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Taiwan Employment Visa and Work Permit

You must possess all three of the following in order to work in Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China (ROC), if you are a foreign national:

1) A work permit from Taiwan that enables you to work

2)Taiwan Work Visa, which enables you to visit Taiwan in order to work there.

3) A Taiwan Residence Permit (also known as a “Alien Resident Certificate (ARC)”) that enables long-term habitation in Taiwan.

Not everyone can, however, just up and leave for Taiwan in the hopes of finding employment. Only a few types of workers are eligible to receive Taiwan work licenses from the Taiwanese government. Furthermore, you need to have a job offer in Taiwan before you can even apply for a Taiwan work visa.

Who Qualifies for a Taiwan Work Permit?

Only the following foreign professionals, per the Workforce Development Agency of the Taiwan Ministry of Labor, are permitted to work in Taiwan:

Specialized or Technical Workers in one of the following fields:

  • Civil Engineering or Practice of Architecture
  • Communications and Transportation
  • Tax and Financial Services
  • Practice of Real Estate Agency
  • Immigration Services
  • Practice of Attorneys, or of Patent Attorneys
  • Practice of Technicians
  • Health Care
  • Environmental Protection
  • Culture, Sports, and Recreation Services
  • Academic Research
  • Practice of Veterinarians
  • Manufacturing
  • Wholesales
  • Other fields as decided by the Central Governing Authority and the Central Competent Authorities
  • The Director or Manager of a business established or invested by an overseas Chinese national or a foreign national
  • School Teachers
  • Foreign Teachers in Cram Schools (full-time)
  • Sports Coaches or Athletes
  • Artists and Performing Artists
  • Contract Worker (construction, sale, technical cooperation etc)
In addition, if you find a job in any of the aforementioned sectors of employment, your salary cannot be lower than the average monthly salary determined by the central competent authority.

How to Apply for a Taiwan Work Permit?

Your employer is responsible for obtaining a Taiwan work permit on your behalf. They have two options for applying for your work permit:

  • By submitting the application in person at the Workforce Development Agency of the Ministry of Labor’s reception desk; or 

  • Online through the Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA) website (either in person or by registered mail).

Depending on your circumstances, after your company secures a Taiwan work permit on your behalf, you may:

  • If you are outside of Taiwan, you can either apply for a Taiwan work visa or a Taiwan resident permit (if you are already in Taiwan on a Visitor Visa)
  • School teacher work permit applications must be made at the Taiwan Ministry of Education, not the WDA.

What are the Requirements for a Taiwan Work Visa?

The following papers are required when applying for a Taiwan work visa:

  • 1) A printed and signed copy of the completed work visa application form.
  • 2) A pair of passport-size photos. Their background must be white and pattern-free. Without a border, the dimensions must be 35mm by 45mm.
  • 3) A passport with at least three blank pages and a minimum remaining validity of six months so that the visa can be attached.
  • 4) A recent three-month health certificate (original and photocopy). You must obtain a health certificate from a hospital designated by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Centers for Disease Control, or from a hospital in your own country, before you may apply for a Taiwan work visa. You must have a Taiwanese diplomatic mission legalize a health certificate you obtain from a non-Taiwanese hospital.
  • 5) A Taiwan work permit that is still valid for at least six more months, both original and photocopy.
  • 6) Any other paperwork related to your line of work.

 

This list of documents is not all-inclusive. On a case-by-case basis, the Taiwanese authorities may make any additional requests they deem necessary.

You must submit all of your documentation in either Chinese or English. If not, they must be translated by a certified translator and verified by a diplomatic mission representing Taiwan abroad.

How to Apply for a Taiwan Work Visa?

One of the varieties of Taiwan resident visas that are provided for extended stays is a work visa. There are two ways to apply for a Taiwan work visa:

  • In a Taiwanese diplomatic mission abroad (embassy, consulate, etc.).
  • In Taiwan, at any of the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ offices visiting a Taiwan diplomatic mission to apply for a work visa for Taiwan.

You must apply for a Taiwan work visa at a diplomatic mission representing Taiwan once your employer secures a work permit for you. The following is the application procedure:

  • Fill out the online Taiwan Work Visa Application Form. Sign it after printing.
  • Gather the necessary paperwork (see below).
  • Within 30 days of completing the online application, personally deliver the application form and supporting documentation to a Taiwanese diplomatic post.
  • From a dropdown menu, you must choose which diplomatic mission you wish to apply for when completing the application form.
  • You are free to apply at any mission, however it is recommended that you do so at the one in your own nation. Apply to the closest Taiwanese diplomatic mission if there isn’t one in your nation.
  • Attend to the processing of the Taiwan work visa.
  • If they deem it necessary, the diplomatic mission staff may also ask for an interview.
  • If they believe your application needs more investigation, they will forward it to the Taiwanese Bureau of Consular Affairs, who will advise them on their next course of action.
  • Get hold of your passport. Upon approval of your application, your visa will be attached to your passport.
  • Within 15 days of arriving in Taiwan, submit an application for a Taiwan resident permit at a local National Immigration Agency service centre.

Obtaining a work visa after having arrived in Taiwan

You do not need to leave Taiwan if you are already there with a visitor visa for work-related reasons (such as conducting business, making an investment, or looking for employment). The Bureau of Consular Affairs in Taiwan is where you can submit an application to convert your visitor visa into a resident work visa.

After your company issues a work permit, you must apply for the Taiwan Resident (Work) Visa at least 8 days before your visitor visa expires.

The National Immigration Agency’s local service centers must receive your application for a Taiwan resident permit within 15 days of the BOCA issuing your work visa.

Foreign workers' residence permits in Taiwan

Even while the Taiwan work permit and work visa allow you to enter the country and work, respectively, you are not permitted to stay in Taiwan for more than 90 days without a valid resident permit. An Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), often known as a resident permit for Taiwan, is required and can be obtained from a regional service center of the Taiwan National Immigration Agency.

The ARC is renewable and can be given out for one, two, or three years.

How long is a work visa for Taiwan valid?

The duration of the work visa is a maximum of three months. But if you want to work for a longer period of time, you need to obtain an ARC that is valid for one, two, or three years.

Can a Taiwan Work Visa be extended?

No, the Taiwan work visa itself cannot be extended. However, you must obtain an ARC that may be renewed if you plan to work in Taiwan for more than three months. The National Immigration Agency in Taiwan is where you must submit your application to renew an ARC at least 30 days before your existing one expires.

Taiwan Work Visa Fee

Cost of a Taiwan work visa

The following are the visa costs for Taiwan:

To apply at a diplomatic mission representing Taiwan:

  • US$66 for a single-entry resident visa
  • US$132 for a multiple-entry resident visa

 

Applying in Taiwan entails:

A resident visa costs NT$2,200 for a single entry and NT$4,400 for multiple entries.

You must pay a fee for both the Taiwan work visa and the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). The following are the costs for a Taiwan Alien Resident Certificate (ARC):

  • For one-year duration: NT$1,000
  • For two-year duration: NT$2,000
  • For a three-year duration: NT$3,000

You are qualified to apply for an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate if you have lived in Taiwan with an ARC for at least five years (during which time you must have spent at least 183 days there yearly). The APRC is perpetual, and you are not required to renew it.

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