how long does it take to re-new an ARC? mine expires on Jan.31st and i’ll be signing a new contract with my school. however, i leave on the 16th of this month and i won’t return until jan. 17th. should i be getting my medical now, or can i wait until i get back? i’m not sure how far in advance my employer needs to submit the necessary documents, and she isn’t clear either since it’s a new school and this is the first time she’s even had to apply for arc’s and such.
thanks
I suggest you do that now as they will be busier just before the holiday when you return. Did you ever find out about getting your Taipei issued ARC accepted in Taichung? I’m in the same boat and as mine expires 1/28 and I’m moving down there just before that time. Please help me if you have the info!! thanks
i never was able to find the info! i’ve been told varying stories regarding work permits… seems all the laws have changed.
:s
Just in case. It will take a week before you can get the results back. That week can buy you a lot of time! It is much faster to get ARC’s nowadays…some can take only 5 days.
The health check ‘expires’ after 3 months…so if I were you, I would do it now.
thanks guys!
i got my health check done on tuesday and realized last night that i wasn’t given the cup to pee in… sounds kinda crass but for the past 3 years it’s been standard, no?
it’s obviiously their screw up… hopefully it won’t delay getting the health report back… leaving the day after.
Bushibanned, apparently it’s not required anymore. When I did my health check in June I didn’t gave that sample either.
Doesn’t take too long, if I remember right.
Your employer shall apply for extension your work permit before it expiry first.
Upon receiving a new work permit then you can apply ARC extension
Europa, I’ve just done mine, from discussing with my employer, to getting the ARC in my mitts, it has been just about five weeks. Bear in mind this all happened over Chinese New Year so things took a little longer.
L 
Yes, I seem to remember mine taking less time than that.
I have never needed to do that. Of course, the “rules” seem to change from city to city and on the mood of the police on that day. Safest thing to do would be to call them and ask.
Ring the FAP.
The number for English-language police assistance is 02-2556-6007. I don’t know if this is the FAP, but I suppose there’s a chance they might know the number.
The FAP at 96 Yanping S. Rd (near Ximen) have a few numbers: (02) 2381-7494 // (02) 2375-6702.
Seeker4
The FAP and Labor Bureau give you different information.
If you’re really in a hurry, ask your company to deliver the application and pick it up personally - or even better, and more reliably probably, go there yourself (with some authorization to do so, ID, or whatever they want). I did that myself.
My boss submitted paper work for my new ARC (not renewal) a day or two before Chinese New Year. Received that back about mid March (about four weeks) including the CNY week.
One more week at the Foreign affairs office to get the visa in the passport.
And then it’s off to the police station to get the ARC (which should take another week.)
My current ARC ran out during the week my stuff was at the Foreign affairs office, so we went to the police station and they happily extended my current ARC for one month. (had to do this immediatley, not wait until it ran out)
I have had good experiences with these departments.
The only problem I had was with the British Trade and Council Office. I paid an extra 1,000 NT for express post (British passport renewal has to go to HK), but I received my passport back about a month after the renewal date in my passprt. Must have been sitting on someone’s desk for a few weeks.
Apart from the fact that I paid the extra 1,000NT, it delayed everything and caused a lot of extra work and stress extending ARC’s etc. (and the extension cost me another 2,000 NT grrr!!
Otherwise everything went pretty well.
I’ve never had any problems - need to bring EMPLOYER CERTIFICATE, work permits, ARC, passport, and nt$1000.