I got a work visa in March and went in to apply for my ARC. They gave me over 2 months of an extension to get it done. They guy told me that it wasn’t necessary to get an ARC but if I wanted health coverage then I should. I could just keep extending my visa as long as my work permit was valid. I was leaving for a month and a half holiday at the end of May so I thought I would wait to apply for my ARC until then. Stupid me I guess. So I went and came back on a landing visa on July the 10th. I went in on August the 9th to get my visa extended only to find that it was impossible. They told me I had to leave the country to apply at a foreign office. :loco: I told them that this was my last day and that I couldn’t fly that day. They said basically “Oh well” and told me that if I overstayed 1-10 days it would be a NT1000 fine. 11-30 days NT3000. 30+ days NT5000. I asked the guy if there were any other penalties except the fine and he said no?!?! I’m a bit broke after my trip so i’m going to go after I get paid on Sept. 5th. Has anyone had an experience like that?!?! It’s so insane. Taiwanese “policy” is so backwards. :help:
You need to pay your fine and leave immediately. If necessary, you can borrow money from your employer, girlfriend, boyfriend, neighbor, etc.
The shorter the overstay, the easier it is to get back in.
P.S. Always be sure that you have at least a six-month “living allowance” reserve in your bank account … if you don’t have that level of funds, then you have no business taking holidays or doing other unnecessary travel … you should cook your own food and not eat out either … plus keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum and not going to any pubs, bars, honky-tonks, etc. … after all you can’t afford it.
If I was asking for advice on how to live my life I would call my wonderful Mother. Malibu, if you don’t have anything useful to say then don’t say anything at all. :raspberry: So if anyone has some useful info please reply. If not then don’t. Thank you. I expect an ignorant respose to this in the near future.
That was sound advice. You need to leave as soon as humanly possible. You could well end up not being allowed back in for either a year, or the total amount of time you’ve overtayed. I have friends who have had this happen. I am also amazed at how many people ignore thios good advice all the time.
Brian
The guy at the overstay counter in the foreign affairs police station told me the info about overstays. He just said that I would only have to pay a fine. It’s so difficult to get any solid information here. Do you think that because I am applying to get my ARC that my case will be different? Maybe your friend who couldn’t come back were looking to do so on a landing or tourist visa? Well…I guess I’ll find out in a couple of weeks…I’ll let you all know. Until then keep the advice a pumpin’ And kindly as I said before please keep the drivel for your bartender. Thanks guys und gals 
That was good advice. I thought you were a short timer…
You know, people might be willing to offer relevant advice if you weren’t so bloody offensive. Jumping on people who may actually know something about your situation is not gonna get you fer, Rob.
Yeah I think you’re right. I just expected things to be a bit more mature. I’ve just had some replies either full of condescension or aggression. I just expected different from these forums acearle. Thanks though… I’ll try to watch that.
Malibu’s advice is sound. You should keep enough money in the bank so that you can meet routine emergencies while living here in Taiwan …
That’s what they told my friend who was banned from Taiwan for a year. And he never came back 
You might be lucky, and just pay a fine. You might be banned from reentering for the length of time of your overstay. You might be banned for a year, and never be able to get visa-exempt entry again. No one will be able to give you a definitive answer. You take your chances, but the longer you leave it, the more the odds tilt in favor of the last option.
According to Article 29.1 of the Taiwanese Immigration Law it goes like this.
Fine: Less than 10 days NT 1000
11-30 days NT 3000
31-90 days NT 5000
Over 91 days Nt 10,000
Penalty: Visa exemption rights are invalid for one year from their date of departure from Taiwan.
Foreigners who overstay 180 days but less than 365 days without sufficient casue or reason will be denied re-entry for 365 days.
If you overstay less than 30 days you pay at the airport
More than that and you should go to the Police Station.
I hope this helps!
The final answer will come from the FAP so just go there and get it sorted out.
All the advice given in this thread will not help determine the final outcome. That’s up to the officer handling your overstay details.
That’s the info I got from the FAP.
All of the advice given here is excellent, but in the end it is sad, yet 100% true. It is up to the officer handling your case. Taiwan law is to put it mildly “A BIG JOKE”. They are not consistent, do not communicate with each other and are an organizational mess. Leaving ASAP is the best bet. Always have back up cash. That is just common sense. An emergency can happen anywhere. Not directed at you Rob123, just anyone that reads these posts in the near future. I have been to a lot of countries and Taiwan is still one of the silliest when it comes to Visa paperwork. Hell any paperwork!!! Good LUCK.
Rob, the law may well formally say all that, but reality here seems to rarely match up with the lawbooks. Trust the advice the others - longtermers, AFAIK - have given over what the lawbooks say.