Visa exempt entry (tourist entry without a visa): The United States is on the Bureau of Consular Affairs list of nationalities eligible for visa exempt entry with a duration of stay of up to 90 days. Requirements are a passport valid for the intended period of stay (the Bureau notes US passport holders need validity covering the stay, not the usual six months), a confirmed return or onward ticket, and not being found inadmissible at the port of entry. The stay allows tourism and short business visits but no employment. Since October 1, 2025 the National Immigration Agency requires inbound travelers to complete the Taiwan Arrival Card online before arrival, per the American Institute in Taiwan.
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Living in Taiwan long term
Taiwan pairs 90 days of visa free entry for US passport holders with an unusually deep set of professional routes: the four in one Employment Gold Card for special professionals, an employer sponsored work permit and residence track with a published wage floor, an entrepreneur visa, investor residence from US$200,000, and a digital nomad visitor visa that can now stretch to two years. Permanent residence takes five years of legal residence, three for Gold Card class special professionals, and one for special professionals earning NT$6,000,000 a year in Taiwan. There is no retirement visa, and naturalization after five years normally requires giving up US citizenship.
Numbers on this page apply to holders of a US passport. Page last verified: 2026-10-15
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official source or the consulate for Taiwan before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this table.
Every route, with the math
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| Route | Income required | Investment required | Total cost | Processing time | Days allowed | Renewal rules | Tax residency trigger | Years to permanent residency | Years to citizenship | Last verified | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa exempt entry (tourist entry without a visa) Tourist allowance | Not applicable | Not applicable | No fee. Visa exempt entry is free. | No application. Entry permission is granted on arrival. | Up to 90 days per entry for US passport holders, per the Bureau of Consular Affairs visa exemption list | The 90 day visa exempt stay cannot be extended and cannot be converted into a residence status from inside Taiwan. The Bureau of Consular Affairs extension arrangement for longer visa exempt stays covers United Kingdom and Canadian nationals only. A person who wants to stay longer must hold one of the visas or permits on this page. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act (Ministry of Finance) makes an individual a tax resident if the person has a domicile in Taiwan and ordinarily resides there, or is present in Taiwan for 183 days or more in a taxable year. A single 90 day visa exempt stay meets neither test. | Not a residence status. Permanent residence requires years of legal residence on an Alien Resident Certificate, and visa exempt stays do not count toward them. | Not a residence status. Naturalization counts legal residence on an Alien Resident Certificate or Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, and visa exempt time does not count. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Digital nomad visitor visa Digital nomad | Remote work for an employer or clients outside Taiwan, proven by a work contract or freelance contracts, plus one of the following: a digital nomad visa already issued by another country; an annual salary of at least US$40,000 in one of the last two years for applicants aged 30 or older; or an annual salary of at least US$20,000 in one of the last two years for applicants aged 20 to 29. Bank balances must also average at least US$10,000 per month over the last six months (Bureau of Consular Affairs). | Not applicable | Visitor visa fees under the Bureau of Consular Affairs standard fee schedule (multiple entry visitor visa NT$3,200 in Taiwan or US$100 overseas). US passport holders instead pay the reciprocal processing fee charged to US nationals, US$185 at overseas missions or NT$6,105 in Taiwan for general purpose visas, under the fee notice effective April 7, 2026 (reported). | The Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes no decision standard for this visa. The application is reviewed by the National Development Council for qualification and then decided by the overseas mission or the Bureau. | A multiple entry visitor visa with a stay of up to 6 months per grant. Since the amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals took effect on January 1, 2026, holders may extend with the National Immigration Agency in six month increments up to a total stay of two years (reported). | Extensions are granted by the National Immigration Agency in six month increments up to a two year total stay under the amended Act (reported). The underlying work must remain remote work for employers or clients outside Taiwan; the visa cannot be converted into a work permit for a Taiwan employer. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: a person with a Taiwan domicile who ordinarily resides there, or a person present 183 days or more in a taxable year, is a tax resident. A nomad who uses the extensions past 183 days in a year crosses that line, and the visa carries no tax exemption. | Not a residence status. A visitor visa issues no Alien Resident Certificate, and permanent residence is counted from years of legal residence on an Alien Resident Certificate, so time on this visa does not count. | Not a residence status. Time on a visitor visa, including this one, does not count as the legal residence naturalization requires. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Employment Gold Card (foreign special professionals) Work | No single income test covers all fields. Qualification is assessed by the competent ministry for one of the official fields: science and technology, economy, education, culture and arts, sport, finance, law, architecture, national defense, digital, biotechnology, environment, plus special cases recognized by the National Development Council. Most fields include a salary track based on a most recent monthly salary of at least NT$160,000 in a relevant role, and other tracks based on degrees, awards, patents, senior executive roles, or long experience, per the ministry qualification regulations summarized on the official Gold Card site. | Not applicable | For holders of US passports applying from abroad: NT$7,605 for one year, NT$8,605 for two years, and NT$9,605 for three years, per the National Immigration Agency Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform fee schedule. US passport holders who apply inside Taiwan after visa exempt or visitor entry pay NT$3,700, NT$4,700, or NT$5,700 for the same durations, and holders of a valid Alien Resident Certificate pay NT$1,500, NT$2,500, or NT$3,500. | The official Gold Card site states that a perfect application takes about 30 days, and that applications where additional supporting documents are requested take 50 to 60 days. | Card validity of 1, 2, or 3 years, chosen at application. The card bundles a resident visa, an open work permit, an Alien Resident Certificate, and a multiple re-entry permit. | The card is renewable on expiry through a new application on the National Immigration Agency platform, and the holder must still meet a qualification in the chosen field. The platform fee schedule charges existing resident holders NT$1,500 for a one year extension, NT$2,500 for two years, and NT$3,500 for three years. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: tax residence follows domicile plus ordinary residence in Taiwan, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. Most cardholders meet one of the tests in their first year. The 50 percent exemption on salary above NT$3,000,000 described in the notes is a separate relief within the resident tax rules. | 3 years of continuous legal residence as a foreign special professional, averaging more than 183 days per year, per the National Immigration Agency permanent residence guideline. This falls to 1 year of residence with more than 183 days where the applicant's Taiwan salary income and professional practice income in the most recent year total at least NT$6,000,000. A doctorate earned in Taiwan offsets two of the three years and a Taiwan master's degree offsets one year, per the official Gold Card site. | 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in Taiwan in each year, under the Nationality Act. Gold Card years are legal residence on an Alien Resident Certificate and count. Naturalization normally requires renouncing US citizenship; see the naturalization route for the high level professional exception. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Employment seeking visitor visa Other | One of three conditions set by the Bureau of Consular Affairs: employment experience with an average monthly salary or remuneration over the past six months of not less than NT$47,971; or graduation within the past year from one of the world's top 1,500 universities on the Ministry of Education list, with no employment yet; or eligibility confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after consultation with the central competent authority. Applicants must also show financial resources of at least NT$100,000. | Not applicable | Multiple entry visitor visa: NT$3,200 in Taiwan or US$100 overseas under the Bureau of Consular Affairs standard fee schedule. US passport holders instead pay the reciprocal processing fee charged to US nationals, US$185 at overseas missions or NT$6,105 in Taiwan for general purpose visas, under the fee notice effective April 7, 2026 (reported). | The Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes no decision standard for this visa; applications are lodged at an overseas mission of Taiwan. | A multiple entry visitor visa valid for three months, allowing a stay of up to six months, per the National Development Council Foreign Professionals Act guidance | A one time visa. It is not extendable, and it is not a residence status. A holder who finds professional work applies for a work permit through the hiring employer and then for a resident visa and Alien Resident Certificate. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. A full six month job seeking stay can cross the 183 day line in a single taxable year. | Not a residence status. Visitor time does not count toward the years of legal residence that permanent residence requires. | Not a residence status. Visitor time does not count as the legal residence naturalization requires. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Work permit and Alien Resident Certificate (employer sponsored foreign professionals) Work | The employer applies to the Ministry of Labor for the work permit. For specialized or technical work under Article 46, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the Employment Service Act, Article 8 of the Ministry of Labor Qualifications and Criteria Standards sets the wage floor: pay must not be lower than the amount published by the Ministry of Labor, which is NT$47,971 per month, the published average monthly salary for professionals in industry and services. Most categories also require a relevant degree and two years of related experience, with exemptions that include graduates of the world's top 1,500 universities under the amended Foreign Professionals Act. | Not applicable | Resident visa fee under the Bureau of Consular Affairs standard schedule: NT$2,200 in Taiwan or US$66 overseas for a single entry resident visa. US passport holders instead pay the reciprocal processing fee charged to US nationals, US$185 at overseas missions or NT$6,105 in Taiwan for general purpose visas, under the fee notice effective April 7, 2026 (reported). The Alien Resident Certificate costs NT$1,000 per year of validity, with an additional NT$2,200 charged when converting from a visitor visa or visa exempt entry, per the National Immigration Agency guidelines. | The National Immigration Agency guideline for residence applications states a processing time of ten working days for the Alien Resident Certificate, excluding document return, supplementation, and interview time; online applications by foreign professionals are reviewed in five working days. The Ministry of Labor work permit step comes before the visa and certificate steps. | Residence is granted for the period of the approved work permit and employment. The National Immigration Agency fee schedule prices Alien Resident Certificates at one to five years of validity (NT$1,000 to NT$5,000). | Extendable while the employment continues: the employer renews the work permit and the holder extends the Alien Resident Certificate before it expires, at the same National Immigration Agency rate of NT$1,000 per year of validity. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. Most work permit holders pass the 183 day line in their first year. | 5 consecutive years of legal residence at 183 days or more per year (for foreign professionals, an average of 183 days or more per year), plus the assets or skills test in the National Immigration Agency permanent residence guideline: average monthly income in Taiwan over the past year exceeding twice the Ministry of Labor minimum wage, or property and deposits in Taiwan appraised above NT$5,000,000, or a government professional or technical certificate at Grade B or above. The permanent residence application fee is NT$10,000 and the stated review period is 14 days. | 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in Taiwan in each year, under the Nationality Act. Naturalization normally requires renouncing US citizenship; see the naturalization route for the exception. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Entrepreneur visa Investor | Not applicable. There is no personal income test; qualification turns on innovation credentials rather than salary. | No fixed sum of the applicant's own capital is required. The applicant must meet at least one qualification in the Ministry of Economic Affairs Review Directions, such as: venture capital investment secured from a domestic or foreign firm, funding from the National Development Fund angel program, or at least NT$2,000,000 raised through a government approved startup fund raising platform; a patent granted in Taiwan or abroad; stationing in an approved startup park or incubator with its recommendation; or a major domestic or international startup or design competition award. | Resident visa fee under the Bureau of Consular Affairs standard schedule: NT$2,200 in Taiwan or US$66 overseas for a single entry resident visa. US passport holders instead pay the reciprocal processing fee charged to US nationals, US$315 at overseas missions or NT$10,395 in Taiwan for investment based stay or residence visas, under the fee notice effective April 7, 2026 (reported). The Alien Resident Certificate then costs NT$1,000 per year of validity. | The Review Directions state that the application is examined by the Department of Investment Review of the Ministry of Economic Affairs after submission. No official decision period is published in the Directions text. | Initial validity of up to one year, per the Ministry of Economic Affairs Review Directions for the entrepreneur visa | Extensions of up to two years at a time are available where the enterprise meets at least one of the performance criteria in the Review Directions, assessed from the business results of the most recent year or the average of recent years, such as sales revenue or operating expense levels set in the Directions. Extension applications go to the Ministry of the Interior, which forwards them to the Department of Investment Review for examination. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. | 5 consecutive years of legal residence at 183 days or more per year on the standard permanent residence track. The National Immigration Agency permanent residence guideline lists innovative entrepreneurs among the investment based applicants and requires, for that basis, an average annual gross operating profit of at least NT$600,000 across the most recent five years. | 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in Taiwan in each year, under the Nationality Act. Naturalization normally requires renouncing US citizenship; see the naturalization route for the exception. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Resident visa for investment (US$200,000 business investment) Investor | Not applicable | A minimum investment of US$200,000 in a Taiwan business, approved by the competent investment authority, under the Regulations on the Operation of Foreign Investors or Representatives of Foreign Corporations Applying for Resident Visas, per the overseas mission checklist for resident visas for investment | US passport holders pay the reciprocal processing fee charged to US nationals for investment based stay or residence visas, US$315 at overseas missions or NT$10,395 in Taiwan, under the fee notice effective April 7, 2026 (reported). The Alien Resident Certificate costs NT$1,000 per year of validity. | Investment approval by the Ministry of Economic Affairs investment authority comes before the visa. No official processing standard is published on the mission checklist for this visa. | A resident visa leading to an Alien Resident Certificate. Residence continues while the approved investment and the business operation continue. | The Alien Resident Certificate is extended while the approved investment and real business operation continue. For permanent residence on the investment basis, the National Immigration Agency guideline requires the company registration showing an investment above US$200,000 and an average annual gross operating profit of at least NT$600,000 across the most recent five years. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. | 5 consecutive years of legal residence at 183 days or more per year on the standard track, with the investment basis document tests described in the renewal field. Permanent residence without the five year wait is available at the higher Plum Blossom Card investment levels. | 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in Taiwan in each year, under the Nationality Act. Naturalization normally requires renouncing US citizenship; see the naturalization route for the exception. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Permanent residence (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, APRC) Other | The assets or skills test in the National Immigration Agency guideline: in the past year, average monthly income in Taiwan exceeding twice the minimum wage announced by the Ministry of Labor (more than NT$59,000 per month at the 2026 minimum wage of NT$29,500 (reported)); or ownership of property and deposits in Taiwan with an appraised total above NT$5,000,000 held for more than one year; or a government issued professional or technical certificate at higher education level or Grade B skill certification or above. Spouses of Taiwan nationals with household registration are exempt from this test. | Not applicable. Investment based permanent residence without the residence period is the separate Plum Blossom Card route. | NT$10,000 application fee, per the National Immigration Agency guideline | A fourteen day review period, counted from the date the case officer receives the application and excluding acceptance handling, data entry, mailing, supplementary submissions, card production, interviews, and consultations, per the National Immigration Agency guideline | Permanent residence with no fixed expiry date on the certificate | No renewal is required. The certificate can be revoked if, during permanent residence, the holder's average annual residence over the most recent five years falls below 183 days, unless the holder falls under Article 21 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals or holds National Immigration Agency authorization, per the guideline notes. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. A permanent resident living in Taiwan ordinarily meets one of the tests. | This route is permanent residence itself. The standard qualifying period is 5 consecutive years of legal residence at 183 days or more per year. Foreign special professionals, including Gold Card holders, qualify after 3 years, or after 1 year where the most recent year's Taiwan salary and professional practice income totals at least NT$6,000,000. | Permanent residence is not a prerequisite for naturalization, which applies its own test of 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in each year. Holding an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate does satisfy the residence basis, and permanent residents are exempt from filing the separate financial standing documents for naturalization (reported). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Plum Blossom Card (permanent residence for investors, senior professionals, and special contributors) Investor | Not applicable. The senior professional and special contribution categories rest on the applicant's record and a certificate from the competent central authority, not on an income figure. | For investment immigration, one of the following under Article 12 of the Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens: an investment of more than NT$15,000,000 in a for profit enterprise that has created five or more jobs for Taiwan nationals for over three years, or an investment of more than NT$30,000,000 in central government bonds held for over three years. The card is also issued to senior professionals needed by Taiwan and to foreign nationals who have made special contributions to Taiwan, with no investment figure for those categories. | NT$10,000 per application. Applicants under the special contribution and senior professional categories are exempt from the fee, per the National Immigration Agency guideline for this card. | No review period is stated in the National Immigration Agency guideline for this card; applications are examined with the competent central authority for the applicant's category. | Permanent residence granted directly, with no fixed expiry date | No renewal is required; the status is permanent residence. Unlike the standard permanent residence track, holders in these categories are expressly not subject to a 183 days per year presence restriction, per the National Immigration Agency guideline. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act applies on the person's actual facts: domicile plus ordinary residence in Taiwan, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. The card itself imposes no presence condition, so holding it while living abroad does not by itself create tax residence. | 0 years of prior residence for the investment categories once the investment has been held for the required three years; the card grants permanent residence directly rather than after a residence period. Senior professional and special contribution cases are decided on the applicant's record without a stated residence period. | Naturalization keeps its own test of 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in each year. High level professionals, including holders of this card, are the group the renunciation exception in the Nationality Act is built for; see the naturalization route. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Retirement (no dedicated retirement visa) Retirement | No retirement income test exists, because Taiwan law has no retirement visa or retirement residence category. No figure is published by the Bureau of Consular Affairs or the National Immigration Agency for a retirement purpose, because the category does not exist. | Not applicable as a retirement test. A retiree who invests uses the investor routes on this page, which carry their own figures. | No retirement application fee exists. Costs are those of the underlying status used, for example the Gold Card application fee or the NT$10,000 permanent residence fee. | Not applicable as a standalone application. Processing follows the underlying route the retiree uses. | No retirement status exists, so there is no retirement stay period. Time in Taiwan follows whichever route the retiree actually holds, from 90 days visa exempt up to permanent residence | No retirement permission exists to renew. Renewal and extension rules are those of the underlying status, such as a Gold Card or an Alien Resident Certificate. | Article 7 of the Income Tax Act: domicile plus ordinary residence, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year, applied to the retiree's actual pattern of stay. | There is no retirement path to permanent residence. A retiree qualifies through the standard 5 year residence track on another status, the 3 year special professional track, or directly through the Plum Blossom Card investment categories. | Naturalization requires 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in each year and normally requires renouncing US citizenship. Years spent in Taiwan as a visitor do not count toward it. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Citizenship by naturalization Other | Sufficient property or professional skills to be self supporting, under the Nationality Act standards applied by the Ministry of the Interior: average monthly income over the past year exceeding twice the Ministry of Labor minimum wage (more than NT$59,000 per month at the 2026 minimum wage of NT$29,500 (reported)), or property or savings of at least NT$5,000,000, or a recognized professional license. Spouses of Taiwan nationals and permanent residents are exempt from filing the financial documents. | Not applicable | NT$1,200 for the Permit Certificate of Naturalization, per the Ministry of the Interior Charge Standards for Nationality Fees published by the Department of Household Registration. An optional Certificate of Naturalization Candidacy, used to confirm eligibility before renouncing, costs NT$200. | Applications are filed at the household registration office of the applicant's residence and decided by the Ministry of the Interior. No standard decision period is published in the Ministry of the Interior fee standards or the municipal procedure pages consulted for this file. | Citizenship itself, with an unrestricted right to live and work in Taiwan | Not applicable. Citizenship is permanent once granted. | Citizenship alone does not create tax residence. Article 7 of the Income Tax Act applies the same tests: domicile plus ordinary residence in Taiwan, or presence of 183 days or more in a taxable year. | Not applicable. Naturalization does not require permanent residence first, although many applicants already hold an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate. | This route is citizenship itself. The standard test is 5 years of legal residence with more than 183 days in Taiwan in each year, reduced to 3 years for spouses of Taiwan nationals. Periods of residence for study and for blue collar work do not count toward the period. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
Route notes
Digital nomad visitor visa: Launched in January 2025 and open only to nationals of visa exempt countries, which includes the United States. Applicants must show proof of remote work experience, a completed description of intended activities, and international health and full hospitalization insurance for the whole stay. Applications filed abroad are sent to the National Development Council for a qualification review before the overseas mission decides; a person already in Taiwan on visa exempt entry must apply to the Bureau of Consular Affairs or a Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch office at least 10 working days before the current stay expires. The visa authorizes remote work for foreign employers and clients only, not work for a Taiwan entity, and it is a visitor visa, so no Alien Resident Certificate is issued. Under the amended Act the visa also covers a spouse, minor children, and dependent adult children.
Employment Gold Card (foreign special professionals): The card is applied for online without an employer sponsor and without a job offer in Taiwan. Holders may work for any employer, change jobs freely, and take part time work. A spouse and children may apply for dependent residence, and the parents and grandparents of the holder and spouse may hold visitor visas extendable to a total stay of one year per entry. Holders who are employed in Taiwan, and their dependents, can join National Health Insurance immediately rather than after the usual six month wait. First time Gold Card workers who meet the conditions can claim a 50 percent tax exemption on annual salary income above NT$3,000,000 for the first five years, per the official Gold Card site.
Employment seeking visitor visa: Created by Article 11 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals for professionals who need a longer period to look for work in Taiwan. The Bureau of Consular Affairs checklist also requires health and full hospitalization insurance for the whole stay, a certificate of good conduct, and a written plan for seeking employment. It is a visitor visa: it authorizes the job search, not the work itself. A holder who is hired moves onto an employer sponsored work permit and Alien Resident Certificate.
Work permit and Alien Resident Certificate (employer sponsored foreign professionals): Summary level. The sequence is an employer work permit from the Ministry of Labor or the competent authority for the sector, a resident visa from the Bureau of Consular Affairs or an overseas mission, and then the Alien Resident Certificate from the National Immigration Agency, which also serves as the re-entry permit. Work is limited to the employer and job category on the permit. This is the standard route the employment seeking visa and most job offers lead into, and it is distinct from the Gold Card, which needs no employer.
Entrepreneur visa: Applications are filed with an overseas mission or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and examined by the Department of Investment Review of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Team applications of up to three people are allowed where the team jointly meets a qualification. The visa is a residence route for founders building an innovative business in Taiwan; it is separate from the US$200,000 investor residence route and from the Gold Card.
Resident visa for investment (US$200,000 business investment): The qualifying investment is in a business, approved through the Ministry of Economic Affairs investment review process; the mission checklist also requires a police record certificate from the applicant's country issued within the past year. This is the route for an investor who will run or represent a company in Taiwan. It is distinct from investment immigration to permanent residence under the Plum Blossom Card, which starts at NT$15,000,000.
Permanent residence (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, APRC): Time spent in Taiwan as a student and time on blue collar work permits under Article 46, Paragraph 1, Subparagraphs 8 to 10 of the Employment Service Act do not count toward the residence period, per the guideline notes. Applicants generally must apply within two years after their qualifying residence period ends. US citizens must supply a nationwide criminal record certificate, which for the United States means an FBI certificate, unless an exemption in the guideline applies. Foreign professionals who earned a degree in Taiwan can offset part of the residence period under Article 18 of the Foreign Professionals Act, as reflected in the guideline.
Plum Blossom Card (permanent residence for investors, senior professionals, and special contributors): The National Immigration Agency guideline for this card states that applicants in these categories are not subject to the restriction of residing 183 days per year, which is the main practical difference from the standard Alien Permanent Resident Certificate. Senior professionals are certified by the competent authority for their field as having outstanding achievements or special abilities in areas such as science, research, industry, commerce, and business. The card takes its name from the plum blossom, Taiwan's national flower.
Retirement (no dedicated retirement visa): The Bureau of Consular Affairs resident visa purposes and the National Immigration Agency residence categories contain no retirement purpose. In practice, retirees with no Taiwan job rely on one of the other routes on this page: the Employment Gold Card, which has no age limit but is qualification based; permanent residence earned during earlier working years; the Plum Blossom Card at the NT$15,000,000 business investment or NT$30,000,000 government bond levels; or residence as the spouse of a Taiwan national or permanent resident. Parents of adult Alien Resident Certificate holders cannot get dependent residence in their own right, although the parents of a Gold Card holder can hold visitor visas extendable to a total stay of one year per entry, per the official Gold Card site.
Citizenship by naturalization: The renunciation rule is the hard part for US citizens: under Article 9 of the Nationality Act, an applicant must submit proof of loss of the original nationality within one year of the naturalization permit, or the permit can be revoked. Since the December 2016 amendment, high level professionals recommended by the competent central authority and approved by the Ministry of the Interior may naturalize without renouncing, as may persons with outstanding contributions to Taiwan; a 2024 amendment shortened the qualifying residence for the high level professional exception to two consecutive years at 183 days or more per year, or five years of legal residence. Applicants must also pass the basic language and civics standard, met by a test score of 70 percent or 200 hours of approved classes for standard applicants, and show good conduct with no criminal record.