Taiwan Visa Information
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Visa Types
- Visa free entry - No visa is required for stays of up to 14 days in Taiwan. Such visas cannot be extended and you will have to leave after 14 days.
- Landing visa - A landing visa is valid for 1 month and can be applied for at Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport provided that the traveller's passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of expected departure and holds a return ticket departing from Taiwan within 1 month. Such a visa also cannot be extended within Taiwan and the travellers will have to leave after 30 days.
- Visitor visa - This can be a multiple visitor visa or a single visitor visa. This type of visa is only issued in your home country. If you are teaching English, then you can get your visitor visa changed to a work permit. Extendable visitor visas are valid for stays up to 60 days and may be extended up to 6 months without leaving Taiwan if you are studying Mandarin. If you decide to stay longer than 6 months, you can then apply for a resident visa. In order to receive a 60 day extendable VISA from your local Taiwanese Consulate, you will need to have official documentation with you upon application.
- Resident visa - (only applicable when studying at Providence University) This visa can be applied for after 4 months of study on a visitor visa and you may stay in Taiwan for as long a period as you are studying at our Centre.
This means that if you arrive on a visitor visa and you decide that you want to stay longer than 6 months (the maximum length of time you may stay on a visitor visa) then you apply within Taiwan for a resident visa. It is a very simple process and takes about 10 days. As long as you have completed the government requirement of first completing 4 months of Mandarin at our Centre.
Visa Extensions
We suggest you apply for a 60 day extendable visitor visa at your local Taiwanese Consulate. After 60 days, we will provide you with a set of papers to take to the local police station where you will get another 60 days without having to leave Taiwan. If you intend staying for 6 months then it will not be necessary to apply for a resident visa, however should you decide that you want to stay longer then you can change your visitor visa after 4 months to a residents visa (4 months is the government requirement for qualifying for a resident visa).
Non-Extendable Visitor Visas
There is the occasion when applicants receive non-extendable 30 day or 60 day visitor visas. If you have been offered an English teaching contract, then you may change these type of visas into extendable visas or a work permit within Taiwan without leaving - a school can provide you with the necessary paperwork to allow you to change these type of visas at the local Foreign Affairs office
Getting The Proper Visa Before You Come
Before you leave your home country to come to Taiwan, you will need to apply for a visa at your local Taiwanese Consulate.
You will be required to take the following with you to apply for your visa:- Acceptance documents - we will send these to you
- Valid passport
- 2 passport sized photographs
- An application processing fee - varies country to country
- A statement showing that you have enough funds - approx. US$2,000
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We suggest you first call your local Taiwanese Consulate and inform them that you intend going to Taiwan to learn Chinese and ask them which documents you require etc - the above is a guideline only.
Important Notice
It is important that you stick to ONE reason for coming to Taiwan throughout your entire application at your local Taiwanese Consulate. Visa Offices do not accept applications when more than one reason is mentioned for coming to Taiwan. If you intend teaching then we suggest you make no mention of that - you can apply for a work permit whilst in Taiwan but if you mention that you intend working then you will have to provide official documents to prove that you already have a work permit before you come.
Taiwan |