NationalityLaws
Taiwan flag

Taiwan.tw

Dual Citizenship: Conditional Asia

Do I need a visa?

Full visa checker →

Country Snapshot

Passport Power
#31
145 visa-free
Henley Passport Index 2026
Happiness
#31
of 143 countries
World Happiness Report 2024
Global Peace
#33
of 163 countries
Global Peace Index 2024
Economic Freedom
80.7
of 100
Heritage Foundation 2024
Corruption Index
68
of 100 (higher = cleaner)
Transparency International 2024
Business Friendliness
7/10
Nationality Index Assessment

Taiwan

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: National Immigration Agency (NIA)

Embassy Finder: Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices (TECO)

Quick Facts

CategoryDetails
Residency for naturalization5 years of lawful residence, with at least 183 days per year for each of 3 consecutive years
Language requirementBasic proficiency in Mandarin Chinese or a Taiwanese language (verified through test or documentation)
Civics testTest on basic rights and obligations of citizens (or equivalent educational credentials)
Processing time6—18 months
Naturalization feeTWD 1,200 (application fee)
Dual citizenshipConditional — nationals by birth may hold dual citizenship; naturalized citizens must generally renounce
Citizenship by birth in TaiwanNo jus soli; based on parentage
Citizenship by descentYes, through either parent who holds ROC nationality
Governing lawNationality Act of the Republic of China (last major amendments: 2016, 2021)

Dual Citizenship — Conditional

Taiwan’s approach to dual citizenship depends on how nationality was acquired.

Nationals by birth (jus sanguinis): Persons who are ROC nationals from birth may hold dual citizenship without restriction. They are not required to renounce foreign nationalities, and acquiring a foreign nationality does not cause automatic loss of ROC nationality. Loss only occurs if a national by birth voluntarily applies to renounce ROC nationality.

Naturalized citizens: Foreign nationals who acquire ROC nationality through naturalization must renounce their original nationality within one year of receiving naturalization approval (or within a longer period if the home country’s renunciation process takes more than one year). Failure to renounce results in revocation of naturalization.

2016 amendment — High-level professionals: The 2016 amendment to the Nationality Act introduced an exception for “high-level professionals in the technological, economic, educational, cultural, art, sports, or other domains.” Such persons may naturalize without renouncing their original nationality, upon recommendation by the relevant central competent authority. This has been used to attract talent in semiconductor manufacturing, AI, and other strategic fields.

The cross-strait dimension: Taiwan’s nationality law operates under the framework of the Republic of China (ROC). The People’s Republic of China (PRC) considers Taiwan a province of China and does not recognize ROC nationality as distinct from PRC nationality. Conversely, Taiwan’s laws treat PRC citizens as “People of the Mainland Area” under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area — not as foreign nationals and not as ROC nationals. This creates a unique legal category that does not map neatly onto standard nationality law frameworks.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis)

A person acquires ROC nationality at birth if:

  1. The father or mother was an ROC national at the time of birth (gender-neutral since the 2000 amendment; prior to 2000, only paternal descent conferred nationality).
  2. The person was born in ROC territory after the death of the father or mother, and the deceased parent was an ROC national at the time of death.
  3. The person was born in ROC territory and both parents are unknown or stateless.

By Descent

Children born abroad to ROC nationals are ROC nationals from birth. There is no generational limit in the statute — nationality passes indefinitely as long as the parent chain includes an ROC national. However, persons who have never held a household registration in Taiwan may not be entitled to full political rights (right of abode, voting, national health insurance) until they establish household registration.

Household registration distinction: ROC nationality and household registration are separate concepts. A person can be an ROC national without having a household registration in Taiwan. Only persons with household registration hold a National ID Card and an ROC passport with a national ID number. Nationals without household registration hold an ROC passport without a national ID number and cannot reside in Taiwan indefinitely without applying for residency.

By Adoption

A minor adopted by an ROC national may acquire ROC nationality. The adoption must be recognized under Taiwan’s family law. The adopted minor is treated as having acquired nationality by naturalization, which means the renunciation requirement for the original nationality applies.

By Marriage

Marriage to an ROC national does not automatically confer nationality. A foreign spouse may apply for naturalization with reduced residency requirements:

  • Must have legally resided in Taiwan for 3 consecutive years with at least 183 days per year.
  • Must be at least 20 years old.
  • Must meet character and financial requirements.
  • Must renounce original nationality (unless eligible for a dual-citizenship exception).

By Naturalization

RequirementDetails
Residency5 years of lawful residence, with at least 183 days per year for 3 consecutive years (3 years for spouses of ROC nationals)
AgeAt least 20 years old
CharacterGood moral character; no criminal record
FinancialSufficient property or professional skills to be self-supporting
Language/CivicsBasic proficiency in Mandarin or a Taiwanese language; basic knowledge of citizens’ rights and duties (test or documentation)
RenunciationMust renounce original nationality within 1 year of naturalization approval (exception for high-level professionals since 2016)
FeeTWD 1,200

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

An ROC national may apply to renounce nationality with the Ministry of the Interior, provided:

  1. They are at least 20 years old.
  2. They are not subject to military service obligations (males aged 15—36 who have not completed or been exempted from military service may not renounce).
  3. They hold or are eligible for another nationality.

Renunciation takes effect upon approval by the Ministry of the Interior.

Involuntary Loss

  • Naturalized citizens only: ROC nationality acquired by naturalization may be revoked if the person fails to renounce their original nationality within the prescribed period, or if naturalization was obtained through fraud.
  • Nationals by birth: There is no involuntary loss of nationality for persons who are ROC nationals by birth. They cannot lose ROC nationality except by voluntary renunciation. Acquiring a foreign nationality does not trigger automatic loss.

Restoration of Nationality

A former ROC national who voluntarily renounced nationality may apply for restoration. Requirements:

  1. Must have domicile in ROC territory.
  2. Must meet the character and financial requirements for naturalization.
  3. The Ministry of the Interior has discretion to approve or deny.
  4. Upon restoration, the person is treated as having acquired nationality by naturalization (which means the renunciation requirement for other nationalities applies, unless the person was originally a national by birth, in which case they may be restored to that status).

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

The Nationality Act provides that a person born in ROC territory whose parents are both unknown or stateless acquires ROC nationality at birth. This serves as the foundling protection.

Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations and therefore not a party to the 1954 or 1961 statelessness conventions, but domestic law provides functional protections against statelessness for persons born on its territory.

Document Checklist

Naturalization application form (obtained from NIA or household registration office)

Valid foreign passport

Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) or Taiwan Area Resident Certificate

Birth certificate (authenticated and translated into Chinese)

Marriage certificate (if applicable, authenticated and translated)

Criminal record check from country of origin (authenticated)

Taiwan police clearance certificate

Proof of financial capacity (tax returns, bank statements, employment certificate)

Language and civics test certificate (or equivalent educational documentation)

Proof of residence in Taiwan (household registration office records, lease agreement)

Two recent passport-sized photographs

Renunciation certificate from country of original nationality (within 1 year of approval)

Application fee of TWD 1,200

Sources

  1. Nationality Act of the Republic of China — As amended. Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China: https://law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?PCode=D0030001

  2. National Immigration Agency (NIA) — Naturalization and residency services. https://www.immigration.gov.tw/

  3. Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) — Passport and consular services. https://www.boca.gov.tw/

  4. Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area — Cross-strait legal framework. https://law.moj.gov.tw/

  5. Ministry of the Interior — Household registration and nationality administration. https://www.moi.gov.tw/

  6. Henley Passport Index — Taiwan passport ranking. https://www.henleypassportindex.com/

← All Countries