Found it, starts here…
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Yeah that was my post. I haven’t done it yet…I am planning to move to Taiwan next fall 2021 so probably won’t apply for at least another half a year or so.
That said, @TAP1 was extremely helpful in talking to me about his experience and offering advice in how to best approach this application if you fall into that gray area of needing MOC approval.
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Just entered Taiwan with my New Gold ARC today. The entry process at the airport was very smooth and professional. Just make sure to go to website: https://hdhq.mohw.gov.tw/ and fill in your info before getting on your flight. I did NOT need to use a local SIM card to do the process of get the verification SMS when we landed. You will receive the sms as soon as you land and connect to your phone carrier. I use Google Fi as my world phone service Once you land, they will meet you and check for the SMS and log you into the system. It will use the last 6 numbers of your passport. They verify everything then check your temperature. After that head in to the normal immigration desks. You can fill out the entry card also prior to your final flight at: https://niaspeedy.immigration.gov.tw/webacard/ . Hand over your passport and your card wait a couple minutes or so and your off to collect your bags. My wife was using a special entry visa to accompany me and she did not have any issues using the same steps either. She only showed her Covid test data in Seoul to get her boarding pass. I was of course no required to be tested. A little over 60 days from application to landing on the island. Not bad.
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Congrats on the gold card and thanks for the information. Did the special entry permit take long? The LA TECO is saying it will be over a month.
We did her special entry visa in the London TRO. It took a week. Not sure it made any difference in speed, but she had had a ARC in the past. I noted that my new Gold ARC is using the same ID number as my old ARC.
Thanks. We also had ARCs in the past. I think the LA office is busy these days.
Update. This morning, Mr. Chang from the Foreign Affairs Office reached out to me on WhatsApp. He asked me for my local cell number. He then rang me and we chatted. Pleasant gentleman. So, you don’t have to have a local cell number at the airport, but you will soon after. I picked up a 1000nt 30 day special just in case outside the customs hall. But, now I need a second one for my wife’s phone. Arranging now with a local friend.
Wow awesome! So you collected your actual gold card prior to flying in, or you used the resident authorization form? I’m curious as I am coming from Seoul next month, just with the authorization form and will pick up the Gold Card after quarantine. I’m wondering if I need a covid test prior to arrival in my situation.
May I also ask, where your wife was tested in Seoul, that was able to provide a printout of her negative covid results in English? Because I’ve gotten tested 2x here and both times I only received a text message saying I was negative.
Hi all! I’m probably flying into Taiwan next month, using the resident auth form.
I haven’t been following the quarantine procedures required over the past few weeks, but it seems like they are allowing home quarantine now. Is that true? I was looking at quarantine hotels, but it would be much nicer to get a nice big airbnb and home quarantine there, if I can find a host that is okay with it. I am coming from Korea, so I know how to self quarantine and won’t be one of those people that don’t follow the rules.
I’m wondering if I’ll need to provide a Covid test as according to this photo, it doesn’t seem like it. I’m coming from Korea.
Thanks in advance y’all!
You don’t need a covid test.
It has been written already.
I am not sure about the rest tho.
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As I mentioned on FB, I was lucky enough to actually receive my card prior to travel. The TRO in London originally said that I would use the notice and receive the card once I arrived. Then literally days before I took off, they said my card was in the office. This saved me a lot of money on getting a test. I was told by the TRO that the certificate would be enough for entry. I’m not 100% sure about if the certificate would have allowed me to enter w/o a test. We decided for me to have a test just in case. But since I did receive a card, we canceled mine.
My wife had her test done in the UK. Results took 24 hours. We then got that printed out. I cannot suggest that a text message result would be sufficient.
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Great, got it. Thank you very much!
A steady trickle of arrivals… now it’s my turn. With only a few more days of quarantine left, I’m eager to go and pick up the card asap. I have the pdf authorization form printed out ready, but is there something more to prepare in advance of visiting the NIA (for example extra copies of documents, more passport photos, whatever?) And can you just walk in with no appointment?
At the same time I’d like to get an ARC for my dependent family member - does anyone here have experience to share about the procedure for that? Again… can something be prepared in advance / online to streamline that procedure?
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Sorry for some newbie questions:
- Once I am approved for the Gold Card (thinking positive!) does that mean I need to reside primarily in Taiwan immediately?
- Once I receive the Gold Card is it assumed I do not work for any companies outside of Taiwan and do not live outside of Taiwan?
- Once I am a Gold Card holder do I need to submit any/all foreign tax and salary documentation annually to the Taiwan tax authority, even for non-Taiwan salary?
Thanks in advance for the advice. 
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- No not at all
- No
- Only if you are a tax resident of Taiwan. So if you were there for 183 or more days in the year.
Applied outside TW under economy
Only 1 year of W-2 provided
Got email approval 26 days after payment
For those interested on the process of applying for the gold card, I have an update. For context, I applied June 15, 2020. Then submitted my passport for approval July 16th, picked it up July 23rd. I still haven’t gotten my passport and I called and they said it’s still in the “passport verification” stage. The person also said that once this is done, the immigration office should email me to pick up the gold card within a few days.
This is tricky for me cause like most of us here on visa-exempt, I have to leave by early September. If they don’t finish it by then, it could be tricky to pick it up. Luckily I have relatives here so it might be possible to authorize them; cross that bridge if it comes to that.
When did you get you card after getting your passport back from verification? Also, did they ask for tax statements before or after passport verification?
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When did you apply?
Does anyone know the approximate current waiting time for the professional review stage?
I got the email telling me to pick up the card the day after I picked up my passport.
They asked for tax statements before passport verification.
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