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Establishment of a Taiwan Branch by Foreign Entities: Process & Required Documents

1) Phase 1: Pre-operation Preparation and Qualification Review from Abroad

  1. Company Name Reservation and Scope of Business Pre-examination (Administration of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs)
  • Priority must be given to the Chinese translation of the foreign parent company's name. The fixed format must prepend "Foreign Merchant [Nationality of Parent Company]" and append "Taiwan Branch" (e.g., Foreign Merchant ○○ Co., Ltd. Taiwan Branch).
  • Required items :1–3 proposed company names; 2–10 business items (negative list).
  1. Document Preparation for Foreign Parent Company
  • Required Documents :：
    • Foreign Corporate Qualification Proof Documents (direct submission of official copies): Certificate of Corporate Qualification, official registration/declaration documents required for anti-money laundering (AML) as mentioned above, register of directors/shareholders, and copies of passports or identification documents of relevant personnel.
    • Foreign Capital Status Declaration: Must be physically signed by all relevant personnel, certifying that they do not hold Mainland China capital status and comply with laws and regulations (if the Person in Charge and the Manager are different people, both must sign separate forms).
    • Power of Attorney (POA): Must be stamped with a page-spanning seal (if different people, the POA must explicitly state the dual authorization text).
  • Direct Submission: Authorized signatories can sign and seal directly, and submit for review "without undergoing any notarization or legalization beforehand." In practice, there is a very high probability of direct approval and issuance of the Phase 1 Supplementation Letter. (Note: If the competent authority randomly checks and requests legalization later, you can then commission a local notary public and verify it through the overseas mission/office.)
  1. Submission of Phase 1 Registration: Requesting the "Operating Capital Supplementation Letter"
  • Process:Submit the approved Name Reservation Form, the identity documents of both parties mentioned above, the POA, and foreign corporate qualification proof documents to the "Administration of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs" for review.
  • Result:Successfully obtain the "Phase 1 Supplementation Letter" from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

2) Phase 2: Localizing Taiwan Identity and Bank Account Opening

  1. Obtaining the Visa and UI Number
  • Process:Process: The person opening the account in Taiwan (usually the Manager) applies for a Taiwan visa ➔ obtains a valid resident or visitor visa (or relevant entry/exit permit). After entering Taiwan (or via the online system), present the passport and relevant visa to the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, to apply for the "Record of UI Number for Foreign Nationals."
  • Note: If the Person in Charge and the Manager are different people, the big boss remaining abroad (Person in Charge A) must still commission a Taiwan agent via paper documents to apply to the Immigration Agency for Person A's own "Record of UI Number." The UI numbers of both individuals must be ready at the time of submission.
  1. Pre-examination of Taipei City Business Premises Address and Signing Lease Agreement
  • Business Premises Address Pre-examination (Department of Urban Development / Building Administration Office): Taipei City strictly enforces land use zoning regulations. Before officially signing a lease agreement, make sure to submit an address pre-examination through the "Taipei City Commercial Office Business Premises Review System" to avoid failing registration later due to non-compliance, which could result in a total loss of high deposits, rent, and decoration costs.
  • Required items :Building Ownership Certificate or Building Registration Transcript (Category 2 Transcript).
  • Signing Lease:Formally sign a contract with the landlord after passing the pre-examination (the lease should state that it is for the branch office's business use).
  • Documents to Obtain:Building owner's consent letter and a copy of the latest house tax bill (or ownership certificate).
  1. Opening a Bank "Preparatory Office" Account for the Branch
  • Account Name:The format is fixed as "Foreign Merchant [Parent Company Name] Co., Ltd. Taiwan Branch Preparatory Office".
  • Required items :Required items: Original copy of the "Supplementation Letter" from the Administration of Commerce, the approved Company Name Reservation Form, original IDs of the account opener (passport, Record of UI Number, relevant visa), (if different people, add Person in Charge A's passport and Record of UI Number), original POA from the parent company explicitly authorizing account opening, parent company foreign corporate qualification proof documents, registers of shareholders/directors, ownership structure chart of ultimate beneficiaries, and the preparatory office small stamp for bank use (usually the Manager's personal stamp if they are different people).

3) Phase 3: Influx of Capital and CPA Certification

  1. Inward Remittance of "Operating Capital" and Foreign Exchange Settlement (Bank)
  • Process:Process: The foreign parent company account remits the operating capital into the preparatory office account in Taiwan.
  • Attention:During foreign exchange settlement, you must request and safely keep the "Inward Remittance Advice" and "Foreign Exchange Purchase Memorandum" (the nature of settlement must be marked as "310 Operating Capital"). The beneficiary name must perfectly match the branch office name.
  • Applying for Balance Certificate:On the day following the deposit of operating capital, apply to the bank for a Certificate of Deposit Balance.
  1. CPA Audit and Certification of Operating Capital
  • Legal Basis:According to Article 5 of the Regulations Governing Certified Public Accountants' Auditing and Certification of Registered Capital of Companies, the establishment of a branch office must be certified by a CPA.

Required items :Required items: Original Bank Certificate of Deposit Balance, copy of the preparatory office bankbook cover, stamped page, and inner pages (including remittance and settlement records), copies of the Inward Remittance Advice and Foreign Exchange Purchase Memorandum, copy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Supplementation Letter, parent company foreign corporate qualification proof documents, and the branch office establishment registration form.

4) Phase 4: Final Approval and Launch of Daily Operations

  1. Submission of Phase 2 Supplementation ➔ Obtaining the Unified Business Number (UBN)
  • Process:Process: Return the "Inward Remittance Advice," "Foreign Exchange Purchase Memorandum," "CPA Capital Audit Report," along with the Records of UI Number, passports, ID copies of relevant personnel, and physically signed declarations/letters of undertaking to the Ministry of Economic Affairs for supplementation.
  • Result:Result: Officially receive the approval letter for the establishment of the foreign company's Taiwan branch and obtain the Unified Business Number (UBN).
  1. Business Registration (Tax Registration) (National Taxation Bureaus, Ministry of Finance)
  • Process:Process: Apply for tax registration at the local National Taxation Bureau branch or office where the branch is located to obtain the business tax filing status.
  1. Activation of Invoices
  • E-Invoices:Register on the Ministry of Finance's E-Invoice Integrated Service Platform and apply for e-invoice track numbers.
  • Paper Invoices:Apply to the National Taxation Bureau for a "Unified Invoice Purchasing Certificate" to purchase paper invoices.
  • Required items :Required items: Original approval letter from the Administration of Commerce, original company registration form, original tax registration approval letter, original dual IDs of the person in charge, official company stamps (large and small), invoice stamp, etc.
  1. Converting "Preparatory Account" into "Official Company Account" (Bank)
  • Process:Process: The account opener goes to the original bank to officially rename and convert the preparatory office account into an official branch office bank account. Only at this stage can funds be freely utilized.
  • Required items :Required items: Original approval letter from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, original branch office establishment registration form, copy of the tax registration approval letter, dual IDs of the account opener, and official corporate stamps (large and small).
  1. Subsequent Daily Operations Work
  • 14.1 Certification for Administration and Commerce (MOEACA IC Card):Apply at the MOEA Certification Authority for online tax filing, labor/health insurance, e-invoicing, and other operations.
  • 14.2 Import/Export Exporter/Importer Registration:If engaged in trading business, register with the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs. According to Article 4 of the Regulations Governing Registration of Exporters and Importers, the English name of the branch must indicate its nationality and branch status (e.g., must include the nationality name and the "Taiwan Branch" text), otherwise it will be rejected.
  • 14.3 Establishing Insured Units:Set up labor insurance, health insurance, and labor pension contribution accounts with the Bureau of Labor Insurance and the National Health Insurance Administration.
  • 14.4 Work Permit and Residency: Apply to the Ministry of Labor for a foreigner work permit for the branch manager. Once obtained, the manager can apply to or change their long-term Alien Residence Certificate (ARC) at the Immigration Agency to legally reside, work, and live in Taiwan.