Issue · September 2026 · everything a nomad needs, city by city

Nomadzine

The visa · Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan now has an express digital nomad visitor visa, extended from six months to two years on 1 January 2026, but it is open only to nationals of visa-exempt countries and carries no work permit or route to residence. Remote workers who want residence, an open work permit and a path to permanent residency use the Employment Gold Card instead, which needs a documented monthly salary of NT$160,000 or a recognised professional profile. The one thing to know before applying: the nomad visa is a visitor visa, so time on it does not count towards permanent residence, and dependants must qualify on their own.

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The routes

Researched 8 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice

  1. Nomad visa

    Digital Nomad Visitor Visa

    數位遊牧簽證 / Digital nomad visitor visa (a visitor visa issued under the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals framework)

    Employees and freelancers from Taiwan's visa-exempt countries who earn from abroad and want a defined legal basis for stays longer than the visa-free period, without needing a Taiwan employer.

    Income floor
    Annual income of at least US$40,000 in either of the last two years for applicants aged 30 or over, or US$20,000 for those aged 20 to 29, proven by a tax certificate or employer letter; or a digital nomad visa issued by another country. The Bureau of Consular Affairs also lists a bank statement showing an average monthly balance of US$10,000 over the past six months. Sources differ on whether that deposit is an alternative to the salary proof or an additional requirement; BOCA lists both.
    Duration
    Since 1 January 2026: issued for six months, extendable in Taiwan three times by six months each, to a maximum of two years. Before that date it was three months with one three-month extension. Extensions are discretionary and must be applied for before expiry.
    Cost
    Standard visitor visa fees apply: single entry NT$1,600 in Taiwan or US$50 abroad; multiple entry NT$3,200 or US$100. Reciprocal surcharges apply to nationals of countries that charge Taiwan passport holders more; one applicant guide reports a total of about NT$7,090 for a United States citizen applying in Taiwan. Extension fees were not published on the pages opened.
    Processing
    No statutory time is published. In-country applications must be lodged at least 10 working days before the current stay expires; applicants report decisions in about 10 days.
    Eligibility
    Nationality of a Taiwan visa-exempt country; aged 20 or over; income or foreign nomad visa as above; international medical and hospitalisation insurance covering the stay; remote work for an employer or clients outside Taiwan; ordinary visitor visa good-conduct conditions.
    Work rights
    Remote work for employers or clients outside Taiwan only. The visa carries no work permit, so local employment and Taiwan clients are not permitted, and holders are outside National Health Insurance, labour insurance and pension schemes.
    Dependants
    Not included. Family members must qualify for their own visa or visa-free entry.
    Leads to
    No. It is a visitor visa and does not count towards the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate. The government's stated aim is that nomads later switch to the Employment Gold Card or a resident visa.
    Apply
    From abroad at a Taiwan overseas mission (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office or embassy). Inside Taiwan, at the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Taipei or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Central, Southwestern, Southern or Eastern Taiwan offices, after entering visa-free or on a visitor visa.

    Documents Online application form, signed · Two passport photos, 45 x 35 mm, white background, taken within six months · Passport valid at least six months with blank pages · Work contract, CV or portfolio showing remote work experience · Tax certificate or employer letter proving annual salary, or a copy of a digital nomad visa from another country · Bank statements showing the average monthly balance over six months · Proof of international health and hospitalisation insurance for the stay · Description of Intended Activities / Taiwan stay plan form

    Official page →

  2. Residence

    Employment Gold Card

    就業金卡 / Taiwan Employment Gold Card

    Higher-earning remote employees, founders and specialists who want residence with an open work permit, family sponsorship and a route to permanent residency, with no Taiwan employer needed.

    Income floor
    Under the salary route, an average monthly salary of at least NT$160,000, calculated by the Workforce Development Agency from the annual figure on a recent tax form divided by 12. Other routes assess professional standing in 13 fields (science and technology, economy, education, culture and arts, sport, finance, law, architecture, national defence, digital, biotechnology, environment and special cases) with no salary floor.
    Duration
    1, 2 or 3 years at the applicant's choice, renewable by applying again in Taiwan before expiry.
    Cost
    Most foreign passports: NT$3,700 for one year, NT$4,700 for two, NT$5,700 for three. United States passport holders applying from abroad: NT$7,605, NT$8,605 or NT$9,605. Holders of an existing Alien Resident Certificate applying in Taiwan: NT$1,500, NT$2,500 or NT$3,500.
    Processing
    The programme office quotes about 30 days for a complete file, 50 to 60 days if extra documents are requested, and warns the full chain can exceed 60 working days: an identity check by the National Immigration Agency of one to two weeks, then a ministry qualification review of one to two months, then passport inspection of about seven working days.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality except where separate rules apply to Hong Kong, Macau and People's Republic of China residents; qualification in one of the 13 fields or the salary route; passport valid six months or more; no employer sponsorship required.
    Work rights
    Open work permit: holders may take any Taiwan employment, part-time work or freelance clients, change jobs freely, and keep working remotely for foreign employers.
    Dependants
    Spouse and children can obtain dependent residence; parents can be sponsored for visitor stays under the Foreign Professionals Act.
    Leads to
    Yes. An Alien Permanent Resident Certificate can be applied for after three years of continuous residence with at least 183 days in Taiwan each year. Since 1 January 2026, degrees earned in Taiwan count towards the residence period.
    Apply
    Online only, on the National Immigration Agency's Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform (coa.immigration.gov.tw), from abroad or in Taiwan.

    Documents Colour copy of passport valid at least six months · Two-inch colour photo taken within six months · Evidence for the chosen qualification, for example tax forms or payslips showing NT$160,000 monthly, or awards, publications and employment records for a field-based category · Copies of any previous Taiwan visas or residence permits · Online application and fee payment on the Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform

    Official page →

  3. Temporary stay

    Visitor Visa (general, for nationals not on the visa-exempt list)

    停留簽證 / Visitor visa

    Remote workers holding passports without visa-exempt entry, such as India, Brazil, South Africa and Turkey, who want a short stay of up to 180 days; also the entry route before an in-country switch to another category.

    Income floor
    None published as a fixed figure; applicants must show means of support and onward travel.
    Duration
    Stays of 14 to 90 days per entry are typical; visas marked extendable can be extended at the National Immigration Agency to a maximum of 180 days in total.
    Cost
    Single entry NT$1,600 in Taiwan or US$50 abroad; multiple entry NT$3,200 or US$100; rush handling adds 50 per cent; reciprocal fees apply to some nationalities.
    Processing
    Not published as a statutory period; overseas missions generally quote a few working days, longer where a security check applies.
    Eligibility
    Passport valid six months; purpose of visit that fits a visitor category (tourism, business, visiting relatives, study, and similar); proof of funds and onward ticket; nationals of some countries face additional checks.
    Work rights
    No work permit. Local employment is not allowed. Remote work for foreign employers on a visitor visa is not expressly addressed in the published rules.
    Dependants
    Each family member applies separately.
    Leads to
    No.
    Apply
    Taiwan overseas missions; extensions at National Immigration Agency service centres in Taiwan.

    Documents Online application form, signed · Passport valid at least six months · Two passport photos · Onward or return ticket and proof of funds · Documents supporting the stated purpose of the visit

    Official page →

  4. Working holiday

    Working Holiday Visa

    青年度假打工簽證 / Working holiday visa (bilateral youth mobility schemes)

    Nationals aged 18 to 30 of partner countries who want up to a year in Taiwan with the right to take local casual work alongside remote work.

    Income floor
    Proof of funds varies by partner agreement; BOCA's per-country guidelines set the figure and should be read for the applicant's nationality.
    Duration
    180 days per entry, extendable once by up to 180 days at the National Immigration Agency, for a total of no more than one year from first entry. One participation per lifetime.
    Cost
    Multiple-entry visa fee of US$100 or equivalent.
    Processing
    Not published as a statutory period; applications go through the overseas mission for the applicant's country.
    Eligibility
    Nationality of a partner country; age 18 to 30 inclusive for most (Canada 18 to 35, Czech Republic 18 to 26); no previous Taiwan working holiday; health insurance; some schemes have annual quotas. BOCA lists guidelines for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland and Slovakia; the Israel scheme is shown as temporarily suspended. The BOCA index shows further records not opened for this dossier.
    Work rights
    The visa itself serves as the work permit: local employment allowed, with the rules of the bilateral scheme; remote work for foreign employers not addressed separately.
    Dependants
    Not included.
    Leads to
    No.
    Apply
    Taiwan overseas mission in the applicant's home country; extensions at National Immigration Agency service centres.

    Documents Application form · Passport valid for the intended stay · Proof of funds as set in the relevant bilateral guideline · Health and hospitalisation insurance · Return ticket or funds to buy one

    Official page →

  5. Freelance / self-employed

    Entrepreneur Visa

    創業家簽證 / Entrepreneur visa (resident visa for foreign start-up founders)

    Founders who want to build a company in Taiwan rather than serve foreign clients only; the closest thing to a self-employment permit.

    Income floor
    No salary floor. One of eight criteria applies, including at least NT$2 million raised from a government-approved venture capital fund or crowdfunding platform, acceptance into an approved incubator or start-up park within the past year, a patent, a competition award, or an existing Taiwan company with at least NT$1 million invested and a formal position for the applicant. Teams of up to three may apply together with combined investment of NT$1 million.
    Duration
    Two years, then extensions of up to two years at a time if the business shows annual sales of NT$3 million, operating expenses of NT$1 million, three full-time Taiwanese employees, or another recognised contribution.
    Cost
    Standard resident visa fees per BOCA's schedule: single entry NT$2,200 in Taiwan or US$66 abroad; multiple entry NT$4,400 or US$132. Alien Resident Certificate fees are additional.
    Processing
    Not published on the programme page.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality; passport valid six months; qualification under one of the eight criteria; the business must be a start-up in an innovation field.
    Work rights
    Work in the founder's own company; wider employment is subject to the ordinary work permit rules.
    Dependants
    Spouse and minor children can apply for dependent residence once the founder holds an Alien Resident Certificate.
    Leads to
    Yes, as reported by the programme office: an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate after five consecutive years with more than 183 days in Taiwan each year.
    Apply
    Online via the National Immigration Agency platform, or through a Taiwan overseas mission.

    Documents Passport valid at least six months · Recent photo · Evidence for the chosen criterion, such as an investment agreement, incubator acceptance letter, patent certificate or award · Entrepreneur Team Intent Letter for group applications · Company registration documents where an existing enterprise is relied on

    Official page →

Without a visa, by passport

The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated

  • EU / EEA / Switzerland90 days per entry, not extendableVisa-exempt entry is published for tourism, business, visiting relatives and similar purposes; remote work for an overseas employer is not expressly addressed. It is widely reported as tolerated, and the digital nomad visitor visa exists precisely to give it a defined basis for longer stays.
  • United Kingdom90 days, extendable in Taiwan to 180 days in totalSame grey status as other visa-exempt nationals: not forbidden in published rules, no work permit, and local work prohibited.
  • United States90 days per entry, not extendableRemote work for a US employer on visa-free entry is not addressed in published rules; reported as tolerated. Note the reciprocal visa surcharge if switching to a visa in Taiwan.
  • Canada90 days, extendable in Taiwan to 180 days in totalGrey: not expressly addressed; local employment forbidden without a work permit.
  • Australia90 days per entry, not extendableGrey, as above; a working holiday visa gives local work rights for those aged 18 to 30.
  • New Zealand90 days per entry, not extendableGrey, as above; working holiday scheme available.
  • Japan90 days per entry, not extendableGrey, as above.
  • South Korea90 days per entry, not extendableGrey, as above.
  • IndiaVisa required; not on the visa-exempt listBOCA runs a separate online travel-authorisation scheme for certain Indian passport holders, whose current terms were not verified for this dossier. Remote work on a visitor visa is not addressed in published rules.
  • BrazilVisa required; not on the visa-exempt listVisitor visa from a Taiwan overseas mission; Brazil is also not eligible for the digital nomad visitor visa, which requires visa-exempt nationality.
  • South AfricaVisa required; not on the visa-exempt listVisitor visa needed; not eligible for the digital nomad visitor visa.
  • Singapore / Malaysia30 days per entryGrey, as for other visa-exempt nationals.
  • Thailand / Philippines / Brunei14 days per entry under a trial running to 31 July 2027, with proof of accommodation and a contact in TaiwanGrey, as above; too short for most remote-work stays.

Tax

When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer

Residency trigger
An individual present in Taiwan for 183 days or more in a calendar year is tax resident, counted from passport stamps, with the departure day included and the arrival day excluded. There is no domicile or centre-of-interests test for foreigners without household registration. Below 183 days the person is a non-resident: up to 90 days, income is settled by withholding at source and pay from a foreign employer for work done in Taiwan is not taxed; from 90 to 182 days, that foreign-employer pay for work performed in Taiwan becomes Taiwan-source income taxed at the non-resident withholding rate of 18 per cent on salary (6 per cent where monthly pay is at or below 1.5 times the basic wage), reported with certified wage statements. Residents pay progressive rates of 5 to 40 per cent, with the top rate above NT$4,980,000 of net taxable income, and file between 1 and 31 May for the previous year.
Special regime
No general newcomer or nomad regime. Employment Gold Card holders who meet the first-time-residence conditions have half of salary income above NT$3 million excluded from tax for the first five years. Overseas income of residents is outside ordinary income tax but enters the alternative minimum tax at 20 per cent once basic income exceeds NT$7,500,000 (2025 tax year figure). The digital nomad visitor visa carries no tax concession.
Social security
Digital nomad visitor visa holders and other visitor-visa holders are outside National Health Insurance, labour insurance and the labour pension. Alien Resident Certificate holders without a Taiwan employer must join National Health Insurance after six months of continuous residence, a period reset by more than one departure or an absence of over a month; those employed by a Taiwan entity join through the employer immediately. From 1 January 2026, foreign professionals are eligible for the labour pension system without permanent residence. No social-security totalisation agreements or certificate-of-coverage rules were found on the pages opened.
Treaties
The Ministry of Finance lists 36 comprehensive income tax agreements in force, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, South Korea, Israel, South Africa, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium; the renewed Singapore agreement entered into force on 13 February 2026 and applies from 1 January 2027. The United States and Brazil have no agreement. For a treaty-country remote employee the dependent personal services article normally shields foreign-employer pay while presence stays below 183 days and the employer has no Taiwan base; once resident, relief comes through the home country's foreign tax credit. US nationals rely on US foreign tax credits alone.

Practicalities

Bank account
Domestic banks require an Alien Resident Certificate, so Gold Card and entrepreneur visa holders can open full accounts while nomad visa and visa-free visitors generally cannot. A basic Chunghwa Post account using a passport plus a National Immigration Agency 'Record of ID No.' was the usual workaround, but it is reported as suspended for all but scholarship students as of 2026.
SIM registration
Prepaid SIMs need two original identity documents: a passport (or ARC) plus a secondary document such as the visa, an ARC, a Taiwan driving licence, the NHI card or an entry permit. Airport counters and the three main carriers sell tourist SIMs on this basis.
Health insurance
Nomad visa applicants must show international medical and hospitalisation cover for the whole stay and have no NHI access. ARC holders join NHI after six months of continuous residence, or immediately if employed by a Taiwan entity.
Address and residence registration
There is no separate residence registration for visitor-visa or visa-free stays. ARC holders' address appears on the card, and changes are reported to the National Immigration Agency.
Tax number
The ARC number serves as the tax identifier. Foreigners without an ARC file under a tax code derived from passport details, and the etax portal supports online filing for those staying 183 days or more.
Overstay penalties
Since 1 March 2024, overstaying costs NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 and an entry ban of one to seven years. Since October 2025 the National Immigration Agency halves the fine, to NT$5,000 to NT$25,000, for overstayers who report themselves before being caught.

Taiwan for remote workers: a two-year nomad visitor visa, and a Gold Card for those who want to stay

Where remote workers base and why

Taipei takes most arrivals: co-working space is dense around the Zhongshan, Daan and Xinyi districts, English-language services are easiest to find there, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs office that handles in-country nomad visa applications sits in the city. Taichung and Kaohsiung attract those who want lower rents and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regional offices accept the same applications. Tainan and Hualien draw smaller numbers for cost and coast.

The draw is practical rather than fiscal. Ninety days visa-free for most Western passports, a nomad visa that stretches that to two years for the same passports, fast fixed and mobile broadband and a health system that ARC holders join after six months. Against that, rents in central Taipei have risen, summer heat and typhoons shape the calendar, and the language barrier outside the capital is real.

What applicants report about the process

The nomad visa route most people take is to enter visa-free, gather the documents and file in Taipei at least ten working days before the visa-free period ends. Applicants describe decisions in about ten days, a single-entry visa, and a fee that for United States citizens runs to roughly NT$7,090 because of the reciprocal surcharge, against NT$1,600 for most other nationalities. The income evidence is the sticking point: a tax certificate or employer letter must show US$40,000 or US$20,000 in one of the last two years, and freelancers with irregular income lean on the six-month bank average of US$10,000. Sources disagree on whether that bank average is an alternative or a second hurdle, so applicants tend to bring both.

The Gold Card is slower and more document-heavy. The programme office's own estimate is 30 days for a clean file but warns the chain can exceed 60 working days once the identity check, the ministry review and the passport inspection are added. Salary-route applicants are assessed on the annual figure from a tax form divided by twelve, which excludes those whose earnings are recent or unevenly timed. Refusals cluster on the field-based categories where evidence of standing is thin.

Banking and daily money

Money is the weak point of a visitor-visa stay. Without an ARC, a domestic bank account is out of reach and the postal account workaround is reported suspended for non-students, so nomad visa holders run on foreign cards, cash from ATMs and prepaid EasyCard or iPASS for transport and convenience stores. Mobile payment apps generally need a local bank link. Gold Card and entrepreneur visa holders receive an ARC and can open accounts at any bank, though branches still ask for the tax identifier and sometimes a local phone number.

Tax follows presence, not visa type. Below 90 days in a calendar year a foreign employer's salary for work done in Taiwan is not taxed; between 90 and 182 days it is Taiwan-source and withheld at 18 per cent; at 183 days the person is resident, files in May and pays 5 to 40 per cent. Treaty residents of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Japan and most of the EU can generally keep foreign-employer pay out of Taiwan tax below 183 days; United States nationals have no treaty and rely on foreign tax credits.

What is changing

The January 2026 amendments turned a six-month experiment into a two-year visa, and the National Development Council has said publicly that it wants 100,000 nomads and to keep 10,000 as residents. The obvious next step, credit for nomad-visa time towards the Gold Card or permanent residence, has not been enacted; as of September 2026 the nomad visa remains a visitor visa with no work permit and no residence clock.

Two other trends matter. Enforcement of overstays hardened in 2024 and softened only for self-reporters in 2025, so the ten-working-day filing window for extensions is not negotiable. And the treaty network keeps growing, with the Singapore renewal in force from 2026 and a Tuvalu agreement signed in March 2026, while a United States agreement is still absent.

Researched from boca.gov.tw · boca.gov.tw · boca.gov.tw · boca.gov.tw · goldcard.nat.gov.tw · goldcard.nat.gov.tw · etax.nat.gov.tw · mof.gov.tw · sme.gov.tw · kpmg.com · the authority