Employment in Taiwan for Ukrainians

If you are a foreigner and wish to work in Taiwan, you must obtain all three of the following documents:

• A Taiwan work permit;
• Taiwan Work Visa, which allows you to travel to Taiwan for the purpose of employment;
• An Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), which allows you to reside in Taiwan for a long term.

However, not everyone can just move to Taiwan and get a job. The Taiwanese government issues work permits in Taiwan only to certain categories of workers. In addition, before you can apply for a work visa in Taiwan, you must receive a job invitation from an employer in Taiwan.

Who is eligible for a work permit in Taiwan?

According to the Manpower Development Agency of the Taiwan Ministry of Labor, only the following foreign professionals are eligible to work in Taiwan:

Specialized or technical workers in one of the following fields: construction and architecture workers, communications and transportation, tax and financial services, real estate agencies, immigration officers, lawyers, technicians, health and environmental workers, culture, sports and recreation services, academic research, veterinarians, manufacturing, wholesale sales, and Other fields as decided by the central government and central competent authorities.

Positions:

• Director or manager of an enterprise founded or invested by a foreign national;
• School teachers;
• Foreign teachers in schools (full-time);
• Sports coaches or athletes;
• Artists and performers;
• Employee under contract (construction, sales, technical cooperation, etc.).

How to apply for a work permit in Taiwan?

Your employer must obtain a work permit for you in Taiwan. They can apply for your work permit in one of the following two ways:

• Online, through the website of the Ministry of Labor's Workforce Development Agency (WDA); or
• By submitting an application at the Ministry of Labor's Workforce Development Agency (WDA) office (in person or by registered mail).

After your employer obtains a work permit on your behalf to work in Taiwan, depending on your situation, you can:

• Apply for a Taiwan work visa (if you are overseas); or
• Apply for a Taiwan residence permit (if you are already in Taiwan on a visitor visa).

*Work permit applications for school teachers must be obtained from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, not the WDA.

What are the requirements for a Taiwanese work visa?

When applying for a Taiwan work visa, you must have the following documents:

• A completed work visa application form, printed and signed.
• Two passport-size photographs taken within the last six months. They must have a white background without patterns. They must be 35 mm by 45 mm without a frame.
• Your passport, valid for at least another six months and containing at least three blank pages where you can insert a visa.
• A health certificate issued within the last three months (original and photocopy). Before applying for a work visa to Taiwan, you must obtain a health certificate from a hospital designated by the Center for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan or a hospital in your home country. If you obtain a health certificate from a non-Taiwanese hospital, it must be legalized at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission.
• Work permit in Taiwan (original and photocopy), valid for at least six months.
• Any additional documents relevant to your profession.

This is not an exhaustive list of documents. The Taiwanese authorities may request additional documents that they deem necessary in each case.

All documents you submit must be in English or Chinese. They must be translated by an official translator and certified by a foreign diplomatic mission of Taiwan.

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How to apply for a Taiwan work visa?

You can apply for a Taiwan work visa in one of two ways:

1. Abroad: at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission (embassy, consulate, etc.).
2. In Taiwan at the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) or any of its offices.

1. Apply for a Taiwan work visa at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission.

After your employer obtains a work permit for you, you must apply for a Taiwan work visa at a Taiwan diplomatic mission.

The application process is as follows:

• Fill out the Taiwan work visa application form online. Print it out and sign it.
• Collect the required documents.
• Submit the application form and documents to the Taiwanese diplomatic mission in person within 30 days after completing the online application.
• When you fill out the application form, you will need to choose which diplomatic mission you are applying to from the drop-down menu.
• There is no Taiwanese consulate in Ukraine, so the visa can only be obtained through a diplomatic mission in a neighboring country.
• Wait for your work visa to be issued for Taiwan.
• The staff of the diplomatic mission may also invite you for an interview if they deem it necessary.

Important! After entering Taiwan, apply for a residence permit in Taiwan at the local service center of the National Immigration Agency within 15 days.

Important!

Visit World recommends using the Work Guide for Taiwan for a comfortable and safe trip. 

The guide is a detailed written document that contains basic tips on visa, border crossing, employment, citizenship, and much more. For more details, please follow the link.

2. Apply for a work visa when you are already in Taiwan.

If you are already in Taiwan with a visitor visa for employment purposes (e.g., business, investment, job search), you do not need to leave the country to apply for a resident visa. You can apply to convert your visitor visa to a resident work visa at the Taiwan Consular Office.

You must apply for a Taiwan resident (work) visa after your employer receives your work permit and at least 8 days before your guest visa expires.

Important! After the BOCA issues your work visa, you must apply for a residence permit in Taiwan at a local service center of the National Immigration Agency within 15 days.

How long is a Taiwan work visa valid for?

The work visa itself is valid for a maximum of three months. However, if you intend to work longer, you must obtain an ARC, which is issued for one, two or three years.

Can you extend your Taiwanese work visa?

No, you cannot extend the Taiwan work visa itself. However, if you will be working in Taiwan for longer than three months, you must obtain an ARC, which is renewable. You must apply for an ARC extension at least 30 days before your current one expires at the National Migration Agency of Taiwan.

Business visa

A foreign entrepreneur visa is an attractive option for foreign investors for the following reasons:

• It enables them to open a business within one year of arriving in Taiwan, meaning you don't need to set up a business in advance.
• You will receive an initial 1-year residence permit with multiple entries.
• If your business is successful, you can extend your entrepreneur visa to Taiwan.
• Up to three team members can apply together.

However, to obtain an entrepreneur visa for Taiwan, you and your team members, if any, must meet certain eligibility criteria.

Who is eligible for a Taiwan Entrepreneur Visa?

You can only apply for an entrepreneur visa in Taiwan if you meet one of the following requirements:

• You have received a venture capital investment or international fundraising of more than NT$2 million.
• You have obtained patent rights or a certificate of professional skills.
• You have obtained a residence permit in an incubator or recognized innovation park in Taiwan.
• You have won an award in a leading startup or design competition or participated in a foreign entrepreneurship project.
• You are (or have been) a member of a startup accelerator recognized by Taiwan.
• Your company or a person who is the head of your company has been awarded or nominated at a film festival.
• You have received a government innovation subsidy of at least NT$3 million. NT$ from the central government or 1 million NT$ from the local government. NT$1 million from the local government.
• You have established an enterprise with innovative potential in Taiwan and act as its legal representative, manager or director with an investment of at least NT$1 million.
• You have innovative potential as determined by the Taiwanese government.

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Visa requirements for entrepreneurs in Taiwan.

When you apply for an entrepreneur visa in Taiwan, you must have several supporting documents, such as

• A completed entrepreneur visa application form, printed and signed.
• Two passport-size photos taken within the last six months. They must have a white background without patterns. The dimensions should be 35 mm by 45 mm without a frame.
• Your passport, valid for at least another six months and containing at least three blank pages where you can insert a visa.
• If you have received a venture capital investment or international fundraising:

  - a letter of investment commitment or any other proof of investment signed by you and the relevant venture capital firm;

 - registration documents of the venture capital firm or any other documents confirming the legality of the venture;

  - documents confirming receipt of the investment.

• If you have patent rights or a certificate of professional skills

 - a patent certificate issued by the relevant agency in Taiwan or a foreign agency;

• If you are allowed to reside in an incubator or a recognized innovation park in Taiwan:

  - proof of a cooperation agreement signed by both parties

• If you have won an award in a leading startup or design competition or participated in a foreign entrepreneurship project:

  - proof of the award certificate you received from the relevant agency

• If you are establishing an enterprise with an investment of at least NT$1 million:

  - company registration documents and the relevant permit

  - an investment authorization letter with proof of the amount of investment.

• If you have won an award or been nominated at a film festival:

  - Confirmation of the Award of Excellence certificate

Any other documents that are required from you, related to your business or otherwise.

How to apply for an entrepreneur visa for Taiwan?

Depending on where you are located, there are two possible ways to apply for a Taiwan entrepreneur visa:

1. Abroad, at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission.
2. In Taiwan, at a consular bureau or any of its offices.

Applying from abroad and in Taiwan looks the same:

The application process is as follows:

• Fill out the online Taiwan visa application form, print and sign.
• Collect the required documents.
• Submit the documents and the application form to the Taiwanese diplomatic mission. If you are already in Taiwan, go to the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) or any of its offices.

After arriving in Taiwan, you have 15 days to apply for a residence permit (ARC) at the National Immigration Agency.

What is the validity period of a Taiwan entrepreneur visa?

When you first obtain an entrepreneur visa for Taiwan, you will receive a 1-year residence permit. After the first year, during which you have to establish your business, you can apply for an extension of your ARC, provided that you meet the extension criteria.

Taiwan entrepreneur visa extension

After the end of the first year, you can renew your Taiwan entrepreneur visa (technically, your permanent residence permit) for two more times, each of which will be valid for a maximum of two years.

You can apply for a Taiwan entrepreneur visa extension if you meet one of the following conditions:

• In the previous year, your business made a profit of at least NT$3 million.
• Or, if you are renewing for the second or third time, the average annual revenue for the last three years will be at least NT$3 million.
• Your business's operating expenses for the last year (or the average annual expenses for the last three years) are at least NT$1 million.
• Your company has at least three full-time Taiwanese employees.

You can otherwise demonstrate that your company is making a positive contribution to Taiwan's economic development.

If you fulfill any of these conditions, you can apply for an extension of your ARC at least 40 days before your current one expires at the National Migration Agency.

Residence permit in Taiwan for foreign workers and entrepreneurs.

Although a work permit or business visa in Taiwan allows you to work and conduct business, you cannot stay in Taiwan for longer than 90 days unless you have a valid residence permit. A residence permit in Taiwan is called an alien residence permit (ARC) and must be obtained from the local center of the Taiwan National Migration Agency.

The ARC can be issued for one, two or three years and can be extended.

If you have been residing in Taiwan with an ARC for at least five years (of which you must have been in Taiwan for at least 183 days per year), you are eligible to apply for an Alien Permanent Residence Card (APRC). APRC has no expiration date and you do not need to renew it.