How to Get a Resident Visa for Taiwan

Thinking about relocating to Taiwan? You are going to need to get a Resident Visa.

The Taiwan Residence Visa is intended for foreigners coming to Taiwan for the following purposes:

• Join family
• Purse studies (Great information on the Taiwan student visa process is here)
• Undertake employment
• Invest
• Conduct missionary work
• Conduct official duties
• Participate in international exchange programs.

For the Taiwan Resident Visa, there is the “official visa information” and then there is the “unofficial visa information.”  The unofficial visa information is a lot more useful as it comes from the actual experiences of people who have been to Taiwan and have experienced the visa process first hand.

Let me start with the official information:

• For those interested in working in Taiwan, this page here is the authoritative website for Taiwan work permit information.

• The official online visa form is here.

• Also, don’t forget to check out the really useful flowchart on this page of the Taiwan Resident visa process from beginning to end.

Now the unofficial (but more useful) visa information:

It is recommended that visitors get a resident visa in their home country. It’s more expensive and a lot more complicated. Anyone coming to Taiwan to work can have their landing visa switched over to a residence visa when they get to Taiwan. Here’s a basic flowchart:

1. Arrive in Taiwan
2. Complete your health check
3. Pick your health check up one week later
4. Your new employer submits your documents and health check to the CLA (Council of Labor and Affairs) to apply for your work permit
5. Receive your work permit within two weeks
6. Apply for your ARC (Alien Residence Card) with the NIA (National Immigration Agency)
7. Pick your ARC up two weeks later.
8. That’s it. You’re a legal resident for one year.

Go to my Taiwan visa page for information on other types of visas for Taiwan.

Where to find your closest Taiwan consulate:

• If you’re inside the U.S., click here on this page to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) that services your State. Note that TECO has offices in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Guam, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
• If you’re outside of the U.S.: Click here, or also here.

***Special thanks to Carrie Kellenberger for her contributions to this page.  If you are looking at teaching English in Taiwan (or other countries for that matter), be sure to check out her website, ReachToTeachRecruiting.com.***

Further Reading

• Want Professional Visa Help? If you are a U.S. citizen and want professional help with getting a visa, check out my post on the 4 Best Travel Visa Services in the United States.

• Worldwide Moving Guide: Everything you need to know in order to plan your move to 65+ countries around the world.

• Find an Embassy or Consulate: Check my Worldwide Embassy and Consulate Finder to find the diplomatic representation nearest you.

• Worldwide Jobs Guide: Be sure to check out my posts on how to find jobs in any country in the world.

• Worldwide Dating Guide: Also, check out my posts on the best online dating sites in 60+ countries around the world.

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