A Taiwan police criminal-record certificate can state that no record appears even though its holder has a criminal judgment. The law expressly omits specified outcomes. Read the judgment and the certificate together before describing the case on an employment, licensing or immigration form.
The certificate is called 警察刑事紀錄證明, often 良民證. Article 3 of the governing Act defines it by reference to final criminal judgments and execution information. Its scope is limited. It does not narrate every arrest, investigation or court event.
The original sentence matters
Article 6 specifies records that are not entered on the certificate. Several are particularly relevant after a minor case:
| Outcome | Certificate rule |
|---|---|
| A suspended sentence that has not been revoked | Omitted |
| A sentence of short-term detention, 拘役, or a criminal fine | Omitted |
| Imprisonment converted to a fine, or service completed under Criminal Code Article 41(2) | The five-year condition in Article 6(7) must be satisfied |
That final condition requires completed execution and no further sentence of imprisonment or a more severe punishment within the following five years. It is not a general rule that every conviction disappears after five years. Article 6 also contains other categories, including qualifying juvenile records, exemption from punishment or its execution, and penalties abolished by law.
Paying money does not identify which row applies. A court may have imposed a fine directly, or imposed imprisonment later converted to payment. Check the operative part of the judgment and the execution-completion document. An English summary calling both outcomes “a fine” loses a distinction that affects the certificate.
Omission and issuance are different questions
Article 8 provides that a certificate is not issued while an uncanceled wanted notice remains, or where execution of a final criminal case has not begun or is ongoing. The police must notify the applicant of the reason in writing. They also provide a written reconsideration route supported by evidence.
Accordingly, an omission category should not be treated as permission to ignore an unfinished execution obligation. If a payment has been completed but the record has not caught up, keep the official receipt and completion evidence for verification.
Does deferred prosecution count as a conviction? It is a prosecutor’s disposition under a separate procedure, not a final court conviction. Preserve the disposition and proof of completion nonetheless. When a form asks about investigations or dispositions as well as convictions, the certificate’s wording alone does not answer that broader question. The deferred-prosecution article explains why its terms and dates matter.
Applying from Taiwan or the United States
People with a present or past Taiwan residence or visit record can apply under Article 4. The application goes to a city or county police department. An authorized representative must provide a power of attorney.
The National Police Agency’s current application guidance directs foreign nationals to an authorized police counter and lists a passport, ARC or APRC as identification. Its current MyData online application route is limited to Taiwan nationals with household registration. An older account of an online route should not replace the current eligibility instructions.
For applicants overseas, the same guidance describes a postal application to the Taipei City Police Department’s Foreign Affairs Division using authenticated or notarized identity-document copies, the application, the stated overseas fee and a return-address envelope. Follow its overseas section and confirm document and payment requirements with that office before mailing. Do not send an irreplaceable passport merely because a general application paragraph mentions original identification.
Police ordinarily must issue the certificate within three working days starting the day after acceptance under Article 5, except where judicial or military judicial inquiries are needed. Overseas postage and a records inquiry can add time. Allow for both.
Correcting an inaccurate certificate
Under Article 7, an applicant may submit a written request with supporting documents to the police department that issued the certificate. If its contents do not match the facts, correction is required; if they do match, the department must notify the applicant that it will not change them.
A factual correction request is different from asking police to delete an accurate conviction because it is inconvenient. The omission provisions govern the certificate’s contents; they do not direct destruction of the underlying judgment. Keep the case number, final judgment, any suspension or revocation decision and execution-completion proof so the issuing office can check the precise result.
Official sources
- Article 3 of the governing Act
- Article 6
- Article 8
- Article 4
- National Police Agency’s current application guidance
Checked: October 8, 2026. Chinese statutory text controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does a blank Taiwan police certificate prove I was never convicted?
- No. Article 6 requires specified records to be omitted. The certificate must be understood together with the judgment and the question asked by the receiving authority.
- Is imprisonment converted to a fine omitted immediately?
- It is different from a fine imposed as the original sentence. Article 6(7) requires completed conversion or qualifying Article 41(2) service and no further sentence of imprisonment or a more severe punishment within five years after completion. Verify the outcome and dates from official case documents.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice on any individual matter.
