In 2023, a new law went into effect that required a different type of ARC for a student who is residing in Taiwan below 18 years old and one who is 18 or above. In almost all instances, a foreign student under 18 years old residing in Taiwan has a "joining family" ARC. Prior to 2023, if a foreign student turned 18 in their high school graduation year, they could continue to reside in Taiwan on their "joining family" ARC. Since 2023, this is no longer permitted, and any student who turns 18 prior to high school graduation must convert their "joining family" ARC to a student ARC.
Please see the required steps below to initiate the conversion of ARC. Please note that some steps might require a return to the students' home country and/or the most recent country in which they have attained a diploma/certificate of program completion. We encourage each family whose child this ARC requirement affects to consult our admissions team prior to initiating this process.
To apply for student residence, the student must provide the following documents:
1) Their overseas highest education certificate (e.g. primary school graduation certificate, secondary school certificate, IGCSE certificate....) authenticated/notarised by the Taiwan representative office in the issuing country;
2) The latest transcripts/school reports from the previous school year and the transcriptions supporting their highest education certificate. The documents also need to be authenticated/notarised by the Taiwan representative office in the issuing country.
For example, if a student is from the UK and has received their highest education certificate in the UK, then these documents must be authenticated/notarised in the UK and reviewed by the Taiwanese mission in the UK. This cannot be done in Taiwan or a third country. A further example, if a student is from France and has received their highest education certificate in India, then these documents must be authenticated/notarised in India and reviewed by the Taiwanese missions in India. This cannot be done in Taiwan, France, or a third country.
Once the necessary documents are prepared, please submit them to the Admissions Office. The school will prepare an official enrolment certificate to include with your submission and send it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for review and approval.
Important Notes:
1. Only students enrolled in TES with a "joining family ARC" can apply for this type of residence conversion.
2. Conversion applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be submitted no earlier than three months before the student's ARC expires.
3. Once the required documents referenced above have been successfully reviewed by the overseas Taiwanese mission, TES will provide in-country logistical assistance to the family. Please note that the decision to convert a student's dependent ARC to a student ARC is the sole discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. In the rare instance a student cannot secure this conversion, there are alternative pathways (for most nationalities) to remain in Taiwan legally and continue studying. Our team would be happy to speak about this with you should this be necessary.
