How Do I Get A Taiwan Student Visa?

5 min read

Feb 28, 2019

All set and packed for Taiwan? Not so fast! Before you hop on that plane, you might want to do a quick requirement-check with us and you’ll be on your way.

Are you qualified?

Yes, if:

  1. You have graduated high school with consistent above average grades
  2. You can fluently speak the language in which your course will be taught in (English/Chinese)
  3. You are applying on your own and not as a group

First thing’s first — you have to get there. To do that go to the Taipei Economic Office and apply for a visitor’s visa.

Visitor visa:

A vistor’s visa or a tourist visa is given to citizens outside the citizenship of the Republic of China. It’s the necessary permit for foreigners to enter the country – either for vacation or while processing their work or student visa.

Requirements:
  • A completed application form
  • Two 2×2 photos taken within the last six months
  • Roundtrip airfare tickets
  • Letter of acceptance or admission issued by a college, university or language center in Taiwan
  • Other relevant supporting documents

However, if you have a valid US, UK or Schengen visa, you can opt for a tourist e-visa for Taiwan instead.

After this, you’ll be granted a visa for 60 days which is renewable twice. That means you can use that visa to stay up to 180 days, with that serving as your student visa. If you’re taking a short course, you’re good to go! However, if the program you’re in will need more than 6 months to complete, you’ll have to apply for an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate).

Visa extension:

You can extend your visitor’s visa twice for another 60 days. To do this, you’ll l have to go to the National Immigration Agency in Taiwan before your visa expires.

Requirements:
  • A completed application form
  • Two 2×2 photos taken within the last six months
  • Passport valid for at least 6 months with enough pages on it
  • Photocopy of your passport
  • Letter of acceptance or admission issued by a college, university or language center in Taiwan
  • Proof of financial support for the next 60 days
  • Supporting documents requested by the institution you’re in

Now, if the course you’re taking will take more than 180 days – let’s talk about getting your student visa ready and fixing that ARC!

Step one: Health examinations

To get a resident’s visa, you have to make sure you have proof that you are alive, well, and kicking! To do this you’ll have to go through a medical exam where your examining doctor fills out a Health Certificate Application before you apply for your resident’s visa.

To make it official, the Health Certificate Application should be verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the applicant’s home country. After the certificate has been verified, it may now be submitted, together with the rest of the application documents at the applicants home country’s Taiwan Embassy.

Another document you should prepare, just in case, is the PCC or the “Police Clearance Certificate.” This is required in some cases, but better to be safe than sorry!

Step two: Preparing your educational certificates

Once you’ve gotten your medical exam and police clearance ready, it’s time to prepare your educational certificates. You’ll need the original letter of acceptance from the school or institution you’re enrolled in and all other supporting documents requested by the ROC for approval.

Step 3: Fixing your visa

If you’ve duly completed the first two steps, then it’s waiting game for you. Taiwan visas usually take 5- 10 working days to be released. However, it’s still a case to case basis depending on the discretion of the embassy.

ARC requirements:
  • A passport valid for at least six months
  • A completed application form
  • Two 2×2 photos taken within the last six months
  • Supporting documents or official letters of approval from a competent authority of the ROC (Republic of China)
  • Letter of acceptance or admission issued by a college, university or language center in Taiwan
  • Health certificate, if applicable

For more visa related information, check out Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affair’s page!

We hope this was helpful for your international student program in Taiwan. Heading to Canada, the UK, Australia, or any other country? Visit Edukasyon.ph’s study abroad page for more student visa information!

Sources:

https://www.roc-taiwan.org/my_en/post/2199.html

https://www.boca.gov.tw/mp-1.html

https://www.roc-taiwan.org/ph_en/post/2559.html

 

Written By:

Zara Carbonell

Zara is Edukasyon.ph's ambassador of fun and student engagement. From the screen to the stage, she aims to educate, empower, and entertain. If she's not giving workshops and talks to the youth, she's most likely on a flight to a country less traveled or climbing a mountain to watch a perfectly lit sunrise.

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