Insight
How to Set Up a Foreign Company in Taiwan (Step by Step)
A practical walkthrough of the FIA filing, entity choice, bank account opening, work permits, and realistic timelines for foreign companies registering in Taiwan.
ROLL ON. Team ·
What you're actually setting up
[TODO: ~200 words. Distinguish subsidiary vs. branch vs. representative office at a business-outcome level (revenue, liability, tax).]
Step 1 — Pre-approval: FIA filing
[TODO: ~300 words. Who files, documents required, typical timeline (2–4 weeks), notarization requirements, and common document rejections.]
Step 2 — Company registration (MOEA)
[TODO: ~250 words. Post-FIA registration with Ministry of Economic Affairs, Commercial Registration, timeline, fees.]
Step 3 — Tax registration & statutory books
[TODO: ~200 words. NTA registration, VAT, profit-seeking enterprise income tax, basic statutory book requirements.]
Step 4 — Bank account (the hidden bottleneck)
[TODO: ~300 words. Why banks are the slowest step for foreign-owned entities, KYC requirements for foreign directors, which banks are foreign-friendly, typical 3–6 week delay.]
Step 5 — Work permits & founder residency
[TODO: ~250 words. Employment Gold Card vs. Entrepreneur Visa vs. employer-sponsored work permit — when each applies, application flow.]
Realistic end-to-end timeline
[TODO: Table — FIA (3w) + Registration (2w) + Tax (1w) + Banking (4–6w) + Work permit (3–4w parallel) = 10–12 weeks.]
When to bring in professional help
[TODO: ~150 words. Self-service vs. consultancy trade-off; what a market-entry firm like ROLL ON. actually does vs. what lawyers and accountants cover.]
See also: Taiwan Market Entry Guide · Legal & Compliance Service