Taiwanese authorities launched a new visa program for digital nomads, allowing eligible foreign nationals the ability to live and work remotely in Taiwan for up to six months.

Key Points:

  • Only nationals from visa-exempt countries are eligible for the digital nomad visitor visa.
  • The short-term visa has a maximum validity of six months, and an interview may be required.
  • Applicants must provide proof of one of the following conditions to be eligible:
  • A digital nomad visa issued by another country.
  • Proof of earning an annual salary of at least US$40,000 or its equivalent in one of the last two years for those 30 years of age and older.
  • Proof of having earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the last two years for those between 20 and 29 years of age.

Additional Information: The Ministry of the Interior’s review process will be waived and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will directly issue the visa to applicants who have previously obtained a digital nomad visa from another country. Officials stated that the digital nomad visa is only for foreign nationals working remotely in Taiwan for an employer overseas and employment should not have any connection with any local Taiwanese entities.

Depending on the program’s results, the government will consider extending the stay period. The introduction of a digital nomad visa, along with recent expansion of the visa-free entry program, demonstrate measures by Taiwanese authorities to attract more visitors and ease travel restrictions to promote further growth.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Taiwanese authorities announced an extension of the visa-free entry program for travelers from Brunei, the Philippines and Thailand.

Key Points:

  • As BAL previously reported, foreign nationals from these countries have been able to enter Taiwan without a visa on a trial basis, and now may continue to do so until July 31, 2025.
  • To be eligible for visa-free entry, travelers must submit personal information, including proof of lodging, proof of funds and contact information of their host or sponsor in Taiwan.
  • Visa-free travelers are permitted to conduct business activities while in Taiwan.

Additional Information: Taiwanese authorities also extended the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists for Southeast Asian Countries until Dec. 31, 2025. The conditional visa-free entry through the online application for R.O.C. (Taiwan) travel authorization certificate scheme will also remain in place.

BAL Analysis: Taiwanese authorities extended the visa-free entry program to strengthen relations with Southeast Asian countries and attract more visitors.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Taiwanese government announced several changes to immigration policy, effective March 1.

‌Key Points:

  • Foreign nationals may now apply for an extension of their visitor visa at the National Immigration Agency for a fee of 300 New Taiwan dollars (about US$9.39), provided that they were originally permitted to stay for 60 days or longer and their visa does not state that “no extension will be granted.”
    • Extensions of visitor visas were previously not allowed, and the extension period that is granted cannot exceed the original permitted duration of stay and may not exceed a total stay of over six months.
  • Applicants holding an Alien Resident Certificate may now apply to extend their status up to three months before expiration, up from one month.
  • Additionally, foreign nationals who entered the country under a resident visa on or after Jan. 1, 2024, will now have 30 calendar days to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate, which is up from 15 calendar days.

Additional Information: Taiwanese officials have also recently introduced more restrictive changes to immigration policy, including for foreign nationals born in mainland China. These individuals must now submit additional supporting documents when applying for an alien residence card or alien permanent residence card to prove that they do not have a household registration in China or have obtained a Chinese passport.

Overstay penalties have also increased to NT$10,000–NT$50,000 (from NT$2,000–NT$10,000), and the maximum ban from entering the country due to overstay has increased from three to seven years.

BAL Analysis: The Taiwanese government intends to revise immigration policies to benefit certain resident visa holders and visitor visa holders to reduce difficulties in applying for Alien Resident Certificates or extend visitor visas. Alternatively, fine increases for overstay and a greater maximum entry ban demonstrate the government’s attempt to deter overstays and illegal work.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Taiwan has announced plans to resume cross-Strait tourism and relax restrictions on visits by mainland Chinese citizens for business exchanges.

‌Key Points:

  • From Sept. 1, mainland Chinese citizens living in third places outside mainland China may apply for permits to visit Taiwan for tourism activities.
  • Cross-Strait group tourism in both directions will be phased in. Plans call for initial daily limits of 2,000 people in groups traveling to either destination.
  • From Aug. 28, mainland Chinese citizens may apply for entrance to Taiwan for short-term business exchanges. These include participation in business shows, attendance at exhibitions, and participation in business training programs.

Background: Mainland China has prohibited individual citizens from traveling to Taiwan for tourism activities since August 2019. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, mainland China extended the ban to group travel. Taiwan allows citizens to go to mainland China for travel or study but has banned group tourism to the mainland since the beginning of the pandemic and has not reopened its borders to tourists from mainland China.

‌Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication will work with travel industry associations to develop mechanisms for regulating the travel of Taiwanese citizens to mainland China. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council will review safety management measures for travel by mainland Chinese groups.

While restrictions on business visits have been relaxed, case-by-case review processes are in place for activities in specific high-tech industries. Other restrictions include limiting exhibit attendance to exhibitors and requiring inviting exhibitors to be companies that are approved and registered in Taiwan.

‌This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

‌Copyright ©2023 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Taiwan is changing the review process for Special Professional Work Permit applications.

‌Key Points:

  • All Special Professional Work Permit applications are now expected to have full panel review within the Work Development Authority, which is expected to lengthen processing times.
  • Previously, most applications in this category were reviewed by a single individual; only 20%-40% of applications received full panel review.
  • Full panel reviews require 6-8 weeks, which is a significant increase from the 7-10 days it took for completion of a review by a single individual.

Background: Taiwan has not made an official announcement about this policy change, but permit applications within this category are receiving closer scrutiny. The Special Professional Work Permit category is for workers with experiences in certain fields, including science and technology, education, arts and culture, sports, finance and law.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

‌Copyright © 2023 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT — MEDIUM

The government of Taiwan recently revised several regulations for applying for Alien Permanent Resident Certificates and Alien Resident Certificates.

Key Points:

  • APRC applicants must now live in Taiwan for five years and stay more than 183 days per year on average. Previously, applicants were required to live in Taiwan for five years and stay for more than 183 days each year.
  • APRC applicants who hold professional work permits may now include spouses, children under age 18, and children with disabilities on their applications if the dependents fulfill the residency requirements noted above. Previously, only the primary applicant was eligible for an APRC.
  • In the future, the deadline for foreigners with a residence visa to apply for an ARC will be extended from 15 to 30 days after entering Taiwan. The date on which this change will take effect has yet to be announced.

BAL Analysis: The changes are generally positive for APRC/ARC applicants and their families. BAL will continue following the implementation of the changes and will provide more information as it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2023 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT — MEDIUM

Taiwanese authorities have announced that they will extend a trial visa-free entry program for travelers from Brunei, the Philippines and Thailand.

Key Points:

  • Foreign nationals of Brunei, the Philippines and Thailand will continue to be able to enter Taiwan without a visa until July 31, 2024.
  • To be eligible for visa-free entry, travelers must submit personal information, including proof of lodging, proof of funds and contact information of their host or sponsor in Taiwan.
  • Visa-free travelers are permitted to conduct business activities while in Taiwan.

Additional Information: Taiwanese authorities also extended the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists for Southeast Asian Countries until Dec. 31, 2024. More information is available here.

BAL Analysis: Taiwanese authorities extended the visa-free entry program to strengthen relations with Southeast Asian countries and attract more visitors.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2023 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT — MEDIUM

Taiwanese authorities have removed the Entry, Exit Permit Amendment Application requirement for some Intra-Company Transfers.

Key Points:

  • EEP holders no longer need to submit EEP Amendment Applications for ICTs from mainland China.
  • Previously, EEP holders were required to submit an EEP Amendment Application for ICTs from mainland China.
  • EEP holders whose travel reasons or duration of stay changes must still apply for a new EEP to be allowed to stay in Taiwan for the new travel reasons and longer duration of stay.

BAL Analysis: Taiwanese authorities removed the Amendment Application requirement for EEP holders because the policy was first introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is no longer needed as the virus situation has improved.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2023 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT — MEDIUM

The Taiwanese government has announced that it will end its monthly visa extension program in November.

Key Points:

  • Foreign nationals who entered Taiwan on or before March 21, 2020, have received their last automatic 30-day visa extension.
  • Those who have received the automatic extensions have until Nov. 30 to leave Taiwan or acquire a new visa.
  • Foreign nationals can still apply for a visa extension in special circumstances, including pregnancies, illnesses, hospitalizations, natural disasters or humanitarian reasons.

Additional Information: Taiwanese authorities first introduced the automatic visa extensions in March 2020, allowing more than 420,000 foreign nationals to stay in Taiwan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BAL Analysis: Taiwanese authorities announced that they will end the automatic visa extension program because of the improving virus situation around the world. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT – MEDIUM

Taiwanese authorities have announced that they will gradually ease certain COVID-19 entry requirements and resume visa-free entry for some travelers.

Key Points:

  • Beginning Sept. 29, the weekly cap on arrivals will increase from 50,000 to 60,000.
  • Travelers will no longer have to take a PCR test upon arrival; instead, travelers will be required to take rapid at-home COVID-19 test during a three-day quarantine.
  • Travelers must undergo a three-day quarantine and a four-day self-initiated epidemic prevention at their residence or in a designated hotel.
  • Beginning Oct. 13, travelers will no longer have to undergo a three-day quarantine upon arrival; instead the self-initiated epidemic prevention will last for seven days.
  • Rules and guidelines for carrying out the self-initiated epidemic prevention are available here.

Additional Information: Beginning Sept. 29, nationals of Chile, Israel, Japan, Nicaragua and South Korea can stay in Taiwan for up to 90 days without a visa; nationals of the Dominican Republic, Malaysia and Singapore can stay for up to 30 days without a visa; and nationals of Brunei, the Philippines and Thailand can stay up to 14 days without a visa. A full list of visa-free countries is available here.

BAL Analysis: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.