Getting through the Immigration Agency: Applying for your Alien Resident Certificate

🇹🇼 The ARC application wants a specific passport-style photo, so bring one that meets the official size and background rules. Photo booths and studios near immigration offices know the format.

💬 有 before an action is a Taiwan habit for asking whether something happened: 你有帶照片嗎 "did you bring a photo?" Answer simply with 有 "yes" or 沒有 "no".

💬 Chinese has no single word for "yes". You answer by repeating the key verb from the question, here 有, so 你有帶嗎 gets 有.

🇹🇼 For a work-based ARC, this usually means your employer's work permit and company registration papers. Ask your HR beforehand so you don't make a second trip.

💬 了 after an action shows it's done, and 帶了 works as a full answer without "I" or "them". The same goes for 買了 "bought (it)".

💬 也 "also" always sits right before the action, never at the end like English "too": 我也要 "I want it too".

💬 一 before a third-tone word like 千 is said (yì): 一千 (yì qiān). Before a falling tone it becomes (yí), as in 一萬 (yí wàn) "ten thousand".

🇹🇼 元 on signs and receipts is usually spoken as 塊 (kuài) in everyday talk, so you'll hear 一千塊.

💬 這是 + thing is the easy way to say "here's..." when handing something over: 這是我的護照 "here's my passport".

💬 據 is said (jù), so 收據 is (shōu jù).

🇹🇼 Keep this receipt. You'll usually need to show it when you come back to collect your card.

💬 後 goes after the time length, the reverse of English "in ten days": 三天後 "in three days", 一個月後 "in a month".

💬 來 before an action means "come (here) to do it": 來拿 "come get it", 來看 "come see".

💬 The time comes first, then the action, so 十天後 + 來拿 gives "in ten days, come get it". You can swap the time: 明天來拿 "come get it tomorrow".

💬 客氣 (kè qi) means "polite, standing on ceremony", so 不客氣 (bú kè qi) is literally "don't be so polite". 不 is said (bú) here because it comes before the falling tone (kè).