Taiwan APRC: Permanent Residency Requirements, Documents and What Gets It Revoked

What the APRC is

The Alien Permanent Resident Certificate — yongjiu juliu zheng (永久居留證), often called the Plum Blossom Card — is Taiwan’s permanent residence document for foreign nationals. Where the ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) is a renewable residence permit tied to your purpose of stay, the APRC removes the renewal cycle and decouples your residence from a specific employer, school or sponsor.

Holding the APRC does not make you a Taiwanese citizen and does not give you a passport or the right to vote. It gives you the right to live in Taiwan without renewing a residence permit, with most employment restrictions removed.

This article is about the general route under Article 25 of the Immigration Act. If you hold an Employment Gold Card, a separate, shorter route applies — see below. The difference between an ARC and the APRC is covered in our ARC guide.

The residence test — five years, 183 days a year

The core requirement is time, and it is strict. Under Article 25 of the Immigration Act, you must have legally and continuously resided in Taiwan for five consecutive years, staying more than 183 days in each year. The period is counted from your residence status, and time spent on some categories (such as certain student statuses) may not count towards it.

A few things to know:

• The 183-day bar is a floor, not an average. If you travel a lot, track your days in Taiwan from year one — a single thin year can restart or delay your count.
• The application window is two years. You must apply within two years of completing the residence period, while your ARC is still valid.
• Good conduct and self-support are assessed alongside time. You need no criminal record issues and must show you can support yourself without relying on public assistance.

If the permanent residence route is your goal, keep an entry/exit record from the start rather than reconstructing it later.

Requirements and documents

Beyond the residence test, the published requirements are that you are of age, of good character, able to support yourself, and that your stay serves the national interest. The documents the National Immigration Agency (NIA) asks for are largely built around those tests:

• Completed APRC application form and a colour photograph to ID-card specification
• Entry/exit record, plus new and old passports
• Your current Alien Resident Certificate
• A satisfactory health examination certificate on the Ministry of Health and Welfare form
• Proof of financial assets or skills, and
• Criminal record certificates from both Taiwan and your country of origin covering the past five years

Proof of financial self-support can be met several ways, including an average monthly income over the past year exceeding twice the minimum wage, assets valued above a published threshold, or government-issued professional or technical certifications. Which evidence works depends on your situation, so check the current guidance rather than assuming one option fits all.

Documents produced abroad must generally be authenticated by a Taiwan overseas mission or notarised domestically before the NIA accepts them — factor that lead time in.

Where and how to apply

Applications are submitted at an NIA service centre in your place of residence. The application is reviewed locally first and then referred to the NIA headquarters for final review, so expect a multi-stage process rather than a counter decision.

The application fee is NT$10,000, payable at submission. There are no shortcuts in the general route: the residence period, conduct and financial tests are all assessed on the evidence you submit.

Practical notes:

• Apply within the two-year window after meeting the residence requirement, while your ARC is valid — leaving it late risks the basis for your stay changing.
• If your reason for residence changed during the qualifying period, the financial proof must match the most recent year’s conditions.
• Book or check queue times at your service centre; Taipei’s office is busy and smaller county offices are often faster for the same application.

What can get the APRC revoked

Permanent residency in Taiwan is not unconditional. The APRC is revoked or cancelled if you fail to reside in Taiwan for an average of 183 days per year over the most recent five years, counting from the year after the card is issued — unless you fall into an exempted category such as certain foreign professionals or obtain prior approval.

In practice this means the 183-day discipline continues after you get the card. If the APRC is revoked but you still qualify for residence, you can generally apply for residence status again within 30 days of the revocation.

The Gold Card route is different. If you have held an Employment Gold Card for at least three consecutive years with an average of 183 days or more in Taiwan each year, you can apply for permanent residency on that basis, and a Taiwanese doctoral degree can shorten the residence requirement. Check the Gold Card office’s guidance for the current terms.

Note — permanent residence rules, the residence test, financial thresholds and fees are set by the Immigration Act and NIA instructions and change. This article describes the published structure as of August 2026 and does not predict the outcome of any application. Verify current requirements at immigration.gov.tw or with an NIA service centre before acting.