student visa in taiwan

ByMrlome

Are you thinking about studying in Taiwan? Do you need a student visa to enter the country, and if so, how do you secure one? I’ve encountered the same questions when arriving in Taipei myself (just a few weeks ago) and I wanted to put together this article to help prospective students have all the information they need.

Taiwan provides a wide variety of visa for foreign students. In this article, my “tool” will provide the most useful information about Taiwan student visa you want to know.

If you are looking for an easy way to find the right Student Visa in Taiwan you have found the right place. Travel straight without any detours

Student visa in Taiwan will be different from other countries. Taiwan is not a member of the EU or EFTA and thus does not have an agreement with the Schengen Area. In order to study in Taiwan, you need to obtain a student visa before arriving.

The current regulations require applicants to submit their application at least 90 days before the date of enrollment for study in Taiwan. The regulations also state that applicants who are applying for a student visa should be enrolled in a full-time degree program at an accredited institution, which means they can’t just apply for any kind of school or course they want to take.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has provided detailed information regarding how to apply for a student visa on its website: [link].

The student visa in Taiwan is a special type of visa that allows you to study in Taiwan.
You can apply for this visa if you are studying at a school or university in Taiwan.

What are the Types of Taiwan Student Visas?

The Taiwan student visa is a type of Resident Visas (the type of visa issued for long-term stays). The types of Taiwan student visa offered are:

  • Taiwan student visa for full-time foreign students (PhD, MA, BA, high school or below)
  • Taiwan student visa for international exchange students
  • Taiwan student visa for overseas Chinese students wishing to study in Taiwan (at a Taiwanese university, college, vocational school, high school, or lower)
  • Taiwan student visa for foreigners wishing to learn Mandarin Chinese

What are the Requirements for a Taiwan Student Visa?

When applying for a Taiwan student visa, you must have several documents to support your application, such as:

  • Taiwan Student Visa Application Form completed online, printed, and signed
  • Your passport, which is valid for at least 6 more months and has at least three blank pages
  • Two passport-sized pictures of yourself, taken within the past six months and affixed to your application form
  • Proof of enrollment in the Taiwan educational institution where you will be studying.
    • If you are already studying in Taiwan on a Visitor Visa and want to change it to a Resident Visa, you must also include proof of registration and enrollment and school transcripts
  • Health Certificate issued in the past three months (original and photocopy). Before you apply for a Taiwan student visa, you must get a Health Certificate by a hospital appointed by the Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan or a hospital in your home country. If you receive a health certificate from a non-Taiwanese hospital, you must have it legalized by a Taiwanese diplomatic mission.
  • For full-time foreign students:
    • If you will study in a Taiwan high school or a lower level, you must be from a Taiwan visa-exempt country.
    • Proof of financial support, if applicable (original and photocopy)
  • For international exchange students:
    • Proof of enrollment of the school or university in which you are already enrolled in (original and photocopy)
    • For a senior high school student: Letter of approval by the Taiwan Ministry of Education
  • For Mandarin Chinese language students:
    • A Certificate of enrollment and registration issued by one of the Mandarin Chinese Learning Centers
    • Proof you have finished four months of studies and registered for at least another three months
    • Proof you have attended at least 15 hours of classes weekly (Monday to Friday)
    • Record of attendance, proving you have not missed more than a quarter of the overall class hours (original and photocopy)
    • School transcripts (original and photocopy)
    • A study plan
    • Proof of financial support, if applicable (original and photocopy)
  • For Overseas Chinese Students:
    • If you are an overseas Chinese student wishing to study in Taiwan, you must be determined by the Overseas Community Affairs Council as a qualified overseas Chinese student.
    • You need an approval letter issued by the Overseas Community Affairs Council and a notice of assignment issued by the Ministry of Education.

 Keep in mind:

This is not an exhaustive list of documents required for a Taiwan student visa. The Taiwan authorities may request additional documents that they see fit on a case-to-case basis.

All the documents you submit have to be in either English or Chinese. If they are not, they must be translated by an official translator and authenticated by a Taiwan overseas diplomatic mission.


VISA FOR CHINESE LEARNING STUDENTSIf you want to come to Taiwan to learn Chinese and got admitted by a Chinese Learning Center or institution in Taiwan, you can contact your nearest Taiwanese embassy, consulate, or representative office for applying your Visitor Visa. Visitor Visa is issued for student who is going to stay in Taiwan less than 6 months. If your program is longer than 6 months, you will need to apply for a Resident Visa.The duration of Visitor Visa:
1. 14 days.
2. 30 days.
3. 60 days.
4. 90 days.Required Documents: 

To apply for a Visitor Visa, you will need the following documentsNo.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online and print it out2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Certificate of admission issued by language centers
(original & photocopy)Admission Letter sent by your language center5Plan for studying Chinese
(original & photocopy)Describe the motive and plan for studying Chinese6Proof of financial support
(original & photocopy)Proof of banking account balance or foreign remittance 

VISA FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTSIf you are an exchange student, depending on the length of your program, you will need to apply for different kinds of visas.
1. Less than 6 months: Visitor Visa.
2. Longer than 6 months: Resident Visa.
Also, if you are holding a Visitor Visa, you can extend the duration of your visa up to 180 days according to your requirements.The duration of Visitor Visa:
1. 14 days.
2. 30 days.
3. 60 days.
4. 90 days.Required Documents: 

To apply for a Visitor Visa, you will need the following documentsNo.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online and print it out2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Certificate of admission 
(original & photocopy)Admission Letter or record of enrollment and registration sent by your university or college5Record of enrollment of the overseas school
(original & photocopy) Issued by the school where you come from.  

VISA FOR STUDENTS IN DEGREE PROGRAMSIf you are going to study in Taiwan for a degree program, which is more than 6 months, you will have to apply for the Resident Visa. There are 2 ways for you to apply for the Resident Visa:

If you got admitted by a Taiwanese university for a degree program, you would have to contact the nearest Taiwanese embassy, consulate, or representative office. 

If you already stayed in Taiwan with a Visitor Visa, and qualified for applying for a Resident Visa, you can go to the Bureau of Consular Affairs for application.
Required DocumentsTo apply for a Resident Visa, you will need the following documentsNo.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Health certificateIssued within 3 months by one of the designated hospitals
Or check the website of Centers for Disease Control5Admission permit or Certificate of enrollment
(original & photocopy)Admission permit or Certificate of enrollment with a record of registration issued from the university you are going to attend6Diploma and transcript of your highest education
(original & photocopy) Issued by the school you previously studied7Financial statementBank statements or records of remittance, etc.


VISA FOR CHINESE LEARNING STUDENTSIf you want to come to Taiwan to learn Chinese and got admitted by a Chinese Learning Center or institution in Taiwan, you can contact your nearest Taiwanese embassy, consulate, or representative office for applying your Visitor Visa. Visitor Visa is issued for student who is going to stay in Taiwan less than 6 months. If your program is longer than 6 months, you will need to apply for a Resident Visa.The duration of Visitor Visa:
1. 14 days.
2. 30 days.
3. 60 days.
4. 90 days.Required Documents: 

To apply for a Visitor Visa, you will need the following documentsNo.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online and print it out2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Certificate of admission issued by language centers
(original & photocopy)Admission Letter sent by your language center5Plan for studying Chinese
(original & photocopy)Describe the motive and plan for studying Chinese6Proof of financial support
(original & photocopy)Proof of banking account balance or foreign remittance 

VISA FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTSIf you are an exchange student, depending on the length of your program, you will need to apply for different kinds of visas.
1. Less than 6 months: Visitor Visa.
2. Longer than 6 months: Resident Visa.
Also, if you are holding a Visitor Visa, you can extend the duration of your visa up to 180 days according to your requirements.The duration of Visitor Visa:
1. 14 days.
2. 30 days.
3. 60 days.
4. 90 days.Required Documents: 

To apply for a Visitor Visa, you will need the following documents

No.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online and print it out2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Certificate of admission 
(original & photocopy)Admission Letter or record of enrollment and registration sent by your university or college5Record of enrollment of the overseas school
(original & photocopy) Issued by the school where you come from.  

VISA FOR STUDENTS IN DEGREE PROGRAMSIf you are going to study in Taiwan for a degree program, which is more than 6 months, you will have to apply for the Resident Visa. There are 2 ways for you to apply for the Resident Visa:

If you got admitted by a Taiwanese university for a degree program, you would have to contact the nearest Taiwanese embassy, consulate, or representative office. 

If you already stayed in Taiwan with a Visitor Visa, and qualified for applying for a Resident Visa, you can go to the Bureau of Consular Affairs for application.
Required DocumentsTo apply for a Resident Visa, you will need the following documentsNo.RequirementsDescription1Application formFill out the application form online2Passport
(original & photocopy)Valid for 6 months with blank pages32 passport-size photosColor photos with a white background taken within 6 months4Health certificateIssued within 3 months by one of the designated hospitals
Or check the website of Centers for Disease Control5Admission permit or Certificate of enrollment
(original & photocopy)Admission permit or Certificate of enrollment with a record of registration issued from the university you are going to attend6Diploma and transcript of your highest education
(original & photocopy) Issued by the school you previously studied7Financial statementBank statements or records of remittance, etc.

Applying abroad: at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission

The application procedure for getting a Taiwan student visa while you are still in your home country is as follows:

  1. Complete the Taiwan Student Visa Application Form online (here). Print it and sign it.
  2. Collect the required documents.
  3. Submit the application form and the documents at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission in person within 30 days.
    • When you complete the application form, you will have to select which diplomatic mission you will apply in from a dropdown menu.
    • You may apply to any mission, but you are advised to apply to the one in your country. If there’s no Taiwanese diplomatic mission in your country, apply to the nearest one.
  4. Wait for the Taiwan student visa to be processed
  5. Collect your passport. If your application was approved, your visa will be affixed to your passport
  6. After entering Taiwan, apply for a Taiwan residence permit at a local service center of the National Immigration Agency within 15 days.

Applying in Taiwan: at the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA)

You may apply for a Taiwan student visa after you arrive in Taiwan only if you have received a Taiwan Visitor Visa for studying purposes. If you are in Taiwan simply for tourism or visiting purposes, you won’t be able to get a student visa once you arrive in the country.

Conclusion

Always consult with professionals that are specialized in the topic before making any decisions. It is advised to consult with an immigration attorney that can provide you with the best options and processes to apply for your visa. The cons of this website are due to the fact that you do not deal directly with the representatives or agents of Touriago, as you must rely on them (the website) to act as a conduit.

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