FAQ

  • Q1

    How do I apply for the Taiwanese VISA for the first time?

    Bring your Admission Letter and other required documents to your local Taiwanese representative office and apply for a Visa. If you plan to stay in Taiwan for more than six months, apply for a Resident Visa, which will allow you to apply for your Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) immediately after arriving in Taiwan. If you are going to stay in Taiwan for less than 6 months, apply for a Visitor Visa. But students entering on Visitor Visas will need to go through additional steps if they want to apply for an ARC. First, you need to receive your student ID after enrollment, then apply for a Resident Visa, followed by the Alien Resident Certificate. This process can entail additional administrative fees of about NTD3000.

  • Q2

    How do I apply for an extension of Taiwanese VISA for the first time?

    If you are already studying Chinese at a language center, or any other short- term program in Taiwan, you can use your admission letter to apply for a two-month extension of your visa at the police bureau. When you enroll in the university, the staff of the Office of International Affairs will help you extend this to one year after you receive your student ID card.

  • Q3

    Can foreign nationals apply for Taiwanese visas if their passports are valid for a period of less than 6 months?

    No. According to the regulation, your passport has to be valid for at least 6 months.

  • Q4

    How can people apply for Taiwanese visas in countries where there are no Taiwanese embassies, consulates or representative offices?

    If your country does not have any Taiwanese embassies, consulates, or representative offices, we suggest you to contact the ones at your neighboring countries, or any Taiwanese embassies around the world at your convenience.

  • Q5

    I am an exchange student. What document do I need to prepare when applying for a resident visa?

    If you are an exchange student, and your program is longer than 6 months, you will need to prepare the following documents for applying for a resident visa:
     

    1. Passport.
    2. A Copy of the personal information page of your passport.
    3. Two 2"X2" colored photos.
    4. Admission letter.
    5. Letter of approval for the exchange program issued by the university or college concerned in Taiwan.
    6. Letter of approval issued by the Ministry of Education or education departments of city/county governments (If you are a high school  exchange student).
    7. Health certificate issued within the past 3 months (either by one of the designed Taiwanese hospitals or by a licensed foreign hospital or clinic). Foreign documents must be authenticated by a Taiwanese mission abroad. If the documents are in a language other than English, they must be submitted together with a Chinese or English translation and authenticated by a Taiwanese mission abroad.
    8. If you are an exchange student and hold a visitor visa with the mark FS issued by a Taiwanese overseas mission, you may submit the aforementioned documents and an enrollment certificate issued by the school (e.g. student I.D. with registration stamp on it) at the Bureau of Consular Affairs to convert your visa into a resident visa.