Citizenship is being an official member or part of a country. In many countries, it gives the right to vote, ability to serve in the military, and more. After staying in a country for a few years, immigrants often qualify to apply for citizenship. The majority of people become citizens because citizenship provides loads of advantages and also makes buying things, applying for jobs, or starting a business much easier. Most countries do not make people give up their original citizenship in order to become citizens of their adopted countries, but this is not the case in Taiwan.



Nowadays, many foreigners have come to Taiwan to settle, teach, start businesses, or to seek opportunities, hoping to have a better future. Taiwan has a high quality of life, cheap healthcare, and good public transportation, which is why many immigrants and expatriates have acquired permanent residency to stay here and enjoy these privileges.

However, for foreigners that have stayed here for numerous years or even decades, some wish to become citizens. Because the Alien Permanent Resident Card (APRC) only gives limited rights, many would prefer full citizenship because that would make living here much easier and present multiple advantages. Although acquiring citizenship in Taiwan may not be as difficult as some countries such as the U.S., the huge problem that most people face is that Taiwan’s government requires foreigners to give up their original citizenship, which is a major barrier for most.

Some people think that Taiwan’s government should allow foreigners who wish to apply for citizenship to keep their status in their native country. However, the government of Taiwan doesn’t agree, but they are wrong. Here are some reasons why the government of Taiwan needs to allow foreigners to acquire citizenship without giving up their own:

The right to vote

Like other democratic countries, Taiwan gives its citizens the right to vote. Given that the majority of people acquiring Taiwanese citizenship have lived in the country for quite some time now, it’s only fair to give them the right to vote. It is known that Taiwan has some of the most dramatic politics. So, by giving long-term residents the right to vote, and letting them attend the councils, the politics in Taiwan could get a lot more interesting. This would help to draw the eyes of a lot more people towards the politics of the Taiwanese government.

Good for Taiwan’s economy

Having a GDP (per capita) of 25,026 USD in Dec 2018, Taiwan has a strong economy. However, Taiwan has weak links to other countries, but with an increasing amount of foreigners acquiring citizenship, more business may be opened with links to other countries. This means Taiwan would then have more ties with other countries, consequently earning more money, improving the already excellent economy of Taiwan and its stance in the global community.

More job opportunities

According to Trading Economics the current unemployment rate in Taiwan is around 3.73%, which is low, given that the unemployment rate in a typical developed country is 4-12%. However, if foreigners acquire citizenship, it would be easier to start a business, consequently, there would be an increase in job options, which would allow even more people to be employed. In addition, if more foreign businesses are opened, the government would collect more taxes which would support healthcare, public systems, and the pension funds.

Bolster the military

Taiwan’s is ranked 22nd out of all countries, so its military isn’t bad. Despite this, countries near Taiwan like China, Japan, and Korea are all ranked in the top 10, which hints that Taiwan may need to up its game. Last year, there were a total of 73,000 foreigners in Taiwan, and some foreign-born residents may have been in the military back in their country. So, if these people decide to join the military, the manpower of the Taiwanese military would increase, and they can also share their experience and improve both the rank and the manpower of the Taiwanese military.

More loyal Taiwanese who can support Taiwan

Taiwan has a tense relationship with its neighbor – China. Just recently, Hong Kong was involved in a big controversy with Beijing, regarding the extradition bill. With a chance of facing similar consequences, it may be best if Taiwan gets more support from foreign people and foreign states. The way to do this may be allowing more foreigners to acquire Taiwanese citizenship, thus, more people would support Taiwan as a country instead of treating it as a province of China.

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Loads of foreigners are still waiting for a chance to become Taiwanese citizens. Taiwan’s government should allow foreigners to keep their status in their native country as well as become Taiwanese. Hopefully, the government of Taiwan comes up with new policies that will benefit those who wish to apply for a Taiwanese citizenship and the nation as a whole.