How to get a Visa for Taiwan – Index
- Do you need a visa to visit Taiwan?
- How to obtain a visitor’s visa
- How to obtain a student visa for Taiwan
- How to obtain a work permit and a resident’s visa
- How to obtain a visa when I’m already in Taiwan
- How to get a family reunification visa
- How to get a permanent resident certificate (APRC)
- Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Taiwan?
It depends!
If you have a passport from a country belonging to the European Union, or an Icelandic, Israeli, Japanese, New Zealand, Norwegian, Swiss, or American passport, or a passport from Liechtenstein or the Principality of Monaco, then you can enter Taiwan without a visa and stay for a maximum of 90 consecutive days.
If you have an Australian, Canadian, Korean, Malaysian or Singaporean passport you can enter Taiwan without a visa and stay for a maximum of 30 consecutive days.
Even if you don’t need a visa, to enter Taiwan you must still satisfy the following requirements:
- Own a passport that is valid for at least six months.
- Own a return-trip air ticket.
- Have a clean police record in Taiwan.
Those with an Indian, Thai, Filipino, Indonesian, or Vietnamese passport that have a resident’s permit or a valid visa for Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand or Australia can enter Taiwan without a Taiwanese visa and stay for a maximum of 30 consecutive days so long as they meet the criteria listed above and possess an Authorization Certificate, that can be requested online at Taiwanese Immigration Office web site.
How to obtain a visitor’s visa (tourist or business)
If you own a passport for a country that I haven’t already listed or if you would like to stay in Taiwan for a period longer than the exemption (from 30 to 90 days) then you must apply for a visa at a Taiwanese consulate or office of representation (you’ll find the entire list here). These visas are granted to those who come to Taiwan for tourism, business, schooling, work, marriage or family reunification.
A visitor’s visa lasts between 15 to 90 days (depending on your home country). So long as it does not contain the wording “No extension”, it may be able to be renewed another two times in Taiwan, for a maximum length of 180 days.
Here are the necessary documents:
- A copy of the application form, that you must fill out online at site of consular affairs of Taiwan, print and sign.
- Two recent photos (passport format).
- The passport and a photocopy of it (valid for a period of at least six months).
- A letter from the company you work for (necessary only for business visas).
- Any other document they might ask of you.
A visitor visa costs 50 USD (160 if you own an American passport), is issued within one business day and expires if it is not used within 90 days of the date of issue.
It is also possible to apply for a multiple visa with a maximum length of 60 days for every entry. That visa costs 100 USD (160 if you have an American passport).
Taipei’s skyline
Student visa: Necessary requirements
These are the necessary documents to apply for a student visa in Taiwan:
- A copy of the application form, which you must fill out online at Web site for Taiwanese consular affairs, print and sign.
- Two recent photos (passport format).
- Your passport along with a photocopy of it (valid for a period of at least six months).
- A copy of your airline ticket.
- An admission certificate issued from a linguistic center affiliated with a university or from an institute accredited by the Taiwanese Ministry of Education. You would then be able to enter Taiwan without a visa and stay for 90 consecutive days.
- A study plan.
- A bank statement or another document that proves that you have the economic ability to provide for yourself in Taiwan.
The visa allows you to stay in Taiwan for 60 days (but may be renewed while there), costs 50 USD (160 if you have an American passport), is issued within one business day and expires if not used within 90 days from the date of issue.
If you intend to stay for a maximum of 180 days, you can renew your visa two times (so long as you remain enrolled in the school). If instead you intend to remain more than 180 days, apply for a resident visa (and an Alien Resident Card, ARC). The resident visa and ACR can be requested beginning with your 121st day in Taiwan on your student visa.
Important: while in the past it was possible to obtain a student visa and stay in Taiwan also for long periods without going to school, today it is no longer possible: to get – and renew – a tourist visa, you must enroll in a course of at least 15 hours a week. If you skip 11 or more hours of lessons in a month, the immigration office will refuse to renew your visa.
Here are the necessary documents to renew your student visa:
- Document of enrollment from the school.
- Document showing the hours you were in class the month before renewal.
- Document showing the hours you were in class the month of the renewal (necessary only if you are renewing your visa after the fifteenth of the month).
- Passport and photocopy of the passport.
How can I get a work permit, a resident Visa and an ARC?
We’ve already seen how one can get a resident visa and an ARC (Alien Resident Card, or the document that allows you to enter and exit Taiwan without needing other visas, to live there, to enter the national health system, etc) as a student. If however you intend to work in Taiwan, the procedure is a bit different.
In particular you must arrive in Taiwan (for example on a visitor or work visa, for which an invitation is necessary), find a job, get a work permit (which you must get from your Taiwanese employer, how it goes in China), get permission to live in Taiwan long-term (or a resident visa, which again would come through your employer) and, lastly, obtain an ARC (which you can apply for at the immigration office once you have your work permit and resident visa). Many foreigners come to Taiwan to teach foreign languages.
Important: The only way to legally work in Taiwan is to have a work permit. As was already mentioned, it is your employer that must request the permit, presenting their business license, your contract, your resume and your passport to the Labor Department. To get the permit requires several weeks, and until you get it, you can’t work.
If you found work before coming to Taiwan (perhaps you found it on the internet) you can ask your employer to request your permit right away so that it will be ready when you get there. In this case you can begin working right away.
One last note: a work permit is valid only for the company that has requested it. In the event that you wish to change jobs, you must first find a new employer that will request another permit on your behalf.
Can I get a visa while I’m already in Taiwan?
Yes, in certain circumstances it is possible to come to Taiwan without a visa, obtain a work permit and apply for a visitor visa. When applying for your ARC you must however change your visa (from a visitor visa to a resident visa).
Joint Family Residence Visa (JFRV)
If you are married to a Taiwanese resident you can apply for a Joint Family Residence Visa (JFRV). If more than simply living in Taiwan, your wife (or your husband) is also a Taiwanese citizen, then the JFRV also gives you permission to work.
Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC)
If you manage to keep your ARC for five continuous years (as an employee, not as a student) or your JFRV, then you may get an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC). This document will allow you to reside in Taiwan and work at your leisure without requiring an employer to sponsor you.
Frequently asked questions
A return ticket
Business people need an invitation letter
Your passport (it needs to be valid during your stay in Taiwan)
A passport size photo in digital version
Bank statements might be asked for, to prove that you can finance your stay
A copy of your passport’s main page
A proof of your accommodation (for example hotel booking confirmation or a written letter from a person who invites you in Taiwan)
If you’re from mainland China and want to travel to Taiwan ROC, you need to have a so called ‘Entering into Taiwan Permit for Chinese’ or a ‘Free travel permit in Taiwan for Chinese’. The expiration is 15 days.
Photo Credits: 
Passport21 by Ken Mayer
Taipei 101 Skyscraper by Jennifer 真泥佛
Hallo, do i need a visa if I’m a South african with a 1 year working permit currently in China and only want to visit Taiwan for 3 days?
Probably you need a visa, but you can check in the Taiwan immigration office website
Thank you for answering, however later I realized it was not the Visitor Visa I meant. The one I meant was the Visa-Exempt entry (that for example many EU countries have access to).
You’ll find the answear in the article
Hello,
Thank you for the article. My question is: is it possible to enter Taiwan on a Visitor Visa, get a work permit inside Taiwan, and then change the visa status to a Resident employment visa?
Thanks!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello David, what we know it’s on the article!
If i get student visa for internship for 6 months at taiwan from india, can i extended my stay for another 6 months or more. what should i do in this case ?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi, I suggest you to ask this question to the visa office
how about only 4 days to visit taiwan,,,if there nessesry a questionble for that sir and mam
If you only visit Taipei could be enough. We will publish a guide soon
If you’re a foreigner with working in Taiwan with a resident’s visa, can you visit the mainland without needing a tourist visa?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
As far as I know, the 2 things aren’t related at all
hi, i am from a holder of a ghana passport and wish to visit taiwan for a week. what are the requirement for a ghanaian passport holder?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
We have no idea. Please ask this to the Consular Office where you plan to apply
Savvy blog post , I Appreciate the information . Does anyone know where my company can access a fillable CA CDE B1-1 example to fill out ?
This post have nothing to do with getting a working permit in California
Nice article Furio Fu.
I want to ask question to make sure, im indonesian people who studying in Japan i have japan visa as a student. Do i need a visa for travelling to Taiwan ?
Thank you..
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
sorry but I have no idea
Hey man. Love your website.
I’m studying a Undergraduate degree via Distance with a University in New Zealand. With this as a New Zealander I receive a weekly allowance roughly NTD $21,204 per month. As I wont be seeking work and only studying, and I will be receiving weekly funds and have significant savings. Do you believe that I could apply for and receive an ARC? This would allow me to have a bank account, sign a rental lease and not have to do VISA runs every 90 days.
Cheers,
Benjamin
PS I am studying International AgriBusiness and Chinese.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Benjiamin, honestly I have no idea… I think the best you can do is to ask to the human resource department at your school
Hi there – thanks for putting together all this info – it’s really useful.
Do you know if there are any restrictions which prevent you simply leaving and re-entering Taiwan every 90 days using the visa exemption you described at the beginning of the article? I’m a UK citizen.
Many thanks!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Not sure!
Hi, i am a malaysian, i understand that i have 30 days visa free to be in Taiwan. But if i wish to stay longer, can i apply for a visa so that i can stay for another 30 days. Tqvm for your help.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I guess you can, ask to the Taiwanese visa office!
I am living in Japan now. I have residence card 6 months valid extendable . Can I travel taiwan with out visa . I am refugee in Japan
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
given your situation, we have no idea
If your nationality is not in the list of free entry visa, you can’t travel without getting a visa
Does Taiwan allow our company staff from “India or Bangladesh” to work in Taiwan. We have a factory in Taiwan and Malaysia too but need to transfer our employee there. What type of visa is easiest to apply. Is not expat staff but experience factory employee
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
We don’t have this kind of info for each country. You shall contact official sources
You should apply for a working visa
Hello, just thought you might be able to pitch in your thoughts on my situation.
I’m Vietnamese with a Resident Card in Japan, and I’m planning to visit Taiwan for 3 days before heading back to Vietnam. The Taiwanese Immigration website says I do not need to get a visa to visit Taiwan, and that I only need to get the Travel Authorization Certificate, because I possess a Japanese Resident Card. However on their website it also says that ‘working visa not included’ – on my Japanese Resident Card, it says my status as an Instructor.
Do you think the Taiwanese immigration will consider my Resident Card (it is essentially one, and that’s how the Japanese call it) as a Resident Card, and not a working permit/work visa, because it serves the same purpose to the Japanese immigration/government? I hope you can help me out. Thanks in advance!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
your question is too specific, I suggest you talk with the taiwanese immigration office
Hi I am a South African national living in mainland China. I have a residence permit valid for the next 18 months how would I go about getting the relevant permissions to visit taiwan. Does the residence permit allow me to apply for anow entry and exit permit
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I dont think the two things are connected.
If you want go to Taiwan, you need a visa for taiwan, not China!
Hi Darren, I have the exact same problem! I live and work as an english teacher in China and want to visit Taiwan. I found your question here(see it is dated 2016). May I ask how you managed to get a visa for Taiwan in the end? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Is there any taiwan consulate or embassy where can apply a tourisr visa? I am a philippine passport holder working in Beijing. I need to know what are the documents do i need to prepare. Your kind help is much appreciated.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I don’t think there is a Taiwanese Consular office in China…
We are in the same boat, my friend. The only difference is that I’m Brazilian and I’m living in Shanghai instead. Taiwan situation is so fucked up that it is actually a hard thing to get a visa and go there. They have really few offices around the world where a visa can be issued, and Mainland China is not one of those places. I have researched a lot lately about the matter and it really seems the only solution is to go to Hong Kong and apply there. However, if I have to go to HK for a visa, I might as well just stay there instead of going to Taiwan. I have been trying to find agencies that could do the paperwork for me so I would not have to go to HK, but up until now I got nothing. I would be very pleased if you could share your present and future findings on this matter here, for it would help me a lot. Cheers!
Hi Raphael. Read your post. Hope from 2016 you managed to make it to taiwan. Not a lot of information available online. About this. Did you succeed? I’m trying to get to taiwan in 2019 and hopefully you could assist me with how you eventually managed to get there?
I’ve already served 12 yrs. Workung as a factory worker in taiwan but my boss asked me if there’s still another way to senr me back ti work inspite of 12 yrs limit of an overseas contract worker, thanks!.
How can I get visit visa to Taiwan , I’m in Pakistan no embassy here , can send all the requirements to the Hong Kong office ?
Please answer
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, you shall contact the Taiwanese consular office in Hong Kong (not sure they have one there) or another country in order to get a certain answer
How much is the price of working permit for Taiwan when applying in TECO bangkok?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, ask in Bangkok, we don’t know these details.