Chapter 6 Foreign Insurance Brokers
Article 53
Where necessary, the competent authority may approve the establishment of branch offices within the territory of the Republic of China by a foreign insurance broker institution having an corporate entity to operate the same kind of business operated in its home country.
Article 54
A foreign insurance broker institution applying to establish a branch office within the territory of the Republic of China shall possess the following qualifications:
1. Having had sound operational performance and secure financial capacity in the three years prior to application; and
2. Free of the record of being disciplined (by the authority) due to major violation in the past three years as substantiated by the competent authority of its home country.
Article 55
A foreign insurance broker institution applying for approval to establish a branch office within the territory of the Republic of China to operate insurance broker business shall submit two copies of the following documents to the competent authority for review:
1. Foreign broker company's application for approval.
2. Documentary proof that the competent authority or agency of its home country has approved the registration of the applicant's incorporation as well as the scope of its business operations.
3. Documents showing the names, nationalities, positions, and residences or domiciles of the major responsible persons of the head office.
4. Documents evidencing that establishment of a branch office in the Republic of China has been approved by the competent authority or agency of its home country and agreed by its board of directors.
5. The articles of incorporation of the head office.
6. A business plan.
7. A photocopy of the valid practice license of brokers employed or certification showing that brokers employed meet the qualification requirements set out in these Regulations and any of the following certifications:
(1) The employed broker's certification of pre-job training, obtained within the past 1 year before submission of the application and recognized by the competent authority;
(2) For a broker whose certification of pre-job training was obtained one year or earlier, the already obtained certification of pre-job training and the certification of at least 18 hours of on-the-job training within the past 1 year before submission of the application. For brokers who submit certification of at least 18 hours of on-the-job training within the past 1 year, the courses on laws and regulations taken shall not be less than 8 hours and the courses on fair treatment of customers aged 65 and above shall not be less than 2 hours.
(3) For a broker whose registration of permission is based on the qualifications set out in subparagraph 3, paragraph 1 of Article 5 herein, the certification of at least 18 hours of on-the-job training within the past 1 year, including no less than 8 hours of the courses on laws and no less than 2 hours of the courses on fair treatment of customers aged 65 and above.
8. Proof of identity for brokers employed.
9. A written statement by managers of branch office and brokers employed undertaking that they are free of situations set out in subparagraphs 1 through 9 and subparagraphs 12 through 17, paragraph 1 of Article 6 herein.
10. Proof of identity for the designated manager of branch office and proof of compliance with the qualification requirements of chairman set out in Article 13 herein.
11. A balance sheet and consolidated income statement for the last three years audited and attested by a certified public account recognized in the home country.
12. A document issued by the competent authority in its home country evidencing that the applicant is free of the record of being disciplined (by the authority) due to major violation in the past three years.
13. Other documents as required by the competent authority.
The business plan in subparagraph 6 of the preceding paragraph shall contain at least the following information:
1. Company philosophy and methods for carrying out fiduciary duties;
2. Scope of business;
3. Business development plan;
4. Organizational Structure and job duties.
5. Business solicitation system and procedures;
6. Financial projections for the next three years;
7. Description of work place and equipment; and
8. Other information as required by the competent authority.
The documents mentioned in the first paragraph may be replaced by comparable documents if any of them is unavailable according to the law of the home country.
If any of the documents mentioned in the first paragraph and preceding paragraph is not presented or recorded in Chinese due to special circumstances, their Chinese translations must be attached; except to documents provided in subparagraphs 1 through 6 and subparagraph 10 of the first paragraph hereof, the rest shall be authenticated by a ROC embassy/consulate or an overseas ROC representative office.
If the documents in the first paragraph or other representations are incomplete or insufficient, the application will be rejected; if the situation may be remedied, the applicant shall take remedial actions within the time limit set by the competent authority, or else the application will be rejected.
After a foreign insurance broker institution has obtained a permit to establish a branch office within the territory of the Republic of China to operate insurance broker business, the competent authority may void the permit if false information is discovered in any of the documents under paragraph 1 hereof submitted by the applicant.
Article 56
After the amended Regulations are in force on September 22, 2022, For the head office of a foreign insurance broker company applying for approval to establish a branch office within the territory of the Republic of China to operate insurance broker business, the head office shall appropriate funds of no less than NT$20 million exclusively for the business operation of each branch office established according to its business plan; when applying for operation of reinsurance broker business, the minimum working capital of each branch office shall be NT$20 million; when applying for operating concurrently insurance broker business and reinsurance broker business, the minimum working capital of each branch office shall be NT$30 million.
Before the amended Regulations are in force on September 22, 2022, the head office of a foreign insurance broker company shall appropriate funds of not less than NT$5 million exclusively for the business operation of each branch office established according to its business plan; when applying for operation of reinsurance broker business, the minimum working capital of each branch office shall be NT$10 million; when applying for operating concurrently insurance broker business and reinsurance broker business, the minimum working capital of each branch office shall be NT$10 million.
Article 57
The head office of a foreign broker company shall, within six months of permission, remit the funds for business operations of its branch office according to the preceding article, and apply to the competent authority in charge of company registration for registration of branch office establishment.
For those foreign broker companies that fail to apply for registration with the competent authority within the time period prescribed in the preceding paragraph, or fail to obtain approval from the competent authority in charge of company registration, the competent authority may revoke the permission.
Those that have completed the registration procedure under the first paragraph hereof shall, after depositing a bond and purchasing professional liability insurance, apply for and obtain a practice license from the competent authority by submitting a Branch Office Incorporation Registration Form and the fee as set by the competent authority. Those that have obtained a practice license shall carry out business registration in accordance with relevant acts and regulations.
Article 58
A foreign insurance broker institution establishing a branch office to operate business within the territory of the Republic of China shall employ at least one person holding a Republic of China broker’s practice license of the same type to practice the business.
Article 59
Provisions of other related chapters of these Regulations shall apply mutatis mutandis to matters regarding foreign insurance brokers on which this chapter is silent.