Investment immigration – Hong Kong and Macao Only

  1. Investment method: a newly established company, acquired the company or invested in an existing company
  2. Investment amount: NTD 6,000,000
  3. Open Qualifications: Hong Kong and Macao people (applicants’ spouses and children under the age of 20 who are also Hong Kong and Macao residents can apply to come to Taiwan to stay with them.)
  4. Naturalization conditions: Applicants must apply for settlement in accordance with one of the following conditions:

(1) Stay in Taiwan for one year, and the cumulative number of exit days does not exceed 30 days.

(2) Staying in Taiwan for 2 consecutive years, and the number of days in Taiwan is more than 270 days per year.

Basic procedure

  1. Apply for investment in Taiwan company for pre-check
  2. The applicant comes to Taiwan to apply for residence status and prepare for the establishment of the company.
  3. The Investment Review Committee applies for investment, and then remits the investment funds and approves the funds after approval.
  4. Complete company establishment/change registration, tax registration, and bank account conversion.
  5. The Immigration Department applies for a residence permit.
  6. The applicant comes to Taiwan to live and maintain the normal operation of the investment business.
  7. If the Immigration Department and the relevant competent authority have determined that they have reached the residence and company operating obligations, they can apply for settlement and obtain Taiwanese status after one year of the fastest stay.

 

 Prepared document

  1. Hong Kong / Macao resident identity card.
  2. Taiwan company registration documents.
  3. No criminal record in Hong Kong and Macao within five years.
  4. Pass the health check of the designated medical institution.
  5. A Taiwanese person holds a guarantor during his stay in Taiwan.

 

Comparison Chart of Investment immigration

 Hong Kong and Macao OnlyForeigners applying for residence
Investment amountNTD 6,000,000NTD 500,000
Company formSet up a company, an acquisition company, or invest in an existing companyCompany establishment
CountryHong Kong and Macau OnlyFor Foreigners, but Hong Kong and Macao also can apply
Naturalization (residence) conditionsFrom the date of application, the calculation will continue for one year, and each period will not exceed 30 days, or stay for two consecutive years and live in Taiwan for more than 270 days.

If you meet the number of days of residence, you can apply for settlement if you have the fastest stay for one year, and then obtain Taiwanese citizenship.

You can apply for the “Expatriate Permanent Residence Permit” by applying for a residence permit for 5 consecutive years and a daily residence of 183 days and meeting other basic conditions.

It is not possible to obtain naturalization. Unless there are other conditions for applying for settlement, you will not be able to obtain Taiwanese citizenship by applying for residence alone.

ObjectNo crime, physical and mental health, Hong Kong and Macao peopleOverseas Chinese or foreigners hold shares or capital contributions of the invested business, totaling more than one-third of the total number of shares or the total amount of capital of the company manager.
Relevant regulationü   Hong Kong and Macao residents entering Taiwan and residence permit Systems.

ü   Article 4 and 31 of the Hong Kong-Macau Relations Ordinance.

ü   Foreigner Investment Regulations.

ü   Negative list of overseas investments.

ü   Overseas Chinese Return to China

ü   Foreigner Investment Regulations

Residence statusIdentity code HF162Identity code HF171
Can you bring your family?Yes, spouses and minor children can apply for residence togetherYes, spouses and minor children can apply for residence together
Revenue limitWhen applying for settlement, the competent authority will review the business tax return and, if necessary, require the applicant to provide other proofs, which proves that it is not a false line number or a false investment, but there is no clear threshold for the turnover.The length of the work permit period is assessed and reviewed by the Ministry of Labor. It is usually issued once or twice a year, and the application for a work permit is delayed. The company must meet the operational threshold criteria before re-appointment, and the operating threshold varies according to the application type and industry.

For example, if you apply for a work permit as a foreign official, the company’s operating threshold is:

(1) The company has been established for less than one year: the paid-up capital or working capital in Taiwan reaches NT$500,000, the turnover is NT$3 million, and the total import and export performance is more than USD500,000. Or agency commission of more than USD 200,000.

(2) Those who have been established for more than one year: The average turnover in Taiwan in the last one year or the first three years is NTD3 million or more, the average import and export performance is more than US$500,000 or the average agency commission is US$200,000 above.

 

 

Investment application for residence procedures

Step 1. After review by the Investment Review Conference, the amount of investment capital remitted will reach NT$500,000 or more.

Step 2. Complete the company establishment registration and indicate the foreigner as the manager in the company change registration form. In fact, the company law does not clearly define what a manager is, so the manager basically can be regarded as a practical manager as long as the company authorizes the person to manage the company through the charter or another contract. However, according to the current company law, the appointment and dismissal of a manager require registration with the competent authority. Therefore, regardless of the job title, the person with the manager’s identity should specify it in the establishment (change) registration form.

Step 3. Sign the employment contract with the company (employer).

Step 4. Prepare relevant documents to apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor.

Step 5. Apply for the Alien Residence Permit to the Immigration Department. (If you are exempt from visa or visa, you must first apply for a visa to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

 

 

Investment immigrants obtained Taiwanese nationality

Apply for residence

  • In Hong Kong or Macau: You should apply to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Hong Kong, Macau). (But Hong Kong and Macao students are required to apply for residence after entering the country)
  • Those who are overseas: should apply to the overseas library.
  • Have entered the exit permit for entry and exit, and meet the conditions for residence. In Taiwan, apply for the service at each municipality or county (city) service station.
  • Applicants who apply for employment gold cards in accordance with Article 8 of the Foreign Laws should apply to the “Foreign Professionals Application Window Platform” (hereinafter referred to as the Professional Talent Application Platform), their spouses, minor children and those over the age of 20 Children whose physical and mental disabilities are unable to take care of themselves are still subject to the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs.

 

Carry relevant supporting documents

  • A copy of the application for entry/residence in the Taiwan area of the Republic of China, with a positive color photo
  • Original or photocopy of Hong Kong or Macao Permanent Resident Identity Document (Identity Card and Passport)
  • Hong Kong or Macau Police Record Certificate for the last five years (valid for three months). Those who are under the age of 20 are exempt from the attachment.
  • Health check certificate (valid for three months)
  • Power of attorney: Entrusting an applicant to act as an agent, a power of attorney should be attached and signed or stamped at the signature office of the applicant; however, the travel agency will send the piece and attach the travel agency and the person in charge to the application. The travel agency is the applicant and the power of attorney is exempted.
  • Applicants who have entered the stay period will be accompanied by an exit permit.
  • Other relevant supporting documents.
  • Hong Kong or Macao resident status confirmation.
  • Hong Kong and Macao residents apply for residency in innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Applicants who are applying for residency in accordance with the foreign talent special law and who are over 20 years of age and unable to take care of themselves due to physical and mental disabilities should be accompanied by a Pap scale or relevant certificate.

 

Application time

Five working days (excluding the date of receipt, holiday, replenishment, mailing time, and police record turnaround time)

How to apply

Step 1. Conduct a preliminary consultation with a professional immigration consultant who will evaluate and arrange the follow-up process for you.

Step 2. Invest in new business – handle the new preparatory process.

Invest in an existing business – go through the investment preparation process.

Step 3. Come to Taiwan for 1~2 days to apply for residence and investment preparation procedures.

Step 4. Detailed planning of follow-up investment and business details and preparation of investment plans.

Step 5. Apply for investment from the Investment Review Committee.

Step 6. Import the investment funds and apply for funds approval.

Step 7. Complete the company establishment/change registration, handle tax registration and bank account conversion.

Step 8. Apply for a good citizen’s card and prepare a residence permit from the Immigration Department.

Step 9. Come to Taiwan to live, enjoy a happy life and maintain the normal operation of the invested business.

Step 10. If the Immigration Department and the relevant competent authority have determined that they have reached the residence and company operating obligations, they can apply for settlement and obtain Taiwanese status after one year of the fastest stay.

 

Supplementary explanation

  1. The so-called “permanent residence” is only applicable to foreigners not including Hong Kong and Macao (special attention should be paid to the fact that if Hong Kong and Macao people have the nationality of another country, the residence method for Hong Kong and Macao people will no longer be applicable, and the residence method for ordinary foreigners should be applied).
  2. If you define “investment immigration to Taiwan” as “putting out a sum of money to open a company and stay in Taiwan for a while,” instead of a lifetime, then it will raise the consideration of Macau and  Hong Kong people immigration to Taiwan. Taiwan’s investment in setting up a company’s self-employed job application to Taiwan can be regarded as “generalized investment immigration.”
  3. If your definition of “immigration to Taiwan” is “final acquisition of Taiwanese nationality”, then it is not applicable to set up a company to hire a self-employed application, because the application itself has other conditions that can be applied for settlement in accordance with immigration regulations ( For example, if you have come to Taiwan to attend school, or you have an immediate family member with household registration in Taiwan, etc., if you only come to Taiwan to stay on the basis of “application”, no matter how long you stay, you will not be able to acquire Taiwanese citizenship.
  4. If you do not plan to be naturalized in Taiwan, just want to stay in Taiwan for a while, as long as you can meet the preconditions for the turnover limit, consider applying for residence, otherwise, you are advised to use the “investment immigration” method.

 

  • More you might want to know

│ Taiwan company registration  │  Residence permit application │ Taiwan investment immigration