Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the FSC's business licence, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Taiwan.
Two acts and one bureau. The Financial Supervisory Commission, through its Securities and Futures Bureau, permits securities firms by business type under the Securities and Exchange Act - a broker at NT$200 million, a dealer or underwriter at NT$400 million under article 3 of the Standards amended on 18 July 2025 - and asset managers under the Securities Investment Trust and Consulting Act: a SITE at NT$300 million, a SICE at NT$20 million, NT$50 million once it runs discretionary accounts. The SFB prints its own clock, two months to the permit and one month to the licence, with incorporation inside six months between them. Corporate tax is 20% with a 5% surtax on undistributed earnings and the SFIPC covers NT$1.2 million per investor; the Bureau publishes no fee schedule, and the licensee count and the dividend withholding rate are confirmed for your file before the quote.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Taiwan in brief
Two acts, one bureau, and a processing table you can read.
Taiwan licenses investment business under two acts. The Securities and Exchange Act of 1968 governs securities firms, which the Financial Supervisory Commission licenses through its Securities and Futures Bureau by business type - underwriter, dealer, broker - and one firm may hold all three. The Standards Governing the Establishment of Securities Firms, amended on 18 July 2025, fix the paid-in capital in article 3: NT$400 million for an underwriter or a dealer, NT$200 million for a broker, plus NT$30 million for every branch. Two lighter tiers arrived with that amendment - NT$100 million for a dealer limited to virtual-currency or specified foreign-bond business, NT$50 million for a broker limited to equity crowdfunding or fund units. An operating bond follows under article 7: NT$40 million, NT$10 million and NT$50 million. Asset management runs under the SITCA: a SITE for fund business at NT$300 million, a SICE for consulting at NT$20 million, NT$50 million once it manages discretionary accounts.
The clock is administrative, and printed. The SFB's processing table gives two months for the establishment permit and one month for the business licence; between them the applicant must incorporate and apply within six months of the permit (article 13 of the SITE Standards, article 8 of the SICE Standards, which allows one six-month extension), and article 63 of the SITCA bars a SITE or SICE from operating until the licence is issued. No fee appears on the SFB's application pages, nor any processing statistics. Investor protection has a number: the SFIPC fund pays up to NT$1.2 million per investor and NT$1.2 billion per failed firm under article 21 of the Investor Protection Act. Tax is 20% on profit, raised from 17% in 2018, with a 5% surtax on earnings a company keeps rather than distributes. There is no passport; offshore funds need FSC approval before offering or advice (SITCA article 16). We build the file from Taipei.
Two acts, one bureau: the FSC permits securities firms by business type under the SEA (broker NT$200m, dealer or underwriter NT$400m, art. 3 of the 2025 Standards) and asset managers under the SITCA - SITE NT$300m, SICE NT$20m, NT$50m for discretionary accounts. SFB processing two months plus one.
20% corporate tax with a 5% surtax on undistributed earnings, SFIPC cover of NT$1.2m per investor, no published fee or register count. Built end to end from Taipei.
The two builds
The NT$20 million SICE - or the NT$300 million SITE.
One act, two enterprises: the securities investment consulting enterprise at NT$20 million paid-in capital (NT$50 million with discretionary accounts) and the securities investment trust enterprise at NT$300 million - with the securities firm under the Securities and Exchange Act at NT$200-400 million beside them. We fix the enterprise first, then build once.
The NT$20m SICE - or the NT$300m SITE.
01 - SICE · CONSULTING AND DISCRETIONARY
The consulting enterprise
Securities investment consulting under article 4 of the SITCA - paid advice, then discretionary investment once paid-in capital reaches NT$50 million (NT$70 million with futures advisory) under the Discretionary Regulations amended 24 December 2024 - at NT$20 million under article 5 of the SICE Standards, with client assets held by a custodian in the client's name.
Securities investment consulting under article 4 of the SITCA - paid advice, then discretionary investment once paid-in capital reaches NT$50 million (NT$70 million with futures advisory) under the Discretionary Regulations amended 24 December 2024 - at NT$20 million under article 5 of the SICE Standards, with client assets held by a custodian in the client's name.
- ✓Investment consulting - SITCA art. 4
- ✓NT$20,000,000 paid-in capital - SICE Standards art. 5
- ✓Discretionary business at NT$50,000,000 · NT$70,000,000 with futures advisory
- ✓Operating bond NT$10-25 million by paid-in capital
- ✓Custodian holds discretionary assets in the client's name
- ✓Licence application within 6 months of the permit, extendable once
02 - SITE · FUND BUSINESS
NT$300 million paid-in capitalThe trust enterprise - or the securities firm
Securities investment trust business under article 3 of the SITCA - funds and discretionary mandates - at NT$300 million under article 7 of the SITE Standards, with a fund manager, bank, insurer, securities firm or financial holding company subscribing at least 20% of the first issue (article 8) and no shareholder above 25% with related parties (article 9). The securities firm is the other heavy build: NT$200 million for a broker, NT$400 million for a dealer or underwriter.
Fund business under SITCA art. 3 at NT$300m with a 20% institutional promoter and a 25% shareholder cap - or a securities firm at NT$200-400m by business type.
- ✓Fund and discretionary business - SITCA art. 3
- ✓NT$300,000,000 paid-in capital - SITE Standards art. 7
- ✓Institutional promoter at 20% or more - art. 8
- ✓No shareholder above 25% with related parties - art. 9
- ✓Incorporate within 6 months of the permit - art. 13
- ✓Or a securities firm: NT$200m broker · NT$400m dealer or underwriter
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The SFB lists no application fee on its forms pages and publishes no register counts; both are confirmed with the Bureau before filing, and the operating bond and capital are itemised in your quote.
Why Taiwan
Six reasons managers file in Taipei.
Taiwan sells a printed clock and a NT$20 million door - under an act and Standards amended in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
✓
The SFB prints its clock
Two months for the establishment permit, one month for the business licence, the same two-plus-one for a branch or an added business type - a processing table on the Bureau's own page, not a promise.Two months plus one.
✓
A NT$20 million door
A SICE needs NT$20 million of paid-in capital under article 5 of its Standards - the lightest licensed entry in the market, and the base a discretionary business is built on at NT$50 million.The SICE entry.
✓
Tiers cut in July 2025
The 18 July 2025 amendment of the Securities Firm Standards added a NT$100 million dealer for virtual-currency or specified foreign-bond business and a NT$50 million broker for equity crowdfunding and fund units.NT$100m dealer · NT$50m broker.
✓
NT$1.2 million per investor
The SFIPC protection fund pays up to NT$1.2 million per investor per failed firm and NT$1.2 billion per firm under article 21 of the Investor Protection Act - a figure client agreements can quote.SFIPC, per investor.
✓
20%, and 5% on what you keep
Corporate tax of 20% since 2018, when it rose from 17%, and a surtax on undistributed earnings cut from 10% to 5% in the same reform - on a Ministry of Finance page dated 18 September 2026.Tax and retained-profit surtax.
✓
No fee, no count, no statistics
The SFB's application pages print no fee and it publishes no processing statistics; the licensee count is confirmed with the Bureau. The file is in Chinese. Budget for translation and a Bureau conversation before the first draft.Confirmed with the Bureau.
How it compares
How Taiwan differs from other routes.
The honest comparison: a printed processing table and a NT$20 million entry - against Tokyo's deposit-only advisory, Seoul's statutory three months and Bangkok's 1 million baht tier.
Taiwan vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Taiwan | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | SEA + SITCA - FSC permit, then business licence | FIEA registration Japan · FSCMA authorisation Korea |
| Capital | NT$20m SICE · NT$300m SITE · NT$200-400m securities firm | ¥50M Japan IM · KRW 250m Korea advisory |
| Scope | Domestic market, no passport | Japan, Korea, Thailand: onshore only, no passport |
| Timeline | 2 months permit + 1 month licence (SFB table) | Korea 3 months / 2 months statutory · Thailand 90 + 60 days |
Regime
TaiwanSEA + SITCA - FSC permit, then business licence
Other jurisdictionsFIEA registration Japan · FSCMA authorisation Korea
Capital
TaiwanNT$20m SICE · NT$300m SITE · NT$200-400m securities firm
Other jurisdictions¥50M Japan IM · KRW 250m Korea advisory
Scope
TaiwanDomestic market, no passport
Other jurisdictionsJapan, Korea, Thailand: onshore only, no passport
Timeline
Taiwan2 months permit + 1 month licence (SFB table)
Other jurisdictionsKorea 3 months / 2 months statutory · Thailand 90 + 60 days
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | FSC - SICE / SITE / securities firm | 20% · 5% undistributed surtax | NT$20m SICE · NT$300m SITE · 2 + 1 months |
 Japan | FSA - IM registration | ≈30% effective | ¥50M · QI route ¥10M |
 South Korea | FSC authorisation / registration - FSCMA | 9-24% by band | KRW 250m advisory · KRW 1.5bn discretionary · 3 / 2 months |
 Thailand | SEC - Type ก to ง, licence from the Minister | 20% CIT · 10% dividend WHT | THB 1m-100m by activity · 90 + 60 days |
TaiwanLicense typeFSC - SICE / SITE / securities firm
Taxation20% · 5% undistributed surtax
RequirementsNT$20m SICE · NT$300m SITE · 2 + 1 months
JapanLicense typeFSA - IM registration
Taxation≈30% effective
Requirements¥50M · QI route ¥10M
South KoreaLicense typeFSC authorisation / registration - FSCMA
Taxation9-24% by band
RequirementsKRW 250m advisory · KRW 1.5bn discretionary · 3 / 2 months
ThailandLicense typeSEC - Type ก to ง, licence from the Minister
Taxation20% CIT · 10% dividend WHT
RequirementsTHB 1m-100m by activity · 90 + 60 days
Before you apply
Requirements for the Taiwan licence.Requirements for the licence.
The Bureau permits a company it can measure: capital subscribed at incorporation, a bond in a designated bank, promoters and responsible persons who pass the qualification rules. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Company limited by shares - the only form for a securities firm (Standards art. 6), a SITE (art. 7) or a SICE (art. 5); SITCA art. 67 requires the minimum paid-in capital to be fully subscribed by the promoters at incorporation.
02
Paid-in capital - NT$20 million for a SICE, NT$300 million for a SITE, NT$200 million for a broker and NT$400 million for a dealer or underwriter (Standards art. 3), plus NT$30 million for each securities-firm branch.
03
Operating bond - NT$40 million for an underwriter, NT$10 million for a dealer, NT$50 million for a broker at an FSC-designated bank (Standards art. 7); NT$10-25 million for a SICE's discretionary business by paid-in capital.
04
Clean promoters - no sedition or treason, fraud or breach of trust, bankruptcy, serious loss of credit standing or lack of capacity (Standards art. 4).
05
SITE shareholding - a fund manager, bank, insurer, securities firm or financial holding company subscribing at least 20% of the first issue (art. 8); no shareholder with related parties above 25% (art. 9).
06
Responsible and associated persons - qualified under the FSC's regulations for each enterprise, including the Regulations Governing Responsible Persons and Associated Persons of SICEs.
07
Discretionary custody - client assets entrusted to a custodian institution in the client's name, and NT$50 million of paid-in capital (NT$70 million with futures advisory) before a SICE takes discretionary mandates.
08
The two-step sequence - FSC permit, then incorporation and licence application within six months (SITE Standards art. 13; SICE Standards art. 8, extendable by six months), operations only after the licence (SITCA art. 63).
09
Offshore funds - FSC approval or effective registration before any public offering or advice (SITCA art. 16).
10
Fees and branches - no fee is listed on the SFB's application pages, so the charge is confirmed with the Bureau before filing; a SITE opens branches after one year of operation (art. 45), a SICE after two (arts 41-43).
01
Company limited by shares.
02
Capital per enterprise, subscribed.
03
Operating bond lodged.
04
Promoters clean under art. 4.
05
SITE promoter 20%, cap 25%.
06
Qualified responsible persons.
07
Custodian for discretionary.
08
Permit, then licence in 6 months.
09
Offshore funds approved first.
10
Fees confirmed with the Bureau.
Reflects the Securities and Exchange Act, the SITCA and the establishment Standards as amended to 18 July 2025; article numbers are cited from the Standards issued under the Act.SEA, SITCA and Standards, as amended to July 2025.
How it works
From first call to the FSC business licence.
01
The enterprise
SICE at NT$20 million, SITE at NT$300 million or a securities firm by business type - fixed in writing before any drafting.Fixed in writing.
02
Promoters and capital
Company limited by shares, promoters vetted under art. 4, capital fully subscribed at incorporation (SITCA art. 67), the bond arranged.Subscribed at incorporation.
03
The establishment permit
The permit application filed complete - two months on the SFB's processing table.Two months at the SFB.
04
Incorporation and licence
Company registered within six months of the permit, the business licence application filed - one month on the same table.Six months, then one.
05
Licensed and live
Operations begin only after the licence (SITCA art. 63) - custodian, SFIPC cover and the first mandates in place.Live after art. 63.
Quick facts
RegulatorFSC · SFB
SICENT$20,000,000
SICE discretionaryNT$50m · NT$70m with futures
SITENT$300,000,000
Securities brokerNT$200,000,000
Dealer or underwriterNT$400,000,000
SFB processing2 months + 1 month
Corporate tax20% · 5% surtax
The SFB's table is an administrative processing period, not a statutory decision clock, and the Bureau publishes no statistics against it - a complete file is the lever we control. The rules' own calendar: two months to the permit, up to six to incorporate, one to the licence.
On the ground in Taiwan
Run from our Taipei office.
Prifinance - Taiwan
Taipei · Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan
01
Enterprise and tier
SICE, SITE or securities firm by business type - decided against the real client book before a company limited by shares is formed.Chosen to the book.
02
The FSC file
Permit application, business plan and the promoter and responsible-person files drafted to the Standards - and the Bureau's questions answered inside its two-month table.Processed in two months.
03
Capital and bond
Paid-in capital subscribed at incorporation under SITCA art. 67, the operating bond lodged at a designated bank, the custodian contracted for discretionary mandates.Subscribed, lodged.
04
Licence and launch
Incorporation inside the six-month window, the business licence in the SFB's one month, SFIPC and exchange onboarding sequenced with the first mandates.Licensed, then live.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Taiwan.
A flat 20% with a surtax on retained profit - and three figures confirmed per structure, which we say plainly.
Corporate tax 20%
The profit-seeking enterprise income tax rose from 17% to 20% in 2018 and has stayed there - the Ministry of Finance page we cite is dated 18 September 2026.Since 2018.
5% on undistributed earnings
Earnings a company keeps carry a surtax cut from 10% to 5% in the same 2018 reform - the reason distribution policy is modelled with the licence, not after it.On retained earnings.
Business tax 5%
The standard business tax rate; the reduced rates on financial institutions' core business are confirmed for your service set, so the rate on your revenue is stated in the quote.Finance rate per structure.
Dividend withholding: per structure
The rate on dividends to non-residents depends on the holding structure - we confirm it, and any treaty relief, in writing before the structure is drawn.Confirmed in quote.
Securities transaction tax
A tax on share sales, 0.3%, confirmed in the quote - a trading cost the dealer's model carries from day one.0.3%, confirmed in quote.
No sector levy
No special financial-sector levy is published; the SFIPC protection fund is financed by contributions from securities and futures firms and the exchanges, at rates the official pages do not print.SFIPC contributions only.
Tax summary
Corporate tax20%
Undistributed earnings5% surtax
Business tax5% standard
Dividend withholdingConfirmed in quote
Sector levyNone published · SFIPC contributions
*Figures as of 2026 per Taiwanese law and the Ministry of Finance. Financial-sector business tax, dividend withholding and the transaction tax are confirmed per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Taiwanese company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Taiwan · FSC
Launch your investment firm in Taiwan with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the company limited by shares and the operating bond to the FSC permit, the business licence and launch - run through our Taipei office.
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Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Taiwan investment licence, answered.
What licence does an investment manager need in Taiwan?+
Permission and a business licence from the FSC under the Securities Investment Trust and Consulting Act - a SITE for fund business (article 3), a SICE for consulting and discretionary accounts (article 4) - or, for brokerage, dealing and underwriting, a securities firm permit under the Securities and Exchange Act, one business type at a time.
What capital is required?+
Paid-in capital of NT$20 million for a SICE (SICE Standards art. 5), NT$300 million for a SITE (SITE Standards art. 7), NT$200 million for a broker and NT$400 million for a dealer or underwriter (Securities Firm Standards art. 3, amended 18 July 2025), plus NT$30 million per branch - subscribed in full by the promoters at incorporation (SITCA art. 67).
What does a SICE need to run discretionary accounts?+
Paid-in capital of NT$50 million, or NT$70 million if it also operates futures advisory, under the Discretionary Regulations amended 24 December 2024; an operating bond of NT$10-25 million scaled to that capital; and a custodian institution holding the client's assets in the client's name.
How long does the FSC take?+
The SFB's processing table gives two months for the establishment permit and one month for the business licence; incorporation and the licence application must follow within six months of the permit, extendable by six months for a SICE. The Bureau publishes no processing statistics, so the file's completeness sets the real calendar.
Who can own a SITE?+
A company limited by shares whose promoters include a fund management institution, bank, insurer, securities firm or financial holding company subscribing at least 20% of the first issue (SITE Standards art. 8), with no shareholder holding more than 25% together with related parties (art. 9).
Is there an investor compensation scheme?+
Yes - the SFIPC protection fund pays when a securities or futures firm fails to settle through financial difficulty, up to NT$1.2 million per investor per firm and NT$1.2 billion per failed firm, pro rata above that, under article 21 of the Investor Protection Act.
How are Taiwanese investment firms taxed?+
20% corporate income tax since 2018, a 5% surtax on undistributed earnings and business tax at a 5% standard rate; the reduced financial-sector business tax, the dividend withholding rate and the securities transaction tax are confirmed per structure and stated in the quote.
Can a foreign group own the Taiwanese firm?+
The establishment Standards and the SITCA print no foreign-ownership ceiling for a securities firm, SITE or SICE, and the Standards carry a chapter on foreign securities firms opening a Taiwan branch - so the point is confirmed with the Bureau per case. There is no passport; offshore funds need FSC approval first (SITCA art. 16).
Taiwan or Japan for a new firm?+
Japan registers advisory with no capital minimum behind a ¥5 million deposit and investment management at ¥50 million (¥10 million for qualified investors), with FSA English-language support, at roughly 30% effective tax; Taiwan asks NT$20 million for a SICE, taxes at 20% and prints a two-plus-one-month table, in Chinese. Japanese households: Tokyo. The lighter capital line: Taipei.
Why Prifinance for Taiwan?+
We choose the enterprise against your real client book, form the company limited by shares with capital subscribed at incorporation and the bond lodged, and file a permit application the Bureau can process inside its two-month table - run from our Taipei office with Dubai behind it, and the Chinese-language layer carried for you.
What licence?+
SICE, SITE or securities firm.
Capital?+
NT$20m · NT$300m · NT$200-400m.
Discretionary?+
NT$50m, custodian.
How long?+
2 + 1 months, no stats.
SITE owners?+
20% institutional, 25% cap.
Compensation?+
NT$1.2m per investor.
Taxes?+
20%, 5% surtax.
Foreign owners?+
No published ceiling.
Or Japan?+
Deposit-only advisory vs NT$20m.
Why you?+
Filed inside the table.
Client notes
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