(1) Apply for Extension of Residence

After graduation, the school will report your status, and your ARC will become invalid. If you intend to stay in Taiwan, you must go to the Immigration Agency within 15 days of receiving your diploma to apply for an Extension of Residence.

There are two opportunities to extend your residence after graduation. The duration is 1 year + 1 year (6 months + 6 months for HK/Macau students), allowing for a maximum stay of 2 years (1 year for HK/Macau students).

• 1st Extension: Until June 30 of the following year (For HK/Macau students: until December 31of the current year)
• 2nd Extension: Until June 30 of the year after that (For HK/Macau students: until June 30 of the following year)

Note:

1. Regardless of when your ARC expires, you must apply for the extension within 15 days of receiving your diploma.

2. If you have changed your residential address, you must update it when applying for the extension.

3.  During the period of residency extension, I am permitted to freely engage in full-time, part-time, or internship work, and am without the need for a separate work permit

(2) Change of Residential Address

If you change your place of residence, you must update the address on your ARC at the Immigration Agency within two weeks.

(3) Renew National Health Insurance (NHI)

For graduating students, the school only covers insurance until the end of August of the current year. Therefore, starting from September, you need to enroll yourself at the NHI Administration or the District Office near your residence. The monthly premium is NT$826.

Example: If you graduate in July 2022 and decide to stay for work, your NHI is valid only until August 31, 2022. So, you need to self-enroll starting from September 2022.

If you do not enroll yourself, once you find a job and the company starts insuring you, the NHI Administration will discover the gap and issue a payment notice for the arrears. You will still need to pay. If you seek medical attention during the uninsured gap, you must pay the full amount first. After paying the NHI arrears, you can then take the receipt to the original hospital/clinic to apply for a refund.

Updated: January 18, 2026