What You Need to Know About the Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa

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Launched in 2018, the Taiwan digital nomad visa is not strictly an official digital nomad program. Known as the Taiwan Employment Gold Card, it offers a similar set of benefits to remote work-focused visas. The Gold Card offers international remote workers the opportunity to live and work in Taiwan for between one and three years with plenty of added benefits. From the minimum income requirements to the special expertise criteria requested by the state, find out everything you need to know about the Taiwan digital nomad visa in our guide to remote working in Taiwan.

READ MORE: How to Get a Digital Nomad Visa

What is the Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa?

Although Taiwan does not technically offer a dedicated digital nomad visa, similar documentation—known as the Taiwan Employment Gold Card can be used by remote workers. Successful applicants are able to live and work in Taiwan for between one and three years. However, unlike most remote working visas, the Taiwan Employment Gold Card offers holders the option to either work for one (or more) Taiwanese companies or to start their own company in the country. This is a massive benefit for those serious about spending a large chunk of time in Taiwan.

Nurall's global digital nomad guide showcases the complete list of all countries currently offering a digital nomad visa.

Why is the Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa Better Than a Tourist Visa?

The Taiwan Employment Gold Card offers a range of additional benefits over a traditional tourist visa for those visiting. The length of time that visitors can stay is always a big talking point of digital nomad visas and the Taiwan Gold Card is no different. Successful applicants are able to spend between one and three years living and working in the country. This offers fantastic confidence for those looking to move to Taiwan in contrast to the tourist visa, of which a maximum stay (renewed in Taiwan) of 180 days is permitted.

Perhaps the most valuable benefit of the Gold Card over the tourist visa is the right to work for Taiwanese companies whilst living within the borders. This means freelancers are able to work for multiple companies in Taiwan whilst entrepreneurs can start their own businesses.

Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

The Taiwan Employment Gold Card is open to only some and a series of requirements must be met by all prospective applicants. Unlike most other available nomad visas, applicants must be classed as a special professional that possesses special expertise needed by the state. At the time of writing, there are eight different fields considered by Taiwan immigration (as listed below). The following criteria must be satisfied by all applicants:

Valid Passport: The applicant's passport must be valid for the entire visa duration
$160,000 TWD Minimum Monthly Income: Applicants must prove a minimum income of at least $160,000 TWD per month. This can be completed by providing bank statements.
Work in One of Eight Fields: Architecture, Culture & Arts, Economy, Education, Finance, Law, National Defense, Science & Technology, or Sport.

How to Apply

The Taiwan Employment Gold Card is among one of the most difficult digital nomad visas to apply for—in no small part due to the strict nature of the requirements. Here's how to take it step by step.

Step 1: Collect all Necessary Documents

The first step when applying for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is to first collect all necessary documents.

Copy of passport
Copy of passport photo
Previous Taiwanese visa and residence permit (if any)
Dates of any times you worked in Taiwan
Proof of employment
Proof of income (bank statement, payslip, etc.)

Step 2: Complete the Visa Application

The Employment Gold Card application program can be accessed via an online portal. Applicants are simply required to follow the instructions, enter personal details, and upload the required documents.

Step 3: Make the Visa Fee Payment

The visa fee can be paid in the online portal with the amount varying depending on the origin country of the applicant. U.S. applicants must make a payment of $6,460 TWD for an Employment Gold Card with a one-year validity. A two-year Gold Card is priced at $7,460 TWD, and a three-year card is priced at $8,460 TWD.

Applicants outside of the U.S. will find lower visa fees with a one-year Gold Card priced at $3,700 TWD, a two-year card priced at $4,700 TWD, and a three-year card priced at $5,700 TWD. Applicants that are residents of either Macau or Hong Kong are able to benefit from the discounted rate of $3,100 TWD, encompassing the full one to three-year span.

Step 4: Await Visa Approval

Once the visa fee has been paid and the application submitted, the processing time typically takes between four and six weeks to complete. During this time, applicants await the verdict of their Employment Gold Card whilst their skills are checked and verified against the entry criteria. The application progress can be viewed at any point by logging into the online portal.

Step 5: Verify Your Identity

Following successful verification, the applicant's identity must then be checked by visiting the nearest Taiwanese diplomatic post. This process can take between two and four weeks. Finally, with the identity verified, the Ministry of Interior will complete one final check to confirm all details of the Gold Employment Card. This should be expected to take a further two to three weeks.

Why Choose Taiwan for Your Next Remote Working Trip?

Taiwan and the capital of Taipei is by far the most popular choice among international remote workers, but the southern city of Kaohsiung, and Kinmen islands are also great choices for a workation.

Using the 2021 Legatum Prosperity Index, an annual independent study utilizing more than 100 different indexes to evaluate 167 different nations, Taiwan ranks between the United States (20) and France (22) in the 21st position. It performs exceptionally in safety and security, ranking in fourth position globally as well as in education with a fifth place position. Taiwan also performs well in enterprise conditions with a 10th place global ranking, 13th for economic quality, and 14th for its investment environment. Taiwan only performs poorly in the natural environment category with an 81st position ranking.

Remote Work Culture in Taiwan

The internet speed in Taipei is rated as very good with an average fixed broadband download speed of 138 Mbps and an upload speed of 58 Mbps. Mobile speeds are also ranked highly with an average download of 70 Mbps and an average upload of 15 Mbps.

Cost of Living and Quality of Life in Taiwan

In comparison to some Western countries, the cost of living and quality of life in Taiwan are both rated highly. The cost of living in Taiwan is estimated at 24.8% lower than in the United States. This is met with a much lower average rental price of which travelers can expect values to be 67.4% lower than in the US for similar properties.

Meanwhile, the quality of life in Taiwan is rated as high with an index score of 148.5 out of a maximum of 240 points. It performs well in safety, healthcare, climate, traffic commute time, and cost of living. Taiwan does, however, struggle with high pollution, very high property prices, and a moderate purchasing power index.

Healthcare in Taiwan

Again, using the 2021 Legatum Prosperity Index, Taiwan is ranked very highly—in fifth position globally—among the 167 nations included in the study. This health pillar aims to create an accurate overall picture of health for the country, taking into account mortality rates, risk factors, health systems, illness outcomes, and more. Despite this high level of health care, it is vital that all travelers invest in healthcare coverage before traveling to Taiwan. For digital nomads, we would always recommend a nomad-specific insurer that can cater to the nuances of international remote work.

Our Take

Although Taiwan may not offer a dedicated digital nomad visa, the Employment Gold Card available offers many of the same benefits to international remote workers. Applying for the Gold Card is more challenging than alternative digital nomad visa opportunities—namely due to the requirement to work in one of eight highly skilled fields. All applicants must be active in either architecture, culture and arts, economy, education, finance, law, national defense, science & technology, or sport to earn the Employment Gold Card.

Those that successfully apply and receive a Gold Card are able to live and work in Taiwan for between one and three years. This is offered with the huge additional benefit of permission to work with Taiwanese companies or to begin a new enterprise within the borders.