Goto Main Content
:::

Chapter Law Content

Title: Passport Act CH
Category: Ministry of Foreign Affairs(外交部)
Chapter II. Application for, and Reissuance and Replacement of, Passports
Article 15
The application for passports shall be made in person or by an authorized agent of the applicant. However, in the event of the following circumstances, the application shall be made in accordance with relevant regulations:
1. When applying for an ordinary passport for the first time in the ROC, the applicant shall apply in person at the Competent Authority, or shall apply in person for identity verification at a Household Registration Office designated by the Competent Authority and then authorize an agent to submit the passport application to the Competent Authority on his or her behalf.
2. When applying for an ordinary passport, or for reissuance or replacement of an ordinary passport, in the Mainland Area, Hong Kong, or Macau, the applicant shall apply in person at the relevant institution or nongovernmental organization established or designated by the Executive Yuan.
For the circumstances stipulated in the preceding paragraph, in the event the applicant cannot submit the application in person due to special reasons, it may be submitted by an authorized agent upon approval of the Competent Authority.
The criteria, methods, and procedures for passport application, reissuance, and replacement, as well as required documents and other matters to be complied with, shall be prescribed by the Competent Authority.
Article 16
Minors over seven years of age applying for a passport require the written consent of their legal guardian.
For minors below seven years of age or persons under guardianship, the application shall be submitted by their legal guardian.
For those who have two or more legal guardians as referred to in the preceding two paragraphs, their applications may be submitted by only one of their legal guardians.
Article 17
Information other than that listed on the data page may be added to the passport when needed in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Article 18
Passport applicants shall not apply for a joint passport with others. Passport holders shall not hold more than one passport at the same time except for special circumstances approved by the Competent Authority.
Article 19
In the event of any one of the following circumstances, an application shall be submitted for passport reissuance:
1. Wear and tear on the passport has rendered it unfit for use.
2. Alteration of the passport holder’s physical appearance has rendered it inconsistent with the passport photograph.
3. Changes have occurred concerning the information on the passport data page.
4. The passport holder has acquired a National Identification Number.
5. Defects and blemishes are found on the passport.
6. The electronic chip of the passport cannot be read properly.
In the event of any one of the following circumstances, an application may be submitted for passport reissuance:
1. The remaining validity of the passport is less than one year.
2. The passport currently held is not of the latest design.
3. The passport holder deems reissuance necessary and has obtained approval from the Competent Authority.
Article 20
Passport holders whose passport has been lost or destroyed may apply for a replacement, which will be valid for five years. However, in the event of any one of the following circumstances, relevant regulations shall apply:
1. If the passport is destroyed due to a natural disaster or other special circumstances, which have been confirmed by the Competent Authority or Overseas Missions, validity shall be in accordance with Paragraph 1 of Article 11.
2. If the passport that has been lost is found prior to replacement, and the original passport has remaining validity of more than five years, the replacement passport shall have the validity of the original passport.
3. Provisions stipulated in Paragraph 3 of Article 21 apply.
Article 21
In the event of any one of the following circumstances, the Competent Authority or Overseas Mission processing the passport application may request that the applicant provide additional documentation within a specified period of time or appear in person for an interview:
1. The application does not follow the required procedures or the required documentation is incomplete.
2. The information or photograph contained in the application is inconsistent with the identification information submitted or passport data on file.
3. Inaccurate information or incomplete statements have been provided concerning important items in the application.
4. Alterations, additions, or deletions have been made to the passport, or additional stamps have been affixed thereon.
5. On more than two occasions within the last 10 years, the applicant has applied for a passport due to a lost or destroyed passport.
6. The original passport is worn and torn or damaged.
7. The passport has been sold to others, or handed over to others as collateral, or to offset debt.
In the event of any of the circumstances in the preceding paragraph, the Competent Authority or Overseas Mission may extend the processing time for applications to two months, or six months if necessary.
In the event of any one of the circumstances described in Subparagraphs 4 to 7 of Paragraph 1, the Competent Authority or Overseas Mission may shorten the validity of the passport to between 18 months and three years.