Taiwan tourist visas- Teaching ARC  and entry requirements. How to get and extend your tourist or travel visa in Taiwan 

 

Types of Taiwan Visa |  Work Visa.AR.C -Teaching English

Resident Visa | Taiwan Visitor Landing Visa | Study Student Visa

 

Visa Exemptions | Extensions on Tourist Visa | Application for an A.R.C. | Visa Requirements Links | Fines for Overstaying Taiwan Travel Visa | Labor Law Regulations Revision

Recent changes to landing visas:

 

 

This page will try to answer some of the more commonly asked questions regarding visa requirements for foreigners entering or living in Taiwan Whether you are seeking a tourist, visa Taiwan, or ARC, then here you go. If you want the answers to common questions like below, leave some comments at bottom of the page.

 

FaQ- Frequently asked questions

Do Americans need a Visa for Taiwan?  You can get a 30 day landing visa. 

How to get a visa to Taiwan? The answers vary for which type of visa you are applying for.

The requirements to obtain a Taiwan travel visa apply to most foreigners however there are some different stipulations depending on which country you are from. This area of visas tends to change regularly so I also suggest that you check out some of the links we have provided to ensure you get the most up to date information. In order to make your stay more pleasant as well as cost effective this is one area that you positively need to know the particulars about.

 

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TYPES OF VISAS

 

 

1. Visa Free Entry

 

There is no Taiwan visa required for stays of up to 30 days, as long as your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your expected departure date from Taiwan and you have a ticket showing departure from Taiwan within 14 days. This type of  visa is automatically given to you at the airport and now since 2008 can be extended. You can get a landing visa at the airport which allows you to stay 30 days, see Landing Visa for details.

 

 

 

 

2. Tourist Visa (Visitor)

 

           If the above Taiwan visa don't work for you and  isn't satisfactory for you (maybe you were born in Antarctica) or if you are planning on staying in Taiwan for more than 30 days, then the 60-day Taiwan Tourist - visitor visa is what you want to apply for.

The visitor visa is perfect if you plan to Study Chinese Mandarin, look for work, engage in business, or plan a grand tour the island. It's easier to apply for this visa before you come to Taiwan at one of the Taiwanese consulates/ economic trade offices in your home country.

     This Taiwan visa grants you a lot more flexibility than the 30-day visa-free permit mentioned above. It can be extended twice for a maximum of 180 days. Some overseas missions (Taiwanese consulates/ economic trade offices) will even give you a one, three, or five year multiple-entry visitor visa for Taiwan. These are the best ones leaving many options open! In order to obtain a tourist visa, it must  be issued at an overseas Taiwan representative office. This type of visa is valid for stays of up to 60 days. Extension of a tourist visa in Taiwan can be done twice for a maximum stay of 180 days. This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to stay for less than six months in Taiwan to engage in one of the following activities:

 

 

1) Transit
2) Sightseeing travel
3) Visiting relatives
4) Visiting with a letter of invitation
5) Study or training
6) Business
7) Technical assistance
8) Medical treatment
9) Other legitimate activities.

 

 

2. Landing Visa

 

A landing visa is valid for one month (30 days) can be issued at Taoyuan International Airport also at Kaohsiung International Airport, as long as your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your expected date of departure and you hold a ticket showing departure from Taiwan within one month.  This type of visa cannot be extended. A NT 1500 fee must be paid for this type of visa at the airport.

 

You will need to:

• Have a passport good for at least 6 months

• Possess an onward ticket or itinerary

• Provide an address where you will be staying in Taiwan

You won't need:

• The usual 2 little photographs
• Fill a Taiwanese visa application form
• A letter explaining your purpose of visit
• Provide a personal bank statement
• Don't pay any visa fee

 

 

 

4. Resident Visa

 

Resident visas are issued at an overseas Taiwan representative offices to people who wish to stay in Taiwan for an extended period. Resident visas can be issued to applicants whose reason for staying in Taiwan includes one of the following:

1) Joining family
2) Study or research
3) Employment
4) Investment
5) Medical treatment
6) Missionary work
7) Other legitimate activities

Within 15 days (30 days now? ) of your arrival of Taiwan with a resident visa you must make an application for an A.R.C. card.

     If you have come to Taiwan with a tourist visa and want to change it to a resident visa, you usually have to leave Taiwan and apply outside of the country. There is word that this law has changed in 2008 and you should be able to do this within the country now. One of the nearest location to apply for a resident visa outside Taiwan is the  

Chung Hwa Travel Service in Hong Kong.

Address is: 4th floor, East Tower, Bond Center, #89 Queens Road,
Central, Hong Kong, Tel: 852-2-525-8315.

 

 

 

 

 

The Woes of Teaching

Teaching English In Taiwan | Finding An ESL Job | Using Agents | Writing A Resume | Links to Taiwan Schools | School Contracts | Taxes | Avoid Getting Scammed | Getting a Teaching Job | Filing A Tax Return- Tax rates | 

 

Frequently asked questions ( Fa Q)

1. How old do I need to be? 

answer: 20 year old and above. Some schools don't hire teachers over the age of 35

 

2.  Do I Need A college degree?

   Answer:  Graduated from college or above.

 

3.      What language should be on my Diploma. What language did I have to major in?

 Answer: The language of the course you teach should be the same as the official language on you passport. Some countries
have one and above official languages like Europe.

4. Dio, Do I Need A degree....Those without a bachelor degree should have certified language teacher training certificates.

Teaching English In Taiwan

 

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Extensions On Tourist Visas

 

    If you have a visitor visa you are allowed to stay in Taiwan for up to 180 days. You are able to extend this visa twice for a least another 60 days up to a total of 180 days. In order to extend your visa you must have a good reason as well as the appropriate documentation supporting your reason. The required documentation is determined by the Foreign Affairs Police Service, depending upon your reason for extending your visa. Some of the reasons include:

1) Transit
2) Sightseeing
3) Visiting relatives
4) Sighting with a letter of invitation
5) Study or training
6) Business
7) Technical assistance
8) Medical treatment
9) Other legitimate activities
Check out our address of Foreign Affairs Police Stations to see which one is nearest you. It would be best if you submitted your application for extension several days before the actual date of expiry, just in case you are missing some required documentation. Please note that if you enter Taiwan under the Visa Free

Entry program or with a landing visa you will not be granted an extension.

 

F a Q

 Extending your visa or getting a English Teaching ARC from your landing or visitor visa

 

 

 

 

Study/ Student Visa

 

 

Free ScholarshipIn Taiwan Universities |  Rules for foreigners working in Taiwan | Study Student Visa

 

 

Although there are many reasons to be able to extend your visitors visa I will touch on the most common reason which is for the purpose of study. If you Study Chinese Mandarin at a government approved school for at least 10 hours a week this gives you a legitimate reason to extend your visa as indicated above. Studying Chinese is a great way to stay in the country legally as well as a good opportunity to get a better insight into the culture. You will need to go to the nearest Foreign Affairs Police Station before your visa expires and bring the following documentation:

1) Your passport
2) School enrollment certificate
3) Record of attendance
4) Photocopies of the front page and most current Taiwan visa page of your passport.      

Taichung Kaohsiung

The other way to extend your visitors visa is simply to leave the country. With a multiple entry visitors visa you can leave the country for any amount of time and when you return you will get an automatic 60 day visa upon your re-entry to Taiwan. Note that this is only for a visitors visa and does not apply if you only have a landing visa.

 

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VISA EXEMPTIONS

 

Note : Visa-free visitors are required to hold a formal passport that is still valid  for at least six months, except citizens of Japan for at least three months and a return ticket or itinerary, and should have no criminal record.

• Citizens of following countries do not require visas to visit Taiwan for less than 90 days (which starts from the next day of arrival, extension not possible).
  • Holders of normal passports
    •  Ireland
    •  Japan
    •  United Kingdom (British citizens)
    •  Canada
  • Holders of diplomatic or official passports

Belize  Dominican Republic  El Salvador  Guatemala  Honduras

Paraguay  Saint Kitts and Nevis  Vatican City  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Citizens of the  following countries below  are not required visas to visit Taiwan.
• This visit is good for  less than 30 days . This period starts from the next day of arrival, extension not possible).

Australia  Austria  Belgium  Costa Rica  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  Finland  France  Germany  Greece

Hungary  Iceland  Italy  Latvia  Liechtenstein  Lithuania  Luxembourg  Malaysia  Malta  Monaco  Netherlands  New Zealand

Norway  Poland  Portugal*  Singapore  South Korea  Spain  Slovakia  Slovenia  Sweden  Switzerland  Vatican City  United States**

* : Excluding holders from Macau, if such Portuguese passports were issued on or before 1999
** : If validity of passport is less than six months, can obtain visa on arrival. See below.

• Citizens of following countries do not require visas to visit Taiwan less than 30 days
• This  starts from the next day of arrival, AND VISA extensions on a landing visa of this type are not possible for permanent residents of Canada or the United States.

India  Indonesia  Philippines

Thailand  Vietnam

• Citizens of  United States can obtain visas to visit Taiwan less than 30 days (which starts from the next day of arrival, extension not possible). Fee is NT$1,800 (NT$4,400 for citizens of United States). Visitor must hold two photos.

• Permanent residents of  Hong Kong and  Macau (with PRC nationality) can obtain a pre-approved Entry Permit of HK and Macau Residents to the Taiwan Area, or an Entry Permit on arrival for visiting Taiwan for less than 30 days. If the visitor is not born in Hong Kong and Macau, he must have a record of a previously having visited Taiwan for an Entry Permit on arrival. This permit can be applied by using a HKSAR passport, MSAR passport, British National (Overseas) passport or Portuguese passport issued in Macau before 1999. British citizens can use the full visa-free visit program to enter Taiwan.
• Only full British citizens can enter Taiwan without a visa and BN(O) passport holders (who also hold PRC nationality) can enter Taiwan using Entry Permit of HK and Macau Residents to the Taiwan Area. A visa is required for all other British passport holder

 

 

 

Visa Information Links

 

Taiwan visas and entry requirements resources:

 

Although we have tried our best to provide you with all the information you need about visas the link below can provide you with more accurate and up to date information on Taiwan visas and entry requirements.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Information for Foreigners-If you are a foreigner living in Taiwan and married to a Taiwan citizen this web site is very informing.

National Network of Foreign Spouses

Taiwan Embassy

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Fines for Overstaying etc.

Offence	Amount of Fine	Remarks
An alien who has failed to carry his/her passport, alien Resident Certificate or Alien Permanent Resident Certificate	NT$1000	An alien at the age of 14 and over and under that of 18 shall be fined half.
Alien failed to apply for an ARC within the time set (including the holders of resident visa, aliens born in the ROC, and aliens switched their visas to the resident visas after entering the ROC).	1.Overdue under 10 days: 2.Overdue from 11 to 30 days: 3.Overdue over 31 days: NT$5000	1. The targets of this punishment are referred to the aliens who failed to apply for an ARC from the Authority within 15 days after requiring the right to reside. 2. An alien who is under the age of 18 shall be fined half
Alien failed to change his/her registration of domicile or place of employment within the prescribed period	1.Over the prescribed period for under 10 days: 2.Over the prescribed period for 11 to 30 days: 3.Over the prescribed period for over 31 days: NT$5000	1. The targets of this punishment are referred to the aliens who failed to register the changes with the Authority within 15 days after these changes occurred. 2. An alien who is under the age of 18 shall be fined half
An alien who has overstayed his/her visit.	v Overstay for under 10 days:	An alien who is under the age of 18 shall be fined half
An alien who has overstayed his/her residence	1.Overstay for under 10 days: 2.Overstay for 11 to 30 days: NT$3000 3.Overstay for over 31 to 90 days: NT$5000 4.Overstay for over 91 days: NT$10000	An alien who is under the age of 18 shall be fined half.
Notice: An alien who has overstayed his/her visit or residence may be forcibly deported by the Authority and may be prohibited from re-entering Taiwan without a visa for one year. It is automatic and there is no way round it. If you haven't paid a fine yet, you need to pay it at the airport. You will also have trouble applying for a visitor visa so soon after overstaying. What you should do is go to wherever it is you are going to apply for a visa and make sure you have documents proving that someone is applying to legally employ you. If you don't have all the documents with you when you go, you may have to get them faxed over to you.

 

 

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Labor Law Regulations Revisions

 

On May 2nd, 2006 the CLA amended the rules for foreign teachers working in buxi-bans regarding maximum hours of work per week & maximum
number of simultaneous employers a teacher can have. 

The maximum number of hours a teacher can work every week is now 32.  The minimun is 14 Heretofore there was no stated limit. 

The regulations re-iterate that teachers must work at least 14 hours per week for one employer in order to............ More on Labor  and Regulations1.      

 

 

Paragraph 3 and 4, Article 46 Employment Service Act Old Rule: Foreign teachers of cram schools should work 14 hours and above every week, but it didn'timit the total teaching hours a week. New Rules:   Paragraph 3 During the valid employment period, foreigners cannot work less than 6 teaching hours for another employer. Paragraph 4 : Foreigners should not work exceed 32 hours totally every week. .........More on Labor  and Regulations

 

Employment rules

  During the valid employment period:

1.      Working/teaching in the original employer (the first employer), the hours should be 14 hours and up.

2. When hired by two employers, you need to have one employer first, after that.......More on Labor  and Regulations, 



Important Notice:

  1. Two jobs with 14 hours/week for each at the same time can be seen as two individual relationships, they are both
employers? That is to say....More on Labor  and Regulations

  2. In the example, if Mr. G¸ relationship with School A1 ends, the relationship with School A2 still exists. So Mr. G can
stay with the reason of working in Taiwan.

 

 

Other Resources 

 

 

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Last updated: 2011-10-22 23:55:52