Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa: what it is and how to get it
Short answer: the Digital Nomad Visa lets you live in Taiwan while you work remotely for an employer or clients outside Taiwan. You need a passport from a country with visa-free entry to Taiwan, an income of at least $40,000 a year ($20,000 if you are 20 to 29), an average bank balance of $10,000 and your own health insurance. You get six months at first and can extend up to two years in total. It is a visitor visa: you cannot work for Taiwanese employers, and the time does not count toward permanent residence. Here is how it works.
Who can apply
Only citizens of countries that have visa-free entry to Taiwan. That includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Europe. India, the UAE and mainland China are not on the list, so people from there cannot apply at all.
Show all visa-exempt countries
Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (British citizens only).
Americas: Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, United States.
Asia and the Pacific: Australia, Israel, Japan, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau, South Korea, Tuvalu.
Africa: Eswatini.
Shorter visa-free stays (30 or 14 days): Belize, Brunei, Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Oman, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Thailand. These are on the official visa-exempt list too, but the government's own nomad visa checker does not show some of them, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. If your passport is in this group, confirm with the Taiwan office before you apply.
Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs visa-exempt list, checked October 2026. The list changes from time to time.
With the right passport, you also need to meet one of these:
- Another country's nomad visa: if you have already been issued a nomad visa by another country, that alone qualifies you.
- Age 30 or older: an annual income of at least $40,000 in either of the last two years.
- Age 20 to 29: an annual income of at least $20,000 in either of the last two years.
Income is proven with a tax document, such as a W-2, P60 or T4, or with a salary certificate from your employer.
The bank balance and insurance
On top of the income, your bank statements for the last six months must show an average monthly balance of at least $10,000. This is a separate test, and you need to pass both. It is an average over six months, not the balance on the day you apply.
You also need your own international health insurance that covers medical and hospital costs for the whole stay. Taiwan's national health insurance is for residents, and the nomad visa does not make you one.
The documents you need
- Application form: filled in online, printed with its barcode and signed. You have 30 days from creating it to hand in the documents.
- Photos: two color passport photos, 45 x 35 mm, white background, taken within six months.
- Passport: the original and a copy of the photo page, valid for at least six months, with blank pages.
- Proof of remote work: your resume or portfolio, and a valid contract. Employees show their employment contract; freelancers show contracts for current projects.
- Plan of your stay: a short official form describing what you will do in Taiwan.
- Income proof, bank statements and insurance: as described above.
The office can ask for more documents. If you apply in Taiwan, you have only 3 days to provide them.
Where to apply and how long it takes
- From abroad: at a Taiwan representative office. It sends your file to the National Development Council, which checks that you qualify, and then the office issues the visa. You collect it where you applied.
- In Taiwan: if you entered visa-free or on a visitor visa that cannot be extended, you apply at the Bureau of Consular Affairs or one of its regional offices, at least 10 working days before your current stay ends. If you are refused, you have to leave before your stay runs out.
The official processing time is 14 to 20 working days, longer if they ask for more documents. An interview may be required. The visa fee depends on your passport and is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer a few quick questions and we will tell you whether the nomad visa or the Gold Card is the better option.
Check My Eligibility Free, 2 minutes.How long you can stay
The visa gives you six months. You can extend it six months at a time at the National Immigration Agency without leaving Taiwan, up to two years in total. Each extension is reviewed, so it is not automatic. After two years there is no further renewal under the current rules.
Many guides are out of date here. Until January 1, 2026, the visa gave three months with one extension, six months at most. The two-year limit is new, so older articles still say six months.
What the nomad visa does not give you
- No local work: you cannot work for employers in Taiwan. Your income has to come from abroad.
- No residence: it is a visitor visa, without a resident certificate (ARC). Time on it does not count toward permanent residence.
- No national health insurance: you keep paying for your own policy for the whole stay.
- No family status: the visa is for you only. A spouse or children need a visa of their own.
- No explanation if refused: visa decisions are at the government's discretion, and the fee is not refunded.
Nomad visa or Gold Card?
The nomad visa asks for $40,000 a year. The salary route of the Taiwan Gold Card asks for about $60,000 a year (NT$160,000 a month) in any one of the last three years. If you are above that line, look at the Gold Card first. It is open to any passport, gives you residence with an open work permit for up to three years, covers your family and counts toward permanent residence.
If your income is between $40,000 and $60,000 and your passport is visa-exempt, the nomad visa may be the realistic option for now. The Gold Card also has routes based on experience and achievements, so it is worth checking every field and route before you decide. We compared both side by side in nomad visa vs Gold Card.
Where we can help: the nomad visa is filed on paper at a Taiwan office, and you collect it there yourself, so there is little anyone else can do for you. The Gold Card is different: the whole application is online, and that is the part we handle for you, from choosing the route to the approved card.
FAQ
Taiwan nomad visa
Who can apply for the Taiwan nomad visa?
Only citizens of countries with visa-free entry to Taiwan. They also need an income of at least $40,000 a year ($20,000 if aged 20 to 29) in one of the last two years, or a nomad visa already issued by another country.
How long can I stay on the Taiwan nomad visa?
Six months at first. You can extend six months at a time at the National Immigration Agency, up to two years in total. There is no renewal after two years under the current rules.
Can I work for a Taiwanese company on the nomad visa?
No. Holders of the nomad visa cannot work for employers in Taiwan. If you want to work locally, you need a work permit, and the Gold Card includes an open one.
Does the nomad visa lead to permanent residence?
No. It is a visitor visa without a resident certificate, so the time does not count. Gold Card residence does count toward permanent residence.
How long does the nomad visa application take?
The official estimate is 14 to 20 working days, longer if you are asked for more documents or invited to an interview.
Nomad visa or Gold Card: which one is yours?
Our eligibility check takes two minutes. We look at your case, tell you whether the Gold Card is open to you, and handle the application if it is.
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