Revised and Promulgated on February 27, 2002

Article 1

The Enforcement Rules of the Passport Act (hereinafter “the Rules”) are stipulated pursuant to Article 26 of the Passport Act (hereinafter “the Act”).

Article 2

Passports specified in the Statute mean nationality and identification documents issued to citizens of the Republic of China (hereinafter “the ROC”) for travel abroad.

Except for the last page of passports, which is intended for bearers to write personal data, passports cannot be altered in any way or stamped, unless authorized by the Competent Authority.

Article 3

Production of passports specified in Article 3 of the Act means the planning, design and printing of passports. The number of pages of the passports shall be prescribed by the Competent Authority.

If the number of blank pages contained in a passport is not sufficient, the holders may, at most twice, apply for additional blank pages.

Article 4

Diplomatic passports include laissez-passer issued to the President, Vice President and their spouses, and diplomatic passports issued to personnel specified in Article 7 of the Act who are assigned to countries having no diplomatic relations with the ROC.

Article 5

Diplomatic passports shall be issued as follows:

1. Laissez-passers to be issued to the President, Vice President and their spouses shall be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
2. Diplomatic passports for the personnel specified in subparagraphs 1 and 3 of Article 7 of the Act shall be issued by the Competent Authority.
3. Diplomatic passports for the personnel specified in subparagraph 2 of Article 7 of the Act shall be issued by the Competent Authority at the request of dispatching agencies.

Article 6

Official passports shall be issued as follows:

1. Official passports for the personnel specified in subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph 1 of Article 8 of the Act shall be issued by the Competent Authority at the request of the dispatching central government, special municipalities or county (city) governments.
2. Official passports for the personnel specified in subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 of Article 8 of the Act shall be issued by the Competent Authority after inspection of the appointment letters of the related international organizations.

Article 7

Application for ordinary passports shall be filed with the following agency, office or group:

1. The Bureau of Consular Affairs (hereinafter “the Bureau”) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its branch offices.
2. Overseas Missions.
3. The institutions or non-governmental organizations established or delegated by the Executive Yuan in Hong Kong or Macao.

Article 8

Applicants for diplomatic or official passports shall submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. Diplomatic/Official passport application form.
2. Original National Identification Card (hereinafter referred to as “I.D.”) and a photocopy of it.  Minors under 14 years of age who do not have an I.D. shall submit an original Household Registration Extract and a photocopy of it, or an original Household Registration Certificate issued within the last three months.
3. Applicants who do not have a household registration in Taiwan shall submit their ROC Nationality Certificates, and do not need to submit the documents specified in the preceding paragraph.
4. Official letters or certificates specified in subparagraph 3 of Article 5 or in Article 6 of the Regulations.
5. Other relevant certificates.

The original I.D. or the Household Registration Certificate specified in subparagraph 2 of the preceding paragraph shall be returned after inspection. No temporary or other identification certificates shall be accepted in lieu of the I.D. specified in subparagraph 1.

Article 9

Persons who apply for the first time for an ordinary passport with the Bureau or its branch offices shall submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. Nationals who have a household registration should submit:
   1. An ordinary passport application form.
   2. National I.D. and a photocopy of it. Minors under 14 years of age who do not have an I.D. shall submit an original Household Registration Extract and a photocopy of it, or an original Household Registration Certificate issued within the last three months.
   3. Other relevant certificates.
2. Nationals who do not have a household registration should submit:
   1. An ordinary passport application form.
   2. ROC Nationality Certificate.
   3. Original valid exit permit from the National Immigration Agency and a photocopy of it.
   4. Other relevant certificates.
3. Applicants who have acquired ROC nationality within the ROC’s territory but have not registered their household should submit:
   1. An ordinary passport application form.
   2. Original resident permit and a photocopy of it.
4. Applicants who have obtained permission to relinquish their ROC nationality but have not yet acquired another nationality should submit:
   1. An ordinary passport application form.
   2. Proof of losing ROC nationality.

The original I.D., the Household Registration Extract, the exit permit and resident permit specified in -item 2 of subparagraph 1, item 3 of subparagraph 2, and item 2 of subparagraph 3 of the preceding paragraph shall all be returned after inspection. No temporary or other identification documents shall be accepted in lieu of the I.D. specified in paragraph 1.

Applicants specified in subparagraph 4 of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be granted passports valid for one year by the Competent Authority with an annotation “Replacement or re-issuance of this passport must be approved by the original issuing agency.”

Article10

Military personnel, alternative military service men, or men at the enlistment age as specified in paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Act on Military Service shall first submit the following documents for verification by the relevant competent authorities:

1. Military personnel shall submit their identification documents.
2. Alternative military service men shall submit their identification documents.
3. Males at enlistment age who have not yet fulfilled their service shall submit one of the following documents:
1. Military service discharge certificate, or certificate of military service transfer, or certificate of exemption from military service due to illness.
2. Certificate of military service exemption or certificate of grade D physical fitness.
3. Certificate of military service interdiction.
4. Certificate of national guard status, or certificate of national guard waiting for training, or certificate of grade C physical fitness.
5. Official letter of military service exemption approved by special municipalities, county (city) governments or approved by village (town, city, district) administration offices.
6. Certificate of supplementary military service.
7. Discharge certificate of alternative military service.

If men near enlistment age as specified in paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Act on Military Service apply for regular passports for the first time in accordance with subparagraph 1 of paragraph 1 of this Article, the applications shall be first submitted to relevant competent authorities for inspection.

The back page of passports of military personnel, alternative service men and men at enlistment age as specified in paragraph 3 of this Article shall be annotated with “Passport holder must obtain approval before going abroad.” The back page of passports of men at enlistment age who do not have overseas Chinese status but have a household registration shall concurrently bear the annotation “Has not completed military service.” The back page of passports of men near enlistment age as specified in paragraph 4 of this Article shall bear the annotation “Has not completed military service”.

Article 11

Those who apply for the first time for an ordinary passport with the overseas missions shall submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. An ordinary passport application form.
2. Identification documents.
3. ROC nationality documents.
4. Other relevant certificates specified by overseas missions in accordance with their respective requirements.

If applicants reside in countries that have a strict single-nationality system and prohibit their citizens from possessing foreign passports, the overseas missions shall, when accepting their applications for ROC passports, clearly advise them that their right of residence status may be affected if they obtain ROC passports. The Overseas Missions shall then issue them passports in accordance with regulations.

Article 12

Those who apply for the first time for an ordinary passport with the authorized institutions or entrusted non-governmental organizations set up in Hong Kong or Macao by the Executive Yuan shall submit two passport photos and the following documents：

1. An ordinary passport application form.
2. ROC nationality documents.
3. Other relevant certificates.

Article 13

ROC nationality documents as specified in the Regulations mean one of the following documents:

1. Household Registration Certificate.
2. I.D.
3. Household Registration Extract.
4. ROC Passport.
5. ROC nationality certification.
6. Overseas Chinese Registration Card.
7. Certificate of overseas Chinese status.
8. Birth certificate of the applicant and a document to prove the ROC nationality of at least one parent.
9. Other certificates recognized by the Ministry of the Interior.

Certificates of overseas Chinese status as specified in subparagraph 7 of the preceding paragraph shall be presented along with proof of Chinese origin as specified in subparagraph 8 of the preceding paragraph when applying with the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission.

Article 14

Consent from one`s father, mother or legal custodian for minors under the legal age specified in paragraph 2 of Article 10 of the Act means one of the following：

1. Consent from one`s father or mother for minors under the legal age, consent from one`s adoptive father or mother for an adopted child.
2. Consent from an entrusted custodian according to Article 1092 of the Civil Code, or consent from the appointed custodian according to Article 1093 of the Civil Code.
3. If not falling under any of the two preceding categories, consent from a custodian according to Article 1094 of the Civil Code.

A person, corresponding to one of the preceding persons, can attach his identification certificate to the passport application form and sign his/her name to express consent.

Article 15

Applicants must apply for their passports in person or entrust an agent to do so. Agents must present their identification documents and a proof of delegation of power of attorney.

When applying with the Bureau or its branch offices, the agents specified in the preceding paragraph are limited to the following:

1. Relatives of applicants.
2. Colleagues of applicants in the same agency, school, company or group.
3. Grade A or consolidated travel agencies approved by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
4. Others permitted by the Bureau or its branch offices.

Agents specified in subparagraphs 1 and 2 of the preceding paragraph shall present related identification documents. Travel agencies specified in subparagraph 3 shall present the prescribed identification cards for special messengers and delivery papers. Moreover, they shall affix their name seal and list their telephone number, registration number, persons in charge, and messengers’ names. Other travel agencies which entrust travel agencies as specified in subparagraph 3 of the preceding paragraph to file applications shall affix their company seal.

Applications outside of the ROC’s territory can be filed with Overseas Embassies, Consulates, Representative Offices and Missions by mail. Application by mail, unless collected in person, must include pre-stamped return envelopes or the appropriate postal fee.

Article 16

Passports shall be signed by the holders themselves. Those who cannot sign may imprint fingerprints.

Article 17

Persons who have resident status in the Mainland Area, Hong Kong or Macao and are permitted to reside in Taiwan and meet one of the following requirements, may apply for ordinary passports by submitting an approval letter from the relevant central authorities, an application form and other documents. They may be granted an ordinary passport if approved by the authorities pursuant to the provisions of Article 9 of the Act.

1. Approval from the relevant central authorities to attend international matches or contests on behalf of the ROC.
2. Special reasons for holding an ROC passport.

The Competent Authority may consult with relevant authorities before approval in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 of the Act.

Applicants specified in paragraph 1 of this Article shall submit to the Bureau two passport photos and the following documents when applying for an ordinary passport.

1. An ordinary passport application form.
2. Original resident certificate for the Taiwan Area and a photocopy of it. The original will be returned after verification.
3. One original exit permit and a photocopy of it. The original will be returned after verification.

The validity of ordinary passports specified in the preceding paragraph shall be less than three years and the passports shall bear the annotation “Replacement or re-issuance of this passport must be approved by the original issuing agency.” The back page of passports issued to those who possess resident status in the Mainland Area shall be affixed a “New” mark, and those who possess resident status in Hong Kong or Macao shall be affixed with a “Special” mark.

Article 18

Overseas Chinese from the Mainland Area who meet the following requirements may be granted an ordinary passport after obtaining approval from the Competent Authority through the Overseas Missions in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 of the Act:

1. They have acquired permanent residence abroad. If there is no permanent residence system in the country of residence, applicants must have acquired long-term resident status and must have residence that can be extended continuously.
2. They have resided overseas for more than four years, or have continuously resided for more than two years in the country in which residence status was obtained, or be the spouse of a Taiwan Area resident and be married for more than two years, or has born a child (children) with that resident.
3. Special considerations for political, economic, social, educational, technological, cultural, athletic, overseas Chinese, religious, and humanitarian reasons.

Persons from the Mainland Area specified in the preceding paragraph and applying for the first time for an ordinary passport shall submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. An ordinary passport application form.
2. Original certificate of local permanent residence or long-term residence and a photocopy of it. The original will be returned after verification.
3. A copy of their passport or identification documents issued in the Mainland Area.
4. Other relevant certificates.

The validity of regular passports specified in the preceding paragraph shall be less than three years and the back page of the said passports shall be affixed with a “New” mark.

When persons from the Mainland Area as specified in paragraph 1 of this Article obtain ordinary passports, they shall have passports issued by Mainland Area authorities cancelled.

Article 19

Overseas Hong Kong residents who have not acquired ROC passports before July 1, 1997, and overseas Macao residents who have not acquired ROC passports before December 20, 1999, and their children born overseas may, if they meet the requirements specified in paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, obtain ROC regular passports after approval from the Competent Authority through Overseas Missions in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 of the Act.

Applicants for ordinary passports as specified in the preceding paragraph shall, when filing their first application, submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. An ordinary passport application form.
2. An original Hong Kong or Macao passport or long-term resident status certificate and a photocopy it. The original will be returned after verification.
3. Other relevant certificates.

The validity of the regular passports specified in the preceding paragraph shall be less than three years and the back page of the said passports shall be affixed with a “Special” mark.

Those who hold ROC passports with “Special” marks and have obtained the nationality of their foreign country of residence may apply for cancellation of the mark.

Article 20

Holders of passports issued by Mainland Area authorities who reside overseas and do not have resident status in the Mainland Area may obtain regular ROC passports if they meet the requirements specified in paragraph 1 of Article 18, and have obtained approval from the Competent Authority in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 of the Act.

Ordinary passports applicants specified in the preceding paragraph shall, when filing their first application, submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. An ordinary passport applicant form.
2. Statement regarding the reasons for acquiring a passport issued by Mainland Area authorities.
3. A copy of the passport issued by Mainland Area authorities.
4. Other relevant certificates.

The validity of regular passports specified in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be less than three years and their back page shall be affixed with a “New” mark.

However, persons who have a household registration in Taiwan can obtain passports of three years’ validity, which will bear the annotation used to hold a passport issued by Mainland Area authorities.

When applicants specified in paragraph 1 of this Article obtain an ROC passport, they must have any passport issued by the Mainland Area authorities cancelled.

Those who hold passports with a “New” mark as specified in paragraph 3 of this Article, paragraph 4 of Article 17, and paragraph 3 of Article 18, have resided overseas more than four years, and acquired the nationality of their foreign country of residence, or have used the said passport to enter the ROC, may apply for cancellation of the “New” mark.

Article 21

When there are special reasons for passport holders to have more than one passport as specified in paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act, the applicant shall fill-in the extra passport application form and provide the related form indicating the special reasons or provide the letter of approval from the dispatching agencies as specified in Article 7 and 8 of the Act to request approval by the Competent Authority. The same procedure shall apply to replacement of passports.

The approved extra passports, unless for official use, shall be valid for up to three years.

Article 22

The passports shall be valid from the date of issuance.

The Competent Authority may shorten the validity of diplomatic or official passports from three years to one year depending on the purposes of the passport holders’ mission.

Ordinary passports issued gratis to those who are on official duty shall be valid for less than five years.

If males apply for regular passports between the day they turn 14 years of age to December 31 of the year they turned 15 years of age, the Competent Authority shall grant them passports valid for less than five years in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 11 of the Act.

Article 23

Specifications and standards of passport photos specified in the Regulations are as follows:

1. 2” x 2” bust color photo, full face, front view with a plain white background taken within the last six months.
2. For religious reasons, applicants may wear headgear that does not cover the face.
3. No sunglasses except for those who are visually impaired.
4. No composite photo.

Article 24

Passports issued within the ROC’s territory to males at enlistment age and near enlistment age shall be valid for less than three years.

When males who went abroad before enlistment age apply for passport replacement or renewal before December 31 of the year they turned 18, the new passports shall be valid for less than three years. Replacement passports issued between January 1 and December 31 of the year they turned 19 shall not be valid beyond December 31 of the year they turned 21. However, for males who meet the provisions of the Enforcement Rules of the Act on Military Service and the Regulations Governing the Enlisted Men Affairs for Exit, after verifying their school attendance certificates, replacement passports shall be valid for three years.

Article 25

Males at enlistment and near enlistment age whose passports were not affixed with the annotation “has not completed military service” and who meet one of the below listed conditions, may apply for passport replacement after having gone abroad with the Overseas Missions, or the authorized institutions or entrusted non-governmental organizations set up in Hong Kong or Macao by the Executive Yuan. The passport issuance procedure and validity shall be handled in accordance with general regulations. Males at enlistment age shall have the annotation “unless approved passport holder can not go abroad” on the last page of their passports.

1. Males whose overseas Chinese status and passports are endorsed and have not been conscripted by law.
2. Males who went abroad before December 31 of the year they are turned 15 and have since not returned to the ROC.

Males at enlistment age who enter the ROC on foreign passports, or who are residents of foreign countries, the Mainland Area, Hong Kong or Macao cannot apply for passport replacement within the ROC. However, this limitation does not apply to males holding passports with endorsed overseas Chinese status.

If the passports of males at enlistment or near enlistment age who have already gone abroad expires and they do not meet the regulations for obtaining new one, Overseas Missions may issue them a passport valid for six months to allow them to enter the ROC.

Article 26

Males at or near enlistment age who apply for passport replacement because their passports have been stained or damaged, or whose passport’s last page already bears the remark “passport replaced because of stain or damage,” or who apply again for passport replacement for other reasons, and who meet the preceding Article’s requirements, may be issued a passport with validity appropriately based on the regulations. Otherwise, the replacement passports’ validity shall be the same as that of the original passport, and the military service remark shall be put into the new passport.

Article 27

Males at or near enlistment age who have gone abroad and lost their passports shall be given a replacement passport valid until the expiry date of the passport reported lost.

However, if the expiry date of the passport reported lost is less than one year and the applicants meet the requirements of Article 25, their passport shall be replaced in accordance with laws and regulations.

Article 28

Items recorded in the data pages of passports are as follows:

1. Passport number
2. Holder’s Chinese name and foreign name
3. Foreign alias
4. Nationality
5. National identification number
6. Sex
7. Date of birth
8.  Birthplace
9. Issuance and expiry dates
10. Issuing authority
11. Passports issued by Overseas Missions shall include issuing place.
12. Diplomatic and official passports shall include additional annotations.
13. Other items assigned by the Competent Authority.

The date mentioned in subparagraphs 7 and 9 of the preceding paragraph shall be recorded in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

Article 29

In order to record their birthplace in the passport, applicants shall prepare the following documents for verification:

1. Applicants shall submit their I.D. or household registration indicating their birthplace for verification. If no birthplace is recorded in the documents, applicants shall sign their names on the application forms. Applicants born outside the ROC’s territory shall submit relevant certified documents.
2. Those with no household registration shall submit a birth certificate, passport, resident certificate or an affidavit notarized by local notary public agencies where the applicant’s birthplace is recorded.

The birthplace to be recorded in passports shall comply with the following practice:

1. Born within the ROC’s territory: According to the applicant’s province, special municipality or special administrative district of birth.
2. Born outside the ROC’s territory: name of the country of birth as birthplace.

Article 30

The number of Chinese names and foreign names in the passport shall be no more than one respectively. Chinese names shall have no aliases.

The number of foreign aliases shall be no more than one unless otherwise prescribed in paragraph 3 of Article 32.

Article 31

The Chinese name in the passport shall match that of the applicant’s I.D. or household registration data.

Chinese names in passports of those without household registration shall comply with the following:

1. If the father is a citizen of the ROC, the applicant shall write the father’s surname. However, if the mother does not have a brother, the parents may agree that their children’s surname shall be that of their mother.
2. Children born by unmarried couples shall bear the mother’s surname. However, if the children are acknowledged by their natural father, they shall bear the father’s surname.
3. If the mother is a citizen of the ROC and the father is not, the surname of their children shall comply with the following priority list.
   1. If the mother does not have a brother, the parents may agree that their children shall bear the mother’s surname.
   2. If the mother is a registered national and in her household registration certificate there is the father’s Chinese surname, their children shall bear the father’s Chinese surname.
   3. If the father’s surname complies with Chinese customs, his children shall follow his surname.
   4. If the father’s surname does not comply with national customs, the surname of his children shall be changed in accordance with these customs.
   5. If the father does not have a Chinese surname, his children shall be named after the father’s foreign surname, which will then be transliterated into a Chinese name or made to comply with national customs.
4. The order of the name shall be with surname first.

Article 32

Foreign names to be recorded in passports shall comply with the following practice:

1. Foreign names should be romanized. Foreign names that are not based on the Roman alphabet should be romanized. The original foreign name can be listed as an alias.
2. If applicants apply for passports for the first time, the romanized foreign name they use in the following documents shall be preferred:
   1. Foreign identification certification or official documents issued by the ROC government.
   2. Identification certificates or official documents issued by foreign governments.
   3. Birth certificates issued by domestic or foreign hospitals.
   4. Diplomas issued by public or private schools.
   5. Certificates issued by overseas Chinese groups or communities registered with the relevant authority of the ROC government.
3. Applicants who do not have a foreign spelling for their names may transliterate Chinese names into English word by word based on Mandarin pronunciation. Foreign spelling of traditional aboriginal names may not separate surnames from first names and may be transliterated into English from Chinese.
4. Applicants shall use the original foreign spelling of their names when applying to replace or reissue their passports. But if the foreign spelling of their names falls into one of the following categories, they may apply to change the foreign spelling:
   1. The transliterated foreign names differ from the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese names.
   2. The transliterated foreign names differ from the spelling of the surnames of the applicants’ lineal relatives or brothers and sisters.
   3. Those who have habitual foreign names as specified in paragraph 2 of this Article and their related documents have been examined.
5. The order of foreign names shall be surnames before first names. The number of letters forming foreign names together with spaces shall be no more than 39.
6. Married women shall follow their household registration if they want to add their husbands’ surnames to their foreign names. If their household registration does not show their husband’s surnames, they may apply to add the surnames.

Foreign aliases should correspond with naming customs.

Those who change their foreign names as specified in subparagraph 4 of the preceding paragraph 1 shall list their original foreign name as an alias. If they have an alias already, the original foreign name may be endorsed as an additional alias. The total number of aliases shall not exceed two.

Article 33

A passport holder applying for the endorsement or amendment of his/her passport pursuant to paragraph 1 of Article 14 of the Statute must fill out the respective endorsement or amendment application forms and submit them with the other required materials for processing by the Competent Authority or overseas mission.

 

Items for endorsement or amendment as specified in paragraph 2 of Article 14 of the Statute are as follows:

1. Amendment of position title in diplomatic and official passports,

2. Endorsement or amendment of foreign name and alias(es),

3. Endorsement of overseas Chinese status,

4. Amendment of birthplace and birth date, and

5. Other endorsements or amendments.

 

Subparagraphs 2 and 4 of the previous paragraph of this Article shall not be applicable to e-passport holders.

 

The previous paragraph shall enter into force on December 29, 2009.

 

The applicant may only submit one application at a time for the endorsement or amendment of a particular item. Stamps for passport endorsements or amendments shall be produced by the Competent Authority.

 

Endorsement of overseas Chinese status as specified in subparagraph 3 of paragraph 2 of this Article shall follow the relevant regulations set by the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission.

 

Males near or at the enlistment age whose passports are stamped with the phrase “military service not completed” shall not have their overseas Chinese status endorsed unless there are mitigating circumstances and approval is obtained from the Ministry of the Interior. As for males near or at the enlistment age whose passports lack the “military service not completed” stamp, if they went abroad before December 31 of the year they turned 15 or if they entered or exited the ROC after January 1 of the year they turned 16, their overseas Chinese status shall not be endorsed.

Article 34

Replacement of diplomatic and official passports shall be handled in accordance with the following regulations:

1. Overseas Missions shall report to the Competent Authority the replacement of passports for personnel and their dependents.
2. The original dispatching government agencies, based on the needs of their missions, shall request the Competent Authority to handle the replacement of passports for personnel and their dependents.
3. International governmental organizations or Overseas missions shall request the Competent Authority to handle the replacement of passports for staff with ROC nationality in the organizations, and their dependents.

Article 35

Persons who apply to the Bureau or its branch offices for replacement of regular passports in accordance with Articles 15 of the Act shall submit the following documents in addition to those specified in Article 9 of the Regulations. However, this provision does not prejudice applications made under certain special circumstances and approved by the Competent Authorities.

1. Passport (Expired passport need not be submitted).
2. Relevant documents required for replacement by the Competent Authority.

Persons who apply with Overseas Missions for replacement of regular passports in accordance with Article 15 of the Act shall submit two passport photos and the following documents:

1. The most recently issued passport.
2. An ordinary passport application form.
3. Relevant documents required for replacement by the Competent Authority.
4. Identification documents required by Overseas Missions.

Persons who, pursuant to Article 15 of the Act, apply with the institutions or non-governmental organizations established or delegated by the Executive Yuan in Hong Kong and Macao for replacement of regular passports may follow the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

Passport holders specified in subparagraph 4 of paragraph 1 of Article 9, when applying for replacement of passports before acquiring foreign nationalities, shall submit two passport photos and the following documents：

1. The most recent passport
2. An ordinary passport application form
3. Relevant documents which can be used as proof of not having acquired a foreign nationality.

Replacement passports as specified in the preceding paragraph shall be valid for one year. The annotations and marks on the last page of previous passports shall be transferred to replacement passports.

Applicants shall submit valid foreign resident certificates for verification before their overseas Chinese status stamp is transferred to their new passport.

After review of their legal resident status, regular passport holders with “New” or “Special” marks in their passport are entitled to apply for a replacement passport valid for less than three years. The “New” or “Special” marks shall be transferred to the replacement passport.

Passport holders specified in the preceding paragraph whose passport hat bear the said marks have been cancelled, or who comply with paragraph 4 of Article 19 or paragraph 5 of Article 20 of the Regulations, may apply for canceling “New” or “Special” marks. The validity of the replacement passports shall follow normal rules.

If the passport is replaced due to unremovable blemishes, the last page of the said passport shall be stamped with a “replacement of stained passport” mark. For passport holders applying for replacement in accordance with subparagraphs 2 through 5 of paragraph 1 of Article 15 or all items of paragraph 2, the validity of the said replacement passport shall follow general regulations.

Article 36

Personnel holding a diplomatic or official passport or their dependents who apply for passport replacement due to a change of status, duty, or other special demand, shall report the replacement to the Competent Authority through Overseas Missions.

Persons specified in the preceding paragraph who are allowed to apply for a regular passport shall submit their diplomatic or official passport for cancellation.

This provision shall apply mutatis mutandis to applicants specified in paragraph 1 of this Article who shall, when applying for a regular passport, comply with the regulations and meet the conditions specified in Article 10 and Article 24 through Article 27 of the Regulations.

Article 37

Defects and blemishes specified in subparagraph 5 of paragraph 1 of Article 15 of the Act mean one of the following instances:

1. The reading zone of Machine Readable Passports (hereinafter referred to as “MRP”) cannot be machine-read.
2. The recorded data or image in the passport is not correct.
3. The cover, laminate, inside pages, sewing thread, or printing of the passport is abnormal.

If defects or blemishes in the passport as specified in the preceding paragraph cannot be imputed to the holders, the Competent Authority may cancel and attach the original passport and reissue a new passport to the holder gratis. The validity of the new passport shall accord with the expiry date of the original one.

Article 38

Loss of passports specified in paragraph 1 of Article 16 of the Act includes instances of destroyed passports.

Passport holders who lose a valid passport within the ROC’s territory shall, upon applying for a new one, submit documents to the Bureau or its branch offices as follows:

1. A loss report issued by the competent police station.
2. Other necessary documents.

Those who lose passports and apply with Overseas Missions, or the institutions or non-governmental organizations established or delegated by the Executive Yuan in Hong Kong or Macao shall submit the following documents:

1. A loss report issued by the competent local police station. However, if the local police station has not issued a formal report or does not issue such a report, it can be replaced by a personal statement.
2. Other necessary documents for passport application.

Article 39

Passport holders who find their lost passport within 48 hours must immediately notify the authorities or institutions to which they reported the loss for withdrawal.

The reissued passport shall be valid for three years. However, this provision does not prejudice applications under certain special circumstances that are approved after review, or under one of following circumstances:

1. If the passport holder as specified in the previous paragraph does not make the replacement passport application withdrawal within the time limit, the said passport shall be deemed lost and the validity of the new passport shall accord with the remaining validity of the lost passport.
2. If the passport is lost due to natural disaster or catastrophe, and these circumstances are proven by the relevant authorities or overseas missions, the validity of the new passport may follow normal rules.
3. If applicants lose their passport more than twice, the Bureau or its branch offices or Overseas Missions may interview them, extend examination of their application to six months, and shorten the validity of their passport to between one and a half years to three years.
   

The Bureau or its branch offices or Overseas Missions shall inspect relevant materials submitted by applicants prior to issuing new passports. Replacement passports shall bear the “re-issuance of lost passport” mark and include relevant annotations and marks from the previously issued passport and record the said passport number and issuing agency.

Article 40

If applicants can not wait for passport re-issuance by Overseas Missions, these may issue an entry permit for the applicant to re-enter the ROC. When they return and apply for new passports with the Bureau or its branch offices, applicants shall submit duplicate copies of entry permits or their original Household Registration Certificate with “move in” recorded on it, in addition to required documents.

Those who lose passports in the Mainland Area and apply for new ones after returning to Taiwan shall acquire loss reports issued by competent police stations in Taiwan together with duplicate copies of entry permits.

Article 41

Holders of re-issued passports with a remaining validity exceeding one year may, pursuant to subparagraphs 2 through 4 of paragraph 1 of Article 15 and subparagraphs 2 and 3 of paragraph 2, apply for a replacement passport. The validity of the replacement passports is limited to three years and the last page of the said passports shall be stamped with a “replacement” mark. The validity of replacement passports as specified in the proviso of paragraph 2 of Article 39 or subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph 2, or under certain special circumstances which are approved by Competent Authorities, shall not be subject to the above provisions.

Article 42

Data on the MRP application form for issued, replaced, reissued passports by Overseas  Missions shall be transmitted to the Bureau for filing on the same day through the Internet. Overseas Missions shall fax copies of the passport application forms to the Bureau on the same day for filing.

The Bureau shall transmit the data of issued, replaced, reissued and lost passports to the Immigration Agency daily through the Internet.

Article 43

The Bureau may obtain “Nationality Change Data” and “Reissuing and Replaced I.D. Data” from the Ministry of the Interior; “Military Personnel Data” from the National Military Personnel System of the Ministry of Defense through the Internet, and the “Entry and Exit Data of Passengers” from the National Immigration Agency, also through the Internet.

Article 44

If applicants fall under any of the following categories, the Competent Authority or Overseas Missions may, within one month of receiving the application, notify the applicant to provide additional documentation or arrange for an interview within two months:

1. Application data or photos do not comply with the submitted identification certificates or the previous passport data.
2. Authenticity of the submitted certificates needs to be verified by the issuing agencies.
3. There is suspicion about the truth of the applicant’s statement that requires extra time for investigation.

The Competent Authority, after reviewing the outcome of the examination specified in the preceding paragraph, may transfer the said application to the relevant authorities for further investigation. The time for investigation may be extended to six months.

The submitted certificates that are suspected to have been falsified or forged may not be returned to the applicant during that time.

If applicants neither provide additional documentation nor accept an interview pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article, the Competent Authority or the overseas missions shall neither refund nor issue passports pursuant to the rules.

Article 45

Judicial or military law agencies shall inform the Competent Authority in writing of the name, date of birth, I.D. number, reason for non-issuance of passport, and time of restriction of the party concerned as specified in subparagraph 2 of Article 18 of the Act.

The other relevant authorities shall inform the Competent Authority in writing of the applicant’s name, date of birth, I.D. number, reason and legal basis for restriction, and time of restriction, as specified in subparagraph 3 of Article 18 of the Act.

The notifications specified in the preceding two paragraphs can be made on-line.

Article 46

Personnel of  Overseas Missions shall report to their heads of office or authorized personnel and request approval when attaching passports pursuant to Article 19 of the Act.

Article 47

Applicants shall provide a Chinese translation if the submitted document specified in the Enforcement Rules is in a foreign language other than English. If the document is produced overseas and will not be used in that country, its foreign and Chinese versions shall be authenticated by Overseas Missions.

When the documents specified in the preceding paragraph are produced in the Mainland Area, Hong Kong or Macao, the Competent Authority may request applicants to have them authenticated by the institutions or non-governmental organizations established or delegated by the Executive Yuan.

Article 48

All the forms, stamps and format of remarks specified in the Rules shall be produced by the Competent Authority.

Article 49

The Rules shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation unless stipulated otherwise.