Getting your Visa to Teach in Taiwan

Here is the part where you NEED to pay attention. Stop, sit up, read carefully. This will save you headaches, money and frustration.

Teachers entering Taiwan to teach in public schools follow the official format for getting visas. These teachers will apply for a Visitor Visa for Employment Purpose.

Teachers entering Tawian to teach in private language schools (buxibans), private schools, or international schools, will most often enter on Visitor Visas for Tourism or Visiting Purposes and they will change the status of their visas once they are in Taiwan.

All applications for Residency Visas (also known as work visas or ARC Alien Residence Cards) are made once you are in Taiwan. This is generally why private language schools and private schools choose to bring you in on a Visitor Visa for Tourism purposes. It saves them having to do more paperwork and jump through more hoops.

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION HERE

Americans, Australians, British, Canadians, Irish and New Zealanders can ALL just go to Taiwan without getting a visa before hand.

a href="/taiwan-visa-southafrican">South Africans cannot get a visa on entry.

Visas given at the Taiwan airport on entry are called "Visa Exempt Entry".

Here is the important part, if you enter just by rocking up at the airport in Taiwan, the visa they will give you will only be good for 30 days, it is not extendable AND your visa CANNOT be converted to a visitor or resident visa. If this is the case, you have to LEAVE Taiwan and re-enter. Expensive. Time-consuming. Frustrating.

There are several different Visitor Visas you can apply for:

Visitor Visa for Tourism Purpose
Visitor Visa for Visiting Relatives
Visitor Visa for Visiting Purpose
Visitor Visa for Employment Purpose

Only public school teachers will apply for the Employment Purpose Visitor Visa.
Private school and private language school teachers should apply for Visitor Visas for Tourism or Visiting Purpose.
- If for visiting purpose, you will require a letter from the person you are going to visit AND you will potentially need a photocopy of their ROC ID card or if they are a foreigner, you will need a copy of their ARC or residency card.

It is VERY important that you apply for a 60 day visa. Visitor Visas can be issued for 14 days, 30 days, 60 days or 90 days. If you get a visa for 60 days you will have enough time to get your Residency Visa application together in time without having to apply for a Visitor Visa Extension. NO worries here though if they issue you a 30 day Visitor Visa AS LONG AS the visa does NOT indicate, "No Extension". As long as it doesn't say that, you can simply go to any National Immigration Agency (NIA) and apply for an extension.

Please note that we STRONGLY encourage you to get ExPat Medical Insurance when you head to Taiwan to teach. You will NOT be covered by the local national medical coverage until you are established with a Resident Visa. For more information regarding Emergency Medical Insurance for Teachers Abroad.

Your Footprints Placement Coordinator will work with you to provide you personally with all the information required to get your visa to teach in Taiwan. It is also very important to note that all our teachers in Taiwan are on legal teaching visas. This visa is often referred to as an ARC card which is an Alien Residency Card. Footprints makes sure that all our teachers get this card within a month of arrival.

Standard Process for Visa to Teach in Taiwan

teachers arrive in Taiwan on a visitors visa (hopefully 60 days)
as soon as you arrive the school works with the teacher to change the status of your visa and get you a proper "resident visa".
- letters from the school for sponsorship
- health certificate checks (must be done in Taiwan)
- work permits issued from the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA)
- appropriate forms from the Bureau of Consular Affairs
ARC cards must be issued by a first party (the school) to be valid. This means that you can’t legally work at different schools, even if they’re in the same chain. Therefore, a third party issued ARC may get you into trouble; if you don't work with us please try to avoid this at all costs.
Remember: It is illegal to work in Taiwan on a visitor visa. If you are caught you will likely be deported and you will potentially face fines. Read more in Teaching Privates

Requirements for a Visitor Visa to Enter Taiwan:

The following are required for a visitor visa:

A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival at Taiwan.
A completed application form
- download the application here: VISA APPLICATION FORM for TAIWAN
Attach TWO passport sized head and shoulder color photos taken within the last 6 months.
Your bank account balance statement issued in the last 3 months with your name shown.
- For an application for a minor, at least one of the parents' balance statement should be provided.
- The fund balance should be sufficient for you to stay in Taiwan for the period that stated in your application form and travel itinerary.
A photocopy of your airline ticket or travel itinerary issued by your travel agent.
- Please speak to one of our representatives regarding the booking of your plane ticket. Both the date of arrival at Taiwan and date of departure from Taiwan should be clearly specified in the itinerary or ticket.
Please be advised that a visitor visa holder, even with all possible extensions obtained from local police headquarters, is only granted a maximum of 180 days of duration of stay in total in each of her/his visit to Taiwan.
Your application may be refused.
DON’T make irrevocable travel plans prior to obtaining your visa.
Please DON’T apply if you are NOT going to enter Taiwan in 3 months.

Cost and Processing Times for Visitor Visa to Taiwan?

Note that all costs for visas are non-refundable. Payment is ONLY accepted by cash, money order, bank draft or certified cheque, which in most cases must be made payable to "Taipei Economic & Cultural Office, (TECO)". Personal cheques are NOT accepted.

Each TECO or TECRO office varies slightly in terms of processing and each nationality is required to pay different amounts. Please follow the link that relates to your nationality:

Duration of Stay for a Visitor Visa in Taiwan:

A visitor visa holder will be allowed to travel to Taiwan before the expiry of the visa (3 months after date of issue) and stay there for a duration of stay contingent on the visa.

The general allowed period of stay for aliens, when entering into Taiwan with a visitor visas or through the visa-exemption, is generally 60 days. Foreigners must leave the Taiwan before the expiration date of the above-mentioned period of stay or extensions.

Those who are permitted to stay for 60 days and whose visa bears no such remark as "no extension will be granted", may apply at the nearest city/county police headquarters for a maximum of 120 days of extensions.

Teaching Jobs in Taiwan

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We also offer jobs in Taiwan private language schools every month. Check out our Taiwan teaching jobs for all teaching jobs in Taiwan that we currently offer.

Find out more about teaching English in Taiwan in our Taiwan Country Info section

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