Visa/ARC
Navigate the visa and ARC process, ensuring compliance with regulations during your stay
*Announcement:
- While we do our best to provide information, be mindful that you are responsible for maintaining your legal status in Taiwan during your study.
- You should obtain a visa to enter Taiwan. A visa allows you to stay in Taiwan for longer term to avoid disruptions during your study period.
- If you will be studying at NTU for one academic year or longer, be sure to also read through information on the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).
- If you hold a Mainland China passport, information on this page does not apply to holders of Mainland China passport.
- Mainland China passport holders need to obtain an Entry Permit to enter Taiwan. Failure to obtain a visa will result in the cancellation of the eligibility for exchange/visiting student status. Information is provided to you through email.
Visa
Apply for a visa from the consular office of the Taiwan Embassy or Mission in your area. The consular office would be able to provide information on the application process and materials required.
To locate the Embassy or Mission in your area, please refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, https://en.mofa.gov.tw/ > Embassies & Missions.
If you plan to stay at NTU for one academic year or longer, we strongly recommend that you obtain a Resident Visa. You will need to convert your Resident Visa to an ARC either within 30 days of entering Taiwan with the Resident Visa or within 30 days of receiving the Resident Visa while in Taiwan.
For more details with VISA, please contact Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Address: 3-5F, 2-2, Sec.1, Jinan Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City
- Tel: (02)2343-2888
- Visa inquiry Hotline: (02)2343-2885; (02)2343-2895
- Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30-17:00
- Website: http://www.boca.gov.tw/
- E-mail: post@boca.gov.tw
Visitor Visa Extension
If your Visitor Visa is not remarked as “no extension”, you can apply for an extension at the National Immigration Agency with a Certificate of Enrollment.
For one-semester exchange or visiting students, to get a certificate of enrollment, refer to Academics > Enrollment/Registration.
If you are a degree student, you should be converting to ARC instead of extending a Visitor Visa.
Alien Resident Certificate (ARC)
The Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) serves as an ID card which proves legal resident status in Taiwan and allows enrollment in various services, such as the National Health Insurance and mobile data plans. You should take good care of it and take steps to renew it before the expiration date.
If you plan to stay at NTU for one academic year or longer and entered Taiwan:
- With a Resident Visa, you can and must apply for the ARC within 30 days of arrival date
- With a Visitor Visa, you can and must apply for the ARC before your Visitor Visa expires.
International students who have entered Taiwan with a Resident Visa, or obtained Resident Visa through visa change in Taiwan, are required to apply for Alien Resident Certificate through the online application system within 30 days after arrival or issue date of Resident Visa within Taiwan respectively.
Apply for the ARC online directly at the National Immigration Agency’s Students Online Application System.
How to Apply for ARC?
All the application is online. Please refer to the information below:
How to obtain the documents needed to apply for ARC issued by NTU?
Required documents needed to apply for ARC issued by NTU is as below:
-
Admission Letter
Once you are admitted to NTU, you will receive your Admission Letter at the appointed time. For more information, please contact to the person in charge of your application. -
Enrollment Certificate
The Enrollment certificate is an important piece of document when applying for the ARC, ARC renewal, Work Permit, some Scholarships, and so on.After paying the tuition fees for the semester, you can download the Certificate of Enrollment from myNTU’s ePortfolio during the semester.
Application steps:
- Log into myNTU → Students → NTU ePortfolio.
- Click “Basic Information” from the side bar.
- Click the “Print Enrollment Proof” button in the enrollment state column to download the enrollment certificate file.
During summer and winter vacations, students are unable to download the Certificate of Enrollment through the NTU ePortfolio. If you wish to apply for the Enrollment Certificate during Summer or Winter vacation, you should ask the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) for the tuition fee payment bill for the following semester, pay the fees, and take the receipt back to OAA (Graduate Academic Affairs Division for graduate students; Undergraduate Academic Affairs Division for undergraduate students). The OAA will either issue a Certificate of Enrollment to you, or give you a copy of your Student ID card with a registered stamp on it, which will serve as a Certificate of Enrollment, too.
- Log into myNTU → Students → NTU ePortfolio.
How to check ARC application progree?
After filling out and submitting an online application form, students will receive a 12-digit confirmation number. Students may use the confirmation number to track their progress via the online system through “progress inquiry” –> “application progress inquiry.”
ARC Extension/Renewal (for degree students)
- Please apply for ARC extension within 30 days before your ARC expires if you will continue your study at NTU.
- If you plan to leave Taiwan during your studies, please make sure your ARC will still be valid at the time you return to Taiwan before your departure. Please apply for ARC extension online if necessary.
How to Extend/Renew your ARC?
The procedure to apply for ARC extension/renewal is the same as applying for a new one. Please refer to the information at the “How to apply for ARC”
How early I can start to extend/renew my ARC?
- If you will continue your study at NTU, you may apply for ARC extension within 90 days before your ARC expires.
- If you need to change information on your ARC (e.g. change of address), you should apply to update your ARC online within 30 days of the change.
- If you plan to leave Taiwan during your studies, please make sure your ARC will still be valid at the time you return to Taiwan before your departure. Please apply for ARC extension online if necessary.
- Graduates seeking employment in Taiwan are required to provide a graduation certificate to extend their period of stay. The maximum extension is 2 years (issued 1 year per time), starting from the month of graduation.
Will I be fined if I overstay in Taiwan?
- If you will continue your study at NTU, you may apply for ARC extension within 90 days before your ARC expires.
- If you need to change information on your ARC (e.g. change of address), you should apply to update your ARC online within 30 days of the change.
- If you plan to leave Taiwan during your studies, please make sure your ARC will still be valid at the time you return to Taiwan before your departure. Please apply for ARC extension online if necessary.
- Graduates seeking employment in Taiwan are required to provide a graduation certificate to extend their period of stay. The maximum extension is 2 years (issued 1 year per time), starting from the month of graduation.
Item #3
Yes. You will be fine depending on how many days you overstay:
- 1-10 days: NTD$10,000
- 11-30 days: NTD$20,000
- 31-60 days: NTD30,000
- 61-90 days: NTD$40,000
- over 91 days: NTD$50,000
Please note that:
- If you overstay within 30 days (the 30th day excluded), and you are a current enrolled student at NTU, you may pay the fine and apply for the ARC extension in Taiwan.
- If you overstay more than 30 days (the 30th day included) and you are a current enrolled student at NTU, you will need to pay the fine and leave Taiwan in 7 days to apply for a new visa at the TECO in another country and re-enter Taiwan.
For more details with ARC, please contact the National Immigration Agency
- Website: http://www.immigration.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2
- Address: No.15, Guangzhou St., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
- Business Hours: Taipei Office: Monday to Friday 8:00 – 17:00
- Other Branch Office: Monday to Friday 8:00 – 17:00
- Tel:
- Main Line: (02)2388-9393
- Automatic Answering Line: (02)2370-2797
- Manual Answering Line: (02)2389-9983
- Foreigners In Taiwan Hotline: 1990 (English, Japanese, and Mandarin services available)