminal convictions.

Financial self-sufficiency is the fourth condition. Applicants must show they have sufficient assets or professional skills to support themselves. However, spouses of ROC nationals and holders of an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) are generally exempt from submitting formal financial documentation. Importantly, the Ministry of the Interior has clarified that following recent legislative amendments, foreign spouses applying for naturalization are no longer required to submit additional proof of financial means at all — a point that has generated confusion in the past.

Basic Chinese language ability and civic knowledge round out the requirements. This can be satisfied by passing a designated proficiency test or by submitting documentation of a specified number of instructional hours completed.

One procedural note worth flagging early: all documents prepared outside Taiwan must be authenticated by an ROC overseas mission and counter-verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents in languages other than Chinese must also be accompanied by a certified Chinese translation, as confirmed by the Taipei City Government's Department of Civil Affairs.

Naturalization is not a one-stop transaction. The process unfolds across six distinct stages.

The first step is filing the application at the household registration office nearest to the applicant's place of residence. The office then forwards the application to the Ministry of the Interior for formal review.

Once approved, the Ministry issues a Certificate of Naturalization Permit, which serves as the basis for the subsequent steps.

With that certificate in hand, the applicant applies for a Taiwan Area Resident Certificate through the National Immigration Agency (NIA).

The most consequential step for most applicants follows: renunciation of original nationality. This must be completed within one year of the Ministry of the Interior's approval. Extensions are available in cases where the country of origin's laws or administrative procedures create genuine obstacles — but failure to comply without qualifying for an extension risks revocation of the naturalization permit.

After completing a sufficient residency period — typically one continuous year, or two years with at least 270 days of residence per year — applicants may apply to the NIA for a Taiwan Area Settlement Certificate.

The final step is registering a household at the local household registration office and applying for a national identification card, which formally completes the naturalization process.

For those with distinguished service records, the Ministry of the Interior has noted that household registration offices can coordinate with the NIA to provide in-home assistance, and that such cases can now be processed in approximately ten days following streamlining of the overall system.

On dual citizenship: Taiwan's general rule is single nationality. Foreign nationals who naturalize are expected to renounce their original citizenship — but there are notable exceptions.

Since a December 2016 amendment to the Nationality Act, highly skilled professionals in fields including science and technology, economics, education, culture, the arts, and sports may naturalize without renouncing their original nationality, effectively obtaining dual citizenship. Those already holding the government-issued Plum Blossom Card (梅花卡) face a simplified application procedure. Ministry of the Interior statistics show that between December 2016 and April 2023, 261 professionals from across five continents naturalized through this channel, with those in the education sector comprising the largest group at 106 individuals and American nationals leading by country of origin at 69 persons.

A second category of exceptions covers persons with distinguished service to Taiwan — a category that has included members of the clergy and medical workers who have contributed significantly to Taiwanese society over many years. These individuals are also exempt from the renunciation requirement and face no minimum residency threshold. Forty-eight people have naturalized under this provision to date, among them basketball player Quincy Davis (戴維斯), who naturalized in 2013.

On military service: Naturalization does not exempt male applicants from conscription obligations. Men who receive their national ID card while still within the conscription age window — from the year following their 18th birthday through to the end of the calendar year in which they turn 36 — remain subject to mandatory military service.

On holding public office: Even where dual nationality is lawfully held, the Nationality Act bars naturalized nationals who retain foreign citizenship from a specific range of senior positions. These include the presidency, legislative seats, cabinet-level posts, judicial and examination yuan roles, ambassadorships, deputy ministerial ranks, general officer grades in the military, and elected local government offices, among others. Applicants uncertain about a specific role should consult the full text of the Act or seek guidance from the Ministry of the Interior.

On fraudulent applications: The Ministry of the Interior may revoke naturalization within two years of discovering any non-conforming circumstances, subject to a five-year hard cap from the date naturalization took effect. However, where a court finds that naturalization was obtained through a fraudulent marriage or adoption, no time limit applies — revocation may proceed regardless of how much time has passed.

Prospective applicants can consult the Household Registration Section of the Ministry of the Interior's website at (ris.gov.tw) for a full list of required documents and the latest regulatory updates, or contact their local household registration office directly. The full text of the Nationality Act in English is also available through the government's Laws and Regulations Database at (law.moj.gov.tw).

​Original Article in Chinese

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