Short answer: the "plum blossom card" is the popular name for Taiwan’s Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC). Foreign passport holders can qualify through investment: NT$15,000,000 in a Taiwan business with five local jobs for three years, or NT$30,000,000 in central government bonds for three years.
Two investment routes
| Business investment | Bond investment | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | NT$15,000,000+ | NT$30,000,000+ face value |
| Other requirement | Five jobs for Taiwanese nationals for three years | Hold for three years |
| Running a business | Required | Not required |
| Status | APRC | APRC |
A lower-threshold alternative is to invest USD 200,000 or more for residence, then apply for permanent residence after five years of legal, continuous residence with 183+ days a year in Taiwan.
What the APRC lets you do
- Live in Taiwan long term without renewing residence
- Generally work in Taiwan without a separate work permit
- Your spouse and minor children can apply for permanent residence too
Points to note
- It isn’t a Taiwan ID: nationality requires naturalisation, which generally means giving up your original nationality.
- Keeping it: you generally need to spend a set number of days in Taiwan each year, with some exemptions — plan around the latest rules.
- Who it’s for: Hong Kong and Macau residents use the HK & Macau residents’ route (NT$6 million), with a lower threshold and settlement.