What does Taiwan require?
Everyday topic
Taiwan's long-term residence document is the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC, 外僑居留證), issued by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of the Interior. A foreigner entering on a resident visa must apply for the ARC within 30 days of the day after entry. If the registered address changes, it must be reported to the NIA service station covering the new address within 30 days of the day after the change; late filing carries a fine of NT$2,000–10,000 under the Immigration Act. Foreigners aged 14 and over must carry their passport or ARC at all times (Article 28); refusing to produce it on request is likewise finable under Article 85. The ARC and the work permit are two separate documents from two separate agencies: the work permit is issued by the Ministry of Labor (Workforce Development Agency), while the ARC comes from the NIA, so changing employers means applying for a fresh work permit. One distinctive feature is the Employment Gold Card, launched in 2018, which bundles the work permit, resident visa, ARC, and re-entry permit into a single card valid 1–3 years — holders are not tied to one employer and can change jobs freely.
What is this topic?
Taiwan's Alien Resident Certificate, issued by the National Immigration Agency, must be applied for within 30 days of entry, and an address change reported within the same 30-day window — miss it and the Immigration Act sets a fine of NT$2,000–10,000.
Japan's Residence Card runs on a tighter clock: 14 days, whether it's the first address registration or notifying a change of employer, both fixed by the Immigration Control Act.
Mainland China gives registered residence-permit changes 10 days (Exit-Entry Administration Law, Article 33), and staying somewhere other than a hotel only 24 hours (Article 39).
The United States has no national residence-registration office at all, but a registered alien's change of address is still bound by federal law — 8 U.S.C. § 1305 — to the same 10-day window, in writing.
India runs on visa category rather than a single residence card: an Employment or Student visa valid over 180 days must be registered with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival.
Indonesia caps an address change at 14 days, with the sponsor jointly responsible for reporting it.
Brazil is the most generous: a temporary-visa holder has 90 days to register with the Federal Police.
On whether the work permit and the residence permit are the same document, the seven countries split two ways: Taiwan, China, and Indonesia issue two documents from two agencies; Japan builds work eligibility directly into the residence status itself; and in the United States, the Green Card is itself the proof of work authorization.
Sources and dates
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