TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of the Interior said Thursday that starting Friday, Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency in Taiwan must provide notarized proof they have canceled or never held a Chinese passport under an amendment to residency regulations.
First proposed in July, the amendment revises Articles 30 and 31 of the Regulations Governing the Residency and Naturalization of People from Mainland China Living With Relatives in Taiwan, per CNA. It requires a notarized certificate showing the applicant has lost household registration in China and has not applied for, does not hold, or has canceled a Chinese passport.
The MOI said the change supports President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) 17 strategies announced in March to counter China’s threats and address five major national security and United Front risks.
According to the Mainland Affairs Council, “loss of original household registration” under Article 17, Paragraph 5, Subparagraph 3 of the Cross-Strait Act means applicants must no longer possess mainland Chinese citizenship, including associated documents such as a household registration or passport.
The clarification aims to eliminate confusion over identity status, as some applicants continued holding or reapplying for Chinese passports after canceling household registration, the MAC said.
The MOI added the amendment aligns wording with updated rules, replacing the old requirement of “loss of original household registration” with proof of “losing household registration in the Mainland Area and having not applied for or renounced a Mainland passport.”
