Foreigner Register A Company
In Taiwan

1. Can foreign nationals set up a company in Taiwan?

Yes, any foreign nationals can set up a company in Taiwan, but those cases should be reviewed by the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEAIC). The whole process should be given 2-6 months.

 

2. Any area of investment is NOT allowed for foreign nationals to set up their companies in Taiwan?

In general, there are no strict restrictions for foreign nationals to set up their new companies here, only a few business areas restrict foreigners’ operations. The first step is to check whether the name for your business has been taken or not and to list the service items one by one. Certain businesses require additional special approval according to their type of activity (e.g. medical equipment, tobacco & alcohol imports, travel agencies, construction, etc.). Some business needs licenses from the government (e.g. immigration companies, real estate agencies and drug dealers, etc.)

 

3. Is there a minimum capital limit to set up a new company in Taiwan?

No, one dollar can start a company. However, the amount of capital will be audited by an independent certified public accountant and the standards will be based on different auditors. Meanwhile, the amount of capital is publicly available information, and it must be considered the corporate image.

 

4. How much registered capital does a new company need?

There is no capital limit for foreign companies. If foreign nationals need to apply for a foreign manager work permit, the amount of capital should not be less than NTD500,000 (basic standard). If foreign nationals need to increase the amount of capital in the foreseeable future, he/she can apply for it later. In addition, the amount of capital should be considered the result of reviewing by Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEAIC) and should be enough to run the company.

 

5. Can a foreigner be a sole proprietor or setup a new company with people who obtain another nationality?

Yes. Foreigners can be sole proprietorships or have joint venture partners who obtain another nationality (includes Taiwanese). If the funds involve foreign investment, they must be reviewed and approved by Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEAIC). However, to apply for a foreign manager’s work permit, foreign capital must account for more than 1/3 of the capital.

 

6. Can foreigners apply for foreign professionals’ work permits?

Yes. The capital of the newly-established company is equal to or more than NTD$500,000 and a foreigner owns at least 1/3 of capital, which can apply for a work permit for its manager. The validity period of the work permit is 1-3 years; the term of the work permit depends on the Ministry of Labor.

 

7. Can foreign shareholders hire themselves as managers?

Yes, the foreign nationals in charge or shareholders of a foreign-invested company who can hire themselves as the manager or hire someone else (non-shareholder) as the manager.

 

8. Can I apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) after I got the foreign professionals’ work permit?

Yes. Anyone who got the foreign professionals’ work permit can apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) to the Immigration Department. The term of an ARC is the same as the work permit approval.

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9. Do I need to visit Taiwan to incorporation a company?
Only the representative of Taiwan company has to come to Taiwan twice to open a corporate bank account in Taiwan.

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10.  Can register the capital in foreign currency? 

No, the capital must be registered in New Taiwan Dollar.

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To find out more please kindly go to our 

How do foreigner set up a business/company in Taiwan?

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