1. These Regulations have been formulated with the aim of providing convenience for religious groups to apply for a foreigner to study religious doctrine with such religious groups or in their subordinated religious doctrine studying institutions in order to promote international religious exchanges and expand citizen diplomacy.
2. The religious competent authority as prescribed in these Regulations refers to the competent authoritiey licensing the registration of the religious group, including the Ministry of the Interior, governments of the special municipality, and the county /city governments.
3. A religious group conforming to the following stipulations shall apply for a foreigner to study religious doctrine in Taiwan in accordance with these Regulations:
(1) Temple, religious social association or religious incorporated foundation registered by the government for more than five years.
(2) The tenet or task provided in it’s constitutions shall contain religious doctrine studying .
(3) The organization or institution was established purely for studying religious doctrine or cultivating clergy.
(4) The domicile for studying religious doctrine conforms to relevant regulations of fire safety inspection.
(5) The foreigner studying religious doctrine shall be at least eighteen years old, and a member of the religious group’s religion.
(6) For the duration of the course, there shall be lessons at least five days a week, the total course hours thereof shall be at least thirty hours a week, and course hours may be added on Saturday or Sunday as appropriate according to the study requirement. The hours of core courses in the study of religious doctrine shall not be less than seventy percent of the total course hours, and religious culture and arts study activities shall be included in the core course, provided its course hours do not exceed twenty percent of the total course hours.
4. When a religious group applies for a foreigner to study religious doctrine in Taiwan, prior to studying, said group shall submit the Application Form (see Attachment 1) and the following forms and documents to the religious competent authority.
(1) A copy of the religious group’s registration certificate.
(2) If the religious doctrine studying institution is subordinated to the religious group, the certificate of subordinate relation between the religious group and religious doctrine studying institution (see Attachment 2).
(3) A copy of an official letter stating that the religious group’s statement of income and expenditure in the last year has been submitted to the religious competent authority for recordation.
(4) For the domicile provided for studying religious doctrine, a copy of certificate on passing the periodic maintenance of fire safety equipment within one year.
(5) For the domicile provided for studying religious doctrine, if it is a condominium building, a copy of the letter of consent from neighbors (see Attachment 3) shall be attached; if there is a management committee, a copy of the management committee’s letter of consent may be attached instead.
(6) Documents such as study notice, duration of studying, weekly studying courses and hours, etc. issued by the religious group or doctrine studying institution.
(7) Data sheet of the foreigner studying religious doctrine (see Attachment 4)
(8) Certification of high school degree or above, or a recommendation letter of the relevant overseas religious group; the foreign academic credentials or recommendation letter should be authenticated by an ROC overseas mission; if such documents are in foreign language, the Chinese translation shall be otherwise attached.
(9) Financial statement or certificate regarding living expenses (see Attachment 5).
(10) Affidavit guaranteeing that the study duration will not exceed the applied study period (see Attachment 6).
(11) Total number of the religious doctrine studying students and a list of foreign students.
(12) A copy of the official letter issued by the religious competent authority upon historical review of the application to study doctrine in Taiwan, except for an applicant for the first time.
(13) A paper copy and an electronic file of the list of the foreigners in this application(see Attachment 7), except for an application for a single foreigner.
For an application case proposed by a religious group for and after the second time in the same year, apart from the preceding stipulations, the religious group shall attach a copy of the official letter of consent of the first application in the same year, except for when the contents in the documents listed from Subparagraph 1 to Subparagraph 5 in the preceding clause remain the same and such a situation is specified in the application form. Furthermore, for an application extension case proposed by a religious group for the foreigner, the document prescribed in Subparagraph 8, Paragraph 1 can be exempted.
The number of foreign students prescribed in Subparagraph 11, Paragraph 1 shall not exceed fifty percent of the total number of people studying religious doctrine. However, for a religious group that has won an award or received praise from a government authority within the last three years and has no violating situation, the total proportion thereof may be increased as appropriate.
The official letter issued by the religious competent authority shall state whether the application case conforms to the stipulations of these Regulations after examine and shall be sent as a copy to the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs , the National Immigration Agency , and its local service station.
5. The total period of a foreigner studying religious doctrine in Taiwan shall not exceed ten years.
When a religious group applies for a foreigner to study religious doctrine in Taiwan, the study period thereof is limited to six years, starting from the actual entry time. However, for a religious group that has won an award or received praise from a government authority within the last three years and has no violating situation, after the foreigner has been studying doctrine in Taiwan for five years, said religious group may apply for an extension of period for studying doctrine in Taiwan in special cases.
For an extension of the study period in special cases as stated in the preceding paragraph, more than six years of study must be required genuinely according to it’s academic system, furthermore,the religious group shall propose the relevant forms and documents as prescribed in the preceding article and the following documents to the religious competent authority to submit an application. The religious competent authority will review and verify the documents and then decide whether to approve or reject the application:
(1) Evidential documents regarding winning an award or receiving praise from a government authority within the last three years.
(2) Information of the doctrine studying institution’s academic system and course planning.
(3) Reasons for an extension of the study duration.
(4) Certificate of Entry and Exit Dates since his/her original entry.
6. For an application consented by the religious competent authority, the religious group shall inform the foreigner and deliver a copy of the official letter regarding the consent of the religious competent authority.
A foreigner with consent to study religious doctrine in Taiwan shall apply for a visa at the ROC overseas mission by submitting a copy of the preceding official letter and other relevant documents. The ROC overseas mission shall decide whether to approve or reject issuance of the visa according to its authority.
7. During the duration of studying religious doctrine in Taiwan, the foreigners must not violate National Security Act or any other laws and regulations, nor engage in profit-making activity or other activities not conforming to the licensing purpose, and the applying religious group shall be responsible for the supervision thereof.
8. The religious competent authority may assign personnel to visit the religious group or religious doctrine studying institution to observe the study situation at any time, as well as request that said religious group or religious doctrine studying institution provides relevant information, and the respondent thereof shall not reject.
9. When a foreigner studying religious doctrine enters into Taiwan, the religious group shall inform the religious competent authority by official letter; if such religious competent authority is the local government, said official letter shall also be sent as a copy to the Ministry of the Interior. If the foreigner studying religious doctrine discontinue their schooling , because of any other reason that causes them to change or lose their study status at the religious doctrine studying institution, or is untraceable, the religious group must notify the National Immigration Agency and its local service station ,the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs by official letter within three days after the occurrence of the preceding facts, and send copies of the same to the concerned religious competent authority and the Ministry of the Interior.
The religious competent authority shall register the admission , change of school roll and other information of the foreigner in the National Religion Information Network established by the Ministry of the Interior within ten days from the date of learning about the situation as prescribed in the preceding paragraph.
10. If a religious group or religious doctrine studying institution violates the stipulations of these Regulations, the religious competent authority may not accept another of its application cases for two years.