Initial Certification Process

FPAT will accept applications after the test results are released in May and November every year. Applicants will need to apply online from the website of FPAT, and upload the supporting documents in electronic format. Please stay tuned with the latest certification information and detailed schedule.

AFP Certificate –  Initial Certification Requirements

1. Provide correct personal information and a valid AFP test score.
2. Must have a proof of 1-year work experience which should be within 10 years before the exam date or within 5 years after completion of the exam , or proof of current employment at a financial institution. Only the proof of employment or resignation issued by a legally registered company is acceptable.
3. Adhere to the code of ethical principles
   (1) Applicants will be required to disclose whether they are involved in past or current lawsuits or other cases under investigation. They must agree to abide by AFP code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice and cooperate with FPAT for credit check by completing a written statement of AFP code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice.
   (2) Applicants should provide a letter of recommendation from professionals recognized by FPAT (limited to those who hold valid CFP® certificates, valid AFP certificates, or are lawyers, accountants and supervisors of their organization).
4. Comply with the AFP Regulations on Authorized Trademark Usage.
5. Apply to become a member of FPAT.
6. Pay the initial AFP certification fee: NT$4,000 (including membership fee of NT$ 2,000 and certification fee of NT$ 2,000; the annual membership fee for the first year is included).

CFP® Certification – Initial Certification Requirements

1. Provide correct personal information and a valid CFP® test result.
2. At least 3 years of “work experience” approved by FPAT.
   (1) Approved work experience includes working as professionals who have supervised personal financial planning, assisting in personal financial planning consulting or personally participating in personal financial planning, and teaching personal financial planning (at university level or above and training institutes authorized by FPAT only).
   (2) Approved work experience refers to jobs that involve physical  contact with clients for consulting services. For example, “teaching experience for financial planning-related courses” and “supervising personal financial planning as financial professionals”, direct client engagement is not required. Backoffice work experience will not be approved.
   (3) The review of work experience lies in the work and profession itself. If the work related to financial planning is not a full-time work, the proportion of the actual hours physically spent with clients on financial planning should be calculated.
   (4) Conversion of years of experience in teaching financial planning: 6 hours per week with a total of 18 weeks can be recognized as half a year of work experience. If the above condition is not met, their work experience will be estimated proportionally. FPAT may accept 2 years maximum of work experience in teaching financial management-related courses at universities, and the professionals must accumulate the third year of teaching experience at a training institute recognized by FPAT.
   (5) The work experience should be within 10 years before the exam date or within 5 years after completion of the exam. One year before the first application, candidates should have at least 6 months of work experience.
   (6) Only a proof of employment or resignation issued by a legally registered company is acceptable. For teaching proof, the professional who give lecture should submit the proof of teaching, course syllabus and other relevant materials.
3. Adhere to the Code of Ethics
   (1) Applicants will be required to disclose whether they are involved in past or current lawsuits or other cases under investigation. They must agree to abide by AFP code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice and cooperate with FPAT for credit check by completing a written statement of AFP code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice
   (2) Applicants should provide a letter of recommendation from professionals recognized by FPAT (limited to valid CFP® certificants, lawyers and accountants).
4. Comply with the CFP® Regulations on Authorized Trademark Usage.
5. Academic Qualifications:
   (1) Hold a university degree or is eligible to sit  for exams intended for first-year postgraduate students or graduates with equivalent academic levels (please refer to the Standards for Recognition of Equivalent Educational Levels for University Admission by the Ministry of Education..)
   (2) High school or vocational students may be able to apply for the CFP® certification if they have passed the CFP® exam, obtained a college diploma, and had at least 4 years of financial planning related work experience or had an employee certificate. They will not be constrained to the rule that requires them to leave school for more than 2-3 years after obtaining a college diploma.
6. Pay the CFP® initial certification fee: NT$ 8,000.

Notification of CFP®/AFP Certification Process Result

1. For those who have passed the certification review: a certificate will be issued. It is valid for 2 years and needs to be renewed regularly. Certificants may use the trademark within the valid period of the certificate.
2. For those who have not passed the certification review: if candidates do not meet the requirements for work experience specified in the certification process, and cannot be granted the certificate, the applicant can submit other supporting documents of work experience for further review or apply again within 5 years of the validity after satisfying the requirements for certification.

CFP®/AFP Renewal Process

Certificants need to renew their certificate every 2 years (based on the expiration date of the certificate). Those who have not renewed the certificate after the expiration date cannot claim to be the holder of the certificate and cannot use the trademark. They can apply for renewal within 5 years upon the expiration date. Those who fail to renew the certificate will be disqualified and must sit for and pass the AFP test again before they can participate in the certification process again.

1. Application period for certificate renewal: 2 months before and 15 days after the expiration date of the certificate. Candidates need to log in the official website of FPAT to apply. Those whose certificates have expired can apply any time.
2. View and update personal contact information and authorization for disclosure of personal information.
3. The hours of continuous professional development and renewal fee should meet the renewal requirements:
   (1)Overview of approved credits of continuous professional development

For CFP® certificate renewal:

Hours of discipline and ethics courses held by FPAT included
*Note 1:
Hours of Renewal:
The hours of exam-based continuing education should at least reach 50% for renewal.
The hours of continuing education should cover all of the following five categories:
1. Financial planning 2. Risk management and insurance planning 3. Employee benefits and retirement planning 4. Investment 5. Tax & estate planning

*Note2: those who pay NT$ 4,500 can attend events held by FPAT twice for free during the period of the certificate validity. Those who pay more than NT$ 4,500 can attend as many events upon successful registration as they like for free.

For AFP certificate renewal:

The annual membership fee is NT$ 2,000. For those who have been suspended of membership due to failure to pay the annual membership fee upon renewal, they can only renew their certificate after paying the membership fee.

Hours of discipline and ethics courses held by FPAT included
*Note:
Hours of Renewal:
The hours of exam-based continuing education should at least reach 50% for renewal.
The hours of continuing education should cover all of the following five categories:
1. Financial planning 2. Risk management and insurance planning 3. Employee benefits and retirement planning 4. Investment 5. Tax & estate planning

4. Statement of code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice.
5. Comply with the Regulations on Authorized Trademark Usage.
6. If the above-mentioned renewal information is incomplete or does not meet the requirements, and if certificants fail to submit the required documents/ information after being notified by FPAT, the renewal of the certificate will be deemed as incomplete. 
7. Certificate delivery time: FPAT will complete the review of the documents required for certificate renewal before the 25th of each month and send the new certificate that has been successfully renewed before the 30th of each month (or one day later if it is a holiday).

For more information, please refer to the “Trademark Usage Guidelines” and “Certification Renewal Policy” in the ”Download” section.

To inquire about the results of the certification/ renewal process, please log in the official website of FPAT.