The Taiwanese government has amended its immigration policy effective from March 1st, introducing some relaxed visa regulations.
Under the new policy, foreigners initially permitted to stay for 60 days or longer can now apply for an extension of their visitor visa at the National Immigration Agency, provided their visa allows for an extension.
Notably, the extension fee for visitor visas is set at 300 New Taiwan dollars (approximately US$9.39), a change from the previous prohibition on extending visitor visas.
The extension period granted cannot exceed the original permitted duration of stay and is capped at a maximum total stay of six months.
Furthermore, holders of an Alien Resident Certificate are now allowed to apply for status extensions up to three months before expiration, compared to the previous one-month window.
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Additionally, the amendments extend the timeframe for foreign nationals who entered Taiwan under a resident visa on or after January 1, 2024, to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate from 15 to 30 calendar days.
Despite the general relaxation of visa rules, Taiwanese authorities have implemented stricter measures for certain immigrants, particularly those born in mainland China. Such applicants are now required to submit additional supporting documents when applying for an alien residence card or permanent residence card to verify their lack of household registration in China or possession of a Chinese passport.
Moreover, the government has revised the penalties for overstaying, increasing the fines from NT$2,000–NT$10,000 to NT$10,000–NT$50,000, and extending the maximum ban for overstaying from three to seven years.
