From passing the test to applying at the household registration office

You choose an oral or written test of 20 questions (5 points each), drawn from the official banks (Nov 2025 edition: written 256, oral 237 questions). The pass mark is 70/100 — 60 for spouses and others under Art. 4/5, 50 for applicants aged 65+. Instead of the test you can show 1+ year at a school in Taiwan or government class hours. Once you pass, you file the naturalisation application with your local 戶政事務所 (Household Registration Office).

• Typical documents: legal residence record, criminal background check, proof of financial means or occupation, family records, test pass certificate, photos.
• The naturalisation certificate fee is NT$1,200 (as of 2026; subject to change).
• The household office only accepts the file — the final decision is made by the 內政部 (Ministry of the Interior).

MOI review and the 國籍歸化證明書

• Review typically takes several months to over a year (as of 2026; subject to change).
• On approval the MOI issues the 國籍歸化證明書 (Naturalisation Certificate).
• You must then complete 戶籍 registration (entering the household register) at your local 戶政事務所 — only at that point are you formally a citizen.
• The ID card and passport can only be applied for after household registration is complete.

ID card and passport (身分證 · 中華民國護照)

• 國民身分證 (national ID card): issued by the Household Registration Office. You can usually apply on the day household registration is completed and receive the card the same day.
• 中華民國護照 (ROC passport): issued by the 外交部 領事事務局 (Bureau of Consular Affairs, MOFA). Standard processing 1–2 weeks; fee NT$1,300 for 10 years (age 14+; as of 2026; subject to change).
• ROC passport holders enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 132 countries (as of 2026; subject to change).
• Photos must meet biometric standards (taken within 6 months, white background).

Handling your prior citizenship (the biggest decision)

Article 9 of the Nationality Act generally requires applicants to renounce their original citizenship. This is the single biggest decision in the entire naturalisation process — confirm it with both Taiwan authorities and your home country before filing.

• Standard applicants must submit proof of loss of original nationality within one year after naturalisation is approved (this deadline is mandatory).
• Exempt from this proof: high-level professionals and people with special merit (Art. 9).
• Your home country's law also matters: many countries remove their nationality automatically when you voluntarily acquire another one (South Korea is one example), and some require a separate renunciation. Check with your own country's embassy, consulate or nationality authority.
• Some nationalities cannot renounce under home-country law; Taiwan may accept alternative evidence on a case-by-case basis.
• Confirm dual-citizenship feasibility with the household office, the MOI, and your home consulate before applying — there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Tax and social security

• Citizenship itself does not change your tax status. Taiwan taxes by residence (183+ days per year), not nationality, so your tax position is the same if you keep living the same way. Once you have household registration, you count as resident after 31 days in Taiwan in a year.
• Taiwan has comprehensive income tax agreements with only some countries — 36 countries and territories in 2026, such as Japan, South Korea, Germany and the UK, but not the USA. Check the Ministry of Finance list; without an agreement, the same income can be taxed in both countries.
• Social security: as a citizen aged 25–65 you become subject to 國民年金 (National Pension) enrolment whenever you are not in Labor Insurance or another occupational scheme. 健保 (National Health Insurance) is usually already in place during residence and continues unchanged.
• No official list of social-security (totalisation) agreements is published, so assume that pension periods in Taiwan and abroad are not added together, and ask both pension agencies.

Voting

• On naturalisation you immediately gain the right to vote and stand in presidential, legislative, and local elections.
• Note the cross-strait (兩岸) household distinction — a prior household registration on the mainland may restrict candidacy or certain rights.
• The voter roll updates automatically based on your household registration date.

Children's citizenship

• When parents naturalise, minor children (under 18) can apply alongside them (隨同歸化).
• Where one parent is already an ROC citizen and the child is born in Taiwan, the child generally acquires citizenship at birth through descent (jus sanguinis).
• Whether the child also keeps or acquires another nationality is decided by the other country's law — check with that country's authorities.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is there a deadline to apply after passing the test? A. There is no fixed expiry on the exam pass itself, but residence, financial, and language requirements are re-checked when you file.

Q. Can I keep my original citizenship? A. Generally no. Article 9 requires renunciation (with exceptions for high-level professionals and people with special merit), and many countries also remove their nationality when you voluntarily take another. Confirm both sides' procedures before applying.

Q. How long does the whole process take, from filing to ID card? A. It varies by case but several months to over a year is typical (as of 2026; subject to change).

Useful links

• MOI Department of Household Registration: https://www.ris.gov.tw/
• MOFA Bureau of Consular Affairs (passport): https://www.boca.gov.tw/