Regulations Governing Study by Foreign Students in the Republic of China

Article 1
These Regulations are specially promulgated for the purpose of encouraging foreign students to study in Taiwan and to provide them with guidance in their academic careers and personal affairs.
Article 2
The term "foreign students" as used in these Regulations shall mean students of foreign nationality, neither overseas Chinese nor ROC nationals, who apply to study in Taiwan in accordance with these Regulations.
Those who have had dual nationality combining ROC nationality and foreign nationality may not apply for admission to schools at the senior secondary school level or higher pursuant to these Regulations for a period of eight years after the date on which their ROC nationality is revoked by approval of the Ministry of the Interior.
The date on which the semester begins at the school being applied for shall be taken as the date of an application for admission as referred to in the preceding paragraph.
Article 3
Upon completion of the course of study at the school in the ROC for which a foreign student applied, the student's admission to higher academic levels shall be handled in a manner identical to admissions for local students.
Article 4
Where a university, college, or junior college recruits and accepts foreign students, the number of such students shall not be counted against the school's total admissions quota, but their number in any given academic year shall be limited to no more than ten percent of the number of ROC citizens admitted that year.
Where the preceding paragraph refers to the number of foreign students recruited, the figure shall not include foreign students not registered as degree students.
Article 5
Universities, colleges, and junior colleges recruiting and accepting foreign students shall adopt regulations for enrollment of foreign students which clearly set forth the methods for carrying out reviews or special screening tests, and the admission requirements. The regulations shall be submitted to the Ministry of Education (henceforth, MOE) for recordation.
Article 6
Foreign students applying for admission to a university, college, or junior college shall submit their applications during the school's designated application period, accompanied by the documents listed below. Those found qualified through review or special screening test will be granted admission. The student shall show proof of medical and personal accident insurance or national health insurance at the time of registration. The following documents shall be submitted:
1. application for enrollment (the format of which is to be determined by each individual school);
2. a photocopy of the graduation certificate from the highest foreign educational institution completed (in Chinese or English translation), and an English translation of the transcript of the student's entire course work at that institution;
3. two letters of recommendation;
4. a health certificate (including an HIV test);
5. a study plan in Chinese or English;
6. proof of financial sufficiency (proof of sufficient funds for studying in the ROC); and
7. other documents as required by the university, college, or junior college.
The term "foreign educational institution" as Item 2 above includes overseas Taipei schools and schools for overseas Chinese. The term "graduation certificate" as used in the same subparagraph shall, with the exception of overseas Taipei schools and schools for overseas Chinese, conform with the MOE guidelines governing authentication of overseas academic degrees.
Article 6-1
Foreign students who graduate from a school for foreign residents located in the Republic of China, or from a bilingual division (program) affiliated with a senior high school in the Republic of China, may use the graduation certificate received from such a school in applying pursuant to the provisions of Article 6 for admission to a university, college, or junior college, and shall not be subject to the restrictions set forth in Article 3 or in Article 6.（Item 1, subparagraph 2.）
Article 7
Universities, colleges, or junior colleges recruiting and accepting foreign students shall prepare a roster of admitted and registered foreign students, and shall submit it to the MOE for recordation by 30 November each year. The roster shall include the students' names, nationalities, class standings, and the junior college departments, university departments, or graduate schools to which they belong.
Article 8
When a foreign student admitted to a university, college, or junior college arrives at the campus after more than one-third of the first semester has passed, that student may not be enrolled that academic year. Graduate students, however, may be allowed to enroll the second semester with the approval of the dean of their department or graduate school.
Article 9
A foreign student who withdraws from a university, college, or junior college after admission may not thereafter apply again for admission under these Regulations.
Article 10
Upon the condition that it will not interfere with their normal educational activities, universities, colleges, and junior colleges may sign agreements for academic cooperation with foreign schools and recruit and accept foreign students as exchange students, and their admission standards for foreign students may be applied with respect to acceptance of foreign students as non-degree seeking students.
Universities, colleges, and junior colleges may issue credit certificates for foreign students who apply as non-degree seeking students pursuant to the preceding paragraph, provided that such students duly complete the courses selected with passing grades.
The foreign students referred to in paragraph 1 above may not apply for resident visas on the basis of their status as non-degree seeking students.
Article 11
A student coming to Taiwan to study the Chinese language shall submit an application for admission to a Chinese language study institute affiliated with a university, college, or junior college, and shall submit the documents listed below together with the application. After being granted admission, students shall present their admission notice to apply for a visa to the ROC representative office in their home country, listing study as the purpose of their visit. At the time of registration, students shall present proof of medical and personal accident insurance or national health insurance. The following documents shall be submitted:
1. an application for admission (the format of which is to be determined separately by each language study institute);
2. a photocopy of the graduation certificate from the highest foreign educational institution completed (in a Chinese or English translation), and an English translation of the transcript of the student's entire coursework at that institution;
3. a health certificate (including an HIV test);
4. proof of financial sufficiency (proof of sufficient funds for studying in the ROC);
5. one letter of recommendation;
6. a study plan (including the reasons for study, the anticipated period of study, and future plans); and
7. other documents required by the language study institution.
Article 12
In order to grant support and recognition to outstanding foreign students studying at universities, junior colleges, and their affiliated Chinese language study institutes, the MOE will establish scholarships for foreign students, with the regulations governing application, the criteria for awarding the scholarships, the amounts of the scholarships, and the number of recipients to be prescribed by the MOE.
Article 13
Universities, colleges, junior colleges, and their affiliated Chinese language study institutes shall designate units or personnel which will be exclusively responsible for handling foreign students' applications and for matters pertaining to guidance (in both personal and academic matters), evaluation of academic performance, and liaison with students. Those units or personnel shall also administer guidance activities relevant to foreign students on an irregular basis during each academic year.
Universities, colleges and junior colleges administering guidance activities pursuant to the preceding paragraph may apply for financial support in accordance with applicable MOE regulations.
Article 14
Foreign students who have a statutory agent or legal guardian in the ROC and apply for admission to senior high school, junior high school, or elementary school shall submit an application to a school near their domicile, accompanied by the documents listed below. After obtaining approval to register for admission, those foreign students shall be listed in a roster submitted to the competent educational authority for recordation. Persons applying to enroll in the first semester of the first year of elementary school shall be exempt from the requirement for a record of previous study. The following documents shall be submitted:
1. an application form;
2. a photocopy of the student's Alien Resident Certificate; and
3. a diploma or certificate of study from the foreign school and a complete transcript from that school.
If a foreign student referred to in the preceding paragraph applies to a school that is unable to accept the application because it is already fully enrolled, the student may apply to the competent educational authority for assignment to a school whose enrollment quota has not yet been reached.
Depending on the results of screening of applications from foreign students as referred to in Paragraph 1, elementary and junior high schools may allow those students to either enroll or audit at an appropriate level. Auditing shall be limited to one year only. Students auditing class who have passing scores on tests will be granted enrollment.
Article 15
(Deleted)
Article 16
These Regulations shall enter into force from the date of issuance.
These Regulations are adopted in Chinese, which shall prevail in case of any discrepancy between the English translation and the Chinese original.