Hi folks!
I thought I saw it in here before but I’m looking for the guidelines for naturalization by special talent and the procedures to go about starting an application. I’m also looking at where can I find some success stories and what those applicants did to get there efforts deemed “special talent.”
Any and all information is appreciated even if you can just point me the way.
Thank you in advance.
Sounds like you might be lumping two of the categories together - special contributions and senior professional . Quite separate application approaches.
The Chinese side of the site may be more up-to-date.
Is the only difference between high level professional and outstanding achievement is the residency requirement? I already have APRC.
No. Citizenship through outstanding contributions means you’ve typically spent decades of your life improving Taiwan in some way that has already been recognized by the government.
High level professional is the more practical route for nearly all applicants, if you meet the requirements outlined in the link @foc shared. Success stories from several members of this forum are shared in this thread: Taiwan just (slightly) relaxed Dual Citizenship Rules.
I know someone who naturalized this way but it really feels like a “if you gotta ask” kinda thing.
He plays for major pop bands in Taiwan and is a very talented musician who can play almost anything out there. I never asked him about his application process because I presumed that it’s exceptionally difficult to even get to apply in the first place. The Taiwanese citizenship means easy access to China, which is important because most pop band’s revenue actually comes from China.
So if you’re a professional who helped TSMC achieve the N2 node or something (and can prove it), then go ahead and apply.
I’ve heard of a few foreigners who asked. All rejected 
Can confirm.
If you try “self sponsoring” for the high-level professional route, then the competent authority probably won’t give you a recommendation letter. Sometimes NIA doesn’t even give you all the application forms until you prove yourself. Seems like an indirect Taiwanese cultural integration test.
Not saying it’s impossible. You can try introducing yourself to your relevant ministry and see what they say.
All the application I have seen have been in Chinese. Attachments usually have key information translated into Chinese and appended to the relevant attachment.
Yes. My application had 5 different documents authenticated by 5 different TECRO/TRO/TECOs and hundreds of English pages translated into Chinese. Honestly, that wasn’t even the hardest part. My case needed a letter from the office of someone 1 position below my country’s president.
Aw I gotta try this. Every MP in Canada is one position below the Prime Minister technically speaking.
Go for the governor general, 1 position below the King 
But it’s a 9 hour drive to her house.
The NIA isn’t involved in this process. You obtain the recommendation letter directly from the applicable agency and they will have a standard process for applying. It is very much possible to “self sponsor” as it’s simply a matter of filling out a form and supplying supporting documentation.
You may be thinking of the Plum Blossom card which is issued by the NIA. They do seem less interested in accepting individual applications and in my experience will attempt to dissuade you from applying at the counter.
High-level professional applies to both plum blossom card and naturalization, so I was loosely trying to address both.
Yes, you’re correct they both end up needing a high level professional recommendation from a ministry, but it is certainly possible to self-sponsor an application for that recommendation from the ministry directly.
I naturalised and have triple nationality…
Does that mean I am a super special talent?
Nit picking but comes down to the definition of self-sponsor. I was using this fairly common and reasonable definition:
A sponsor is typically an individual or entity that agrees to support and assist a person seeking to immigrate [or naturalize] in a country.
The ministry “sponsors” your application to MOI for naturalization. Sponsor in the sense of “they vouch for you”. Whereas you “self-sponsor” your application for a recommendation letter. I wouldn’t even call it self-sponsor.
This is in contrast to naturalizing via family lineage (a true self-sponsor process) which does not require a third party to vouch for you.
Special talent of being born to the right parents in the right country 
Perhaps it can be a goal to give your children as many nationalities as possible?
I want to collect 5-10 different passports, marry someone from Taiwan / Hong Kong / Macau, and then my kids can be super special talents (more special than those NBA players who settled in Taiwan).
I don’t mean to nitpick–I just don’t want anyone to feel discouraged from applying thinking they need institutional backing. My hope is as the ministries are exposed to a larger pool of talented applicants the definition of “high level” will become more reasonable.
If my wife were to give birth in America/Canada our kid(s) could very well have 5 passports (Aus, NZ, TW, Ph and… U.S/Can
I didn’t choose the cards I was dealt… I can only play them.