• Font Size:
  • S
  • M
  • L

Relevant Laws

Title:Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation Rules Governing Review of Securities Listings (2023.09.05)
Article 5     Where the central authority in charge of the enterprise concerned has issued an unequivocal opinion certifying that the issuing company applying for the listing of its stock is a technology-based enterprise or a cultural and creative enterprise with market potential, and the said issuing company meets the criteria listed below, the TWSE will agree to list its stock:
  1. At the time it applies for listing, its paid-in capital is NT$300 million or more and the number of shares of its publicly offered and issued common stock is 20 million shares or more.
  2. (deleted)
  3. It is recommended in writing by the securities underwriter.
  4. Its net worth on its financial reports for the most recent quarter represents two-thirds or greater of the share capital stated on the financial report.
  5. The number of registered shareholders is 1,000 or more. Excluding company insiders and any juristic persons in which such insiders hold more than 50 percent of the shares, the number of registered shareholders is at least 500.
Article 6     Where the issuing company applying for the listing of its stock is an important enterprise involved in national economic reconstruction projects which has been recognized and certified in writing by the authority in charge of the enterprise concerned and meets the following requirements, the TWSE will agree to list its stock:
  1. It is incorporated under the encouragement of the government, and 50 percent or greater of the total number of its issued shares as of the date of its application is held jointly by the Central Government or by the local autonomy organization(s) at the level of province (or municipality under direct jurisdiction of Executive Yuan) designated by the Central Government and the juristic person(s) with 50 percent or greater of its capital fund is contributed by the Central Government or the local autonomy organization(s) designated by the Central Government.
  2. Its paid-in capital is NT$1 billion or more at the time when it applies for listing.
  3. The dispersion of share ownership meets the criteria set forth in subparagraph 4, Article 4 of these Rules.
Article 6-1     Where the issuing company applying for the listing of its stock is a private enterprise participating in major national public construction projects under encouragement of the government, where it has acquired the concession agreement for investment, construction, and operation approved by the Central Government, municipality under direct jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan, and the local autonomy organization(s) or the juristic person(s) with 50 percent or greater of its capital fund contributed by the Central Government, municipality under direct jurisdiction of Executive Yuan, or the local autonomy organization(s) and the certification issued by the said agency(ies), and where it meets the following requirements, the TWSE will agree to list its stock:
  1. The company is newly established for procurement of the concession agreement and its business items have been approved by the central authority in charge of the enterprise concerned.
  2. Its paid in capital is NT$5 billion or more at the time when it applies for listing.
  3. The total cost expected to be injected in the construction project at the time when the concession agreement is procured is NT$20 billion or more.
  4. The remaining term of the concession agreement is 20 years or more at the time when it applies for listing.
  5. Its directors, shareholders holding 5 percent or more of its total issued shares, or its shareholders or operators who make equity investment in the form of technical know-how and hold 0.5 percent or more of its total issued shares or 100,000 shares or more shall have the technical capability, financial means, and other necessary abilities as required for the completion of the concession agreement, and a certification issued by the agency approving the concession agreement has been obtained.
  6. The dispersion of share ownership meets the criteria set forth in subparagraph 4, Article 4 of these Rules.
Article 28-1     The TWSE may issue documentation evidencing listing approval of the application by a foreign issuer for a TWSE primary listing if that issuer meets all of the requirements listed below:
  1. It complies with regulations in connection with the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. However, if individuals, juristic persons, groups, or other institutions from the Mainland Area have direct or indirect shareholding or capital contribution exceeding 30 percent in, or effective control over, the foreign issuer, special-case permission shall be obtained from the competent authority.
  2. At the time it applies for listing, the applicant company or any of its controlled companies shall have an operational track record of three years or longer.
  3. The company scale meets one of the following criteria:
    1. At the time of application for listing, paid-in capital or net worth is NT$600 million or higher.
    2. At the time of listing, market capitalization is NT$1.6 billion or higher.
  4. Its cumulative profit before tax for the most recent three fiscal years is NT$250 million or higher, and its profit before tax for the most recent fiscal year is NT$120 million or higher, and it does not have any accumulated deficit.
  5. Its number of shareholders of record is 1,000 or more, and the number of shareholders other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding is no less than 500 and their total shareholdings constitute 20 percent or more of the total issued shares or not less than 10 million shares.
  6. An issuer listed in the food industry or whose income from catering business occupies at least 50 percent of its total operating revenue in the last fiscal year shall comply with the following:
    1. Establish a laboratory to engage in self-inspection.
    2. Deliver the raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products whose inspection is outsourced, to a laboratory or inspection institution certified or accredited by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan Accreditation Foundation or an institution engaged by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, for inspection.
    3. Request a reasonable opinion from an independent specialist on its food safety monitoring plan, inspection cycle, items for inspection etc.
  7. The number of shares planned to be listed and traded shall exceed 50 percent of the total number of its issued shares.
  8. It is recommended, in writing, by two or more securities underwriters.
    Where a foreign issuer applies for a TWSE primary listing of stock, if, for the foreign issuer or a company controlled by it contributing 50 percent of its overall operating revenue, there has been issued an unequivocal opinion by an R.O.C. competent authority of a target business in accordance with the business attributes of foreign issuer, or a TWSE-designated professional institution, indicating that the company is a technology enterprise or a cultural and creative enterprise with market potential, if the foreign issuer meets the requirements of the following subparagraphs, the TWSE may issue evidentiary documentation indicating its approval of the listing:
  1. It complies with the relevant provisions of the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. However, if individuals, juristic persons, groups, or other institutions from the Mainland Area have direct or indirect shareholding or capital contribution exceeding 30 percent in, or effective control over, the foreign issuer, special-case permission shall be obtained from the competent authority.
  2. At the time of the listing application, the applying company or the controlled company that is a technology enterprise shall have a business record of one full fiscal year or more.
  3. At the time of the listing application, the paid-in capital or net worth reaches NT$300 million or more, or the market capitalization reaches NT$800 million or more.
  4. At the time of the listing application, the net worth on the most current financial report audited and attested by a CPA is not lower than two-thirds of the capital stock, with proof that the company has operating capital sufficient for 12 months of operation following the listing. In the case of a foreign issuer whose shares have no par value or a par value other than NT$10, the issuer's net worth shall be not less than two-thirds of the sum of the share capital plus capital reserves minus original issue premium.
  5. Its number of shareholders of record is 500 or more, and the total shareholdings of the shareholders of record other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding constitute 20 percent or more of the total issued shares or not less than five million shares.
  6. The number of shares planned to be listed and traded shall exceed 50 percent of the total number of its issued shares.
  7. It is recommended by two or more securities underwriters.
    When a foreign issuer applies for a TWSE primary listing of stock, if its operating revenue derived from construction business as stated in the financial reports represents 20 percent or greater of its total operating revenue, or its gross profit from operations derived from construction business represents 20 percent or greater of its total gross profit, or its operating revenue or gross profit derived from construction business is more than that derived from other business items, during the most recent two fiscal years, it shall meet all of the requirements provided in Articles 16 and 17 herein, in which case, the TWSE may issue evidentiary documentation indicating its approval of the listing thereof; in the case of a foreign issuer whose shares have no par value or a par value other than NT$10, the requirement of Article 16, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2 shall be calculated on the basis of the net worth reaching NT$600 million or more.
    "Controlled company" in paragraphs 1 and 2 means any of the following circumstances:
  1. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer directly holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
  2. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer, indirectly through a subsidiary company, holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
  3. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer directly, or indirectly through a subsidiary, holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
  4. A company of which a foreign issuer directly or indirectly elects or appoints more than half of the directors for the board of directors.
    Where a foreign issuer applying for the primary listing of its stock has a market value of NT$5 billion or more and meets the criteria listed below, the TWSE will agree to list its stock:
  1. The issuer meets the conditions set forth in subparagraphs 1 and 2, item 1 of subparagraph 3 and subparagraphs 5 to 8 of the first paragraph.
  2. Its operating revenue in the most recent fiscal year exceeds NT$5 billion and is better than the previous fiscal year.
  3. Its cash flow from operating activities in the most recent fiscal year is positive.
  4. The net worth on the financial reports for the most recent quarter is not lower than two-thirds of the share capital identified in the financial report.
    Where a foreign issuer applying for the primary listing of its stock has a market value of NT$6 billion or more and meets the criteria listed below, the TWSE will agree to list its stock:
  1. The issuer meets the conditions set forth in subparagraphs 1 and 2, item 1 of subparagraph 3 and subparagraphs 5 to 8 of the first paragraph.
  2. Its operating revenue in the most recent fiscal year exceeds NT$3 billion and is better than the previous fiscal year.
  3. The net worth on the financial reports for the most recent quarter is not lower than two-thirds of the share capital identified in the financial report.
    The TWSE will agree to list the stock of a foreign issuer applying for the primary listing of its stock who shall meet the conditions in paragraph 1, subparagraph 3, item 2, or whose application is filed in accordance with the fifth paragraph or the preceding paragraph only if the value of the number of the securities to be listed and available for trading multiplied by the offering price for the price at which the security opens on its first day in the initial public offering has met the minimum requirement on the market value applicable to its application, except where its stock is already listed and traded on the GreTai Securities Market.
    If a foreign issuer is a professional investor and its purpose is to directly, or indirectly through a subsidiary company, control the operations of a held company or companies, 70 percent or more of that foreign issuer's net operating income in its consolidated financial statement shall be derived from a controlled company or companies.
Article 29     A domestic issuer that applies for the listing of stocks at the TIB must comply with the government’s industrial development strategies, have key core technologies and the ability to innovate or have an innovative operational model, and should meet the following qualifications:
  1. Years of establishment: Has been around for at least two years since its incorporation under the Company Act at the time of application for listing.
  2. Has issued 10 million or more shares at the time of application for listing.
  3. Market value and financial standards: Must meet one the following standards at the time of application for listing:
    1. Market value is NT$1 billion or more, total operating revenue as stated in the financial reports for the most recent four quarters is not less than NT$100 million and the applicant must prove it has the working capital sufficient for 12 months after listing in the market.
    2. For an applicant doing business in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, its market value is NT$2 billion or more, and it must prove it has not less than 125 percent of the working capital required for 12 months after listing in the market. If an applicant is developing new medicine, its core products must have passed stage 1 of a clinical trial.
    3. Market value is NT$4 billion or more, and the applicant must prove it has not less than 125 percent of the working capital required for 12 months after listing in the market.
  4. Dispersion of share ownership: The number of registered shareholders is 50 or more. Excluding company insiders and any juristic persons in which such insiders hold more than 50 percent of the shares, registered shareholders hold 5 percent or more of the total issued shares, or at least 5 million shares.
  5. An applicant listed in the food industry or with income from dining and beverage services exceeding 50 percent of its total operating revenues in the most recent fiscal year must meet the requirements in the following items:
    1. Establish a laboratory to engage in self-inspection.
    2. Deliver the raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products whose inspection is outsourced, to a laboratory or inspection institution certified or accredited by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan Accreditation Foundation or an institution engaged by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, for inspection.
    3. Request a reasonable opinion from an independent specialist on its food safety monitoring plan, inspection cycle, items for inspection etc.
  6. Recommended by 2 or more securities underwriters.
    A foreign issuer that applies for the listing of stocks at the TIB must meet, in addition to the requirements in the subparagraphs 2 to 6 of the preceding paragraph, the following qualifications:
  1. Meet the application regulations under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, provided that if the people, juristic persons, group or other institutions directly or indirectly own shares or invest in the issuer for more than 30 percent of its value, or have control over the issuer, it must obtain an approval from the competent authority on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Years of establishment: The applicant or any of its subordinate companies must have 2 or more years of business records.
  3. The inspection institution under item B of subparagraph 5 of the preceding paragraph may be replaced by a laboratory or inspection institution certified by the local competent authority, international certification institution or an institution appointed by its competent authority.
    The TWSE will agree to list its stock of a domestic issuer or a foreign issuer applying for the listing of its stock at the TIB in the preceding two paragraphs only if the value of the number of the securities to be listed and available for trading multiplied by the offering price for the price at which the security opens on its first day in the initial public offering has met the minimum requirement on the market value applicable to its application.
    A recommending securities underwriter should issue an evaluation opinion on the requirements on application for listing, i.e. compliance with the government’s industrial development strategies, key core technologies and the ability to innovate or an innovative operational model, in the first paragraph.
    The core products in item B of subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 means the biotechnological and pharmaceutical products that are the focus of a domestic issuer or foreign issuer in its engagement in development, application and commercialization of new drugs at the time of application for listing.
    Article 28-2, paragraph 1 applies mutatis mutandis to the definition of securities underwriter in subparagraph 6 of paragraph 1.
    Financial reports as referred to in this chapter shall be governed mutatis mutandis by Article 7, paragraphs 1 and 2 in the case of a domestic issuer, or by Article 28-3, paragraphs 3 and 4 in the case of a foreign issuer.