What is Taiwan's Employment Gold Card?

Professionals who want to live in Taiwan without an employer. A four-in-one document — work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate and re-entry permit in a single application. It lasts issued for 1, 2 or 3 years at your choice, renewable. An APRC (permanent residence) after 3 years of legal residence on the Gold Card, or after just 1 year for holders with annual income above NT$6 million. The general route otherwise needs 5 years with 183 days' presence each year.

What is Taiwan's Employer-sponsored work permit + ARC?

People with a Taiwanese job offer who don't qualify for, or don't need, a Gold Card. It lasts up to 3 years, renewable, tied to the employer. Counts toward the 5-year APRC clock with 183 days of presence each year.

What is Taiwan's Entrepreneur visa?

Founders building an innovative business in Taiwan. It lasts 1 year initially, extendable in 2-year blocks against progress. Counts toward the 5-year APRC clock.

What is Taiwan's Student resident visa?

Degree and Mandarin-language students at accredited Taiwanese institutions. It lasts course length, renewed annually via the ARC. Study time counts at half rate toward the APRC clock, and graduates of Taiwanese degrees can use a dedicated points-based evaluation to get a work permit without the usual experience requirement.

GlobeQuest

Moving from Solomon Islands to Taiwan

What your passport gets you at the border — and what it takes to actually stay.

Solomon Islands

TaiwanShort stay

e-Visa

Solomon Islands passport holders need an e-visa for Taiwan, applied for online before travelling.

This is short-stay visitor policy only. It does not let you work, study or settle in Taiwan — that needs a residence permit.

Passport Index · updated 17 February 2026Taiwan's official immigration service

Long stay

How you actually move to Taiwan

Work / sponsoredHigh confidenceVerified July 2026

Employment Gold Card

Professionals who want to live in Taiwan without an employer. A four-in-one document — work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate and re-entry permit in a single application.

What you need

Qualification under one of twelve recognised professional fields, or a catch-all 'special expertise' category endorsed by the relevant ministry
For the Economy field, a monthly salary of at least NT$160,000 (around US$5,000) in any of the previous three years
Other fields — science and technology, culture and arts, education, sport, finance, law, architecture, national defence and more — each have their own criteria, which can be met on credentials rather than salary
No Taiwanese employer, job offer or sponsor required

How long it lasts: Issued for 1, 2 or 3 years at your choice, renewable.
Path to permanent residence: An APRC (permanent residence) after 3 years of legal residence on the Gold Card, or after just 1 year for holders with annual income above NT$6 million. The general route otherwise needs 5 years with 183 days' presence each year.
Cost: Around US$100–310 depending on the validity chosen and your nationality.
Processing time: Commonly 30–60 days, since it passes through both the ministry endorsing your field and the immigration authority.

Worth knowing

The 'special expertise' catch-all is how most people who don't hit the salary bar actually qualify — the twelve fields are broader in practice than they read on paper.
Gold Card holders get an income-tax concession on foreign-sourced income above a threshold for their first years of residence, which materially changes the maths for high earners.
Separately from the Gold Card, Taiwan opened a dedicated digital nomad visa for remote workers in 2025. It is a much shorter, non-resident permission with its own income test — confirm the current terms on BOCA rather than assuming it resembles the Gold Card.
Physical-presence rules matter for the APRC clock: 183 days a year is the general test, and time abroad can reset progress.

Sources:Employment Gold Card — official portal National Immigration Agency

Work / sponsoredMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

Employer-sponsored work permit + ARC

People with a Taiwanese job offer who don't qualify for, or don't need, a Gold Card.

What you need

Job offer from a Taiwanese employer who applies to the Ministry of Labor on your behalf
A bachelor's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience, or a master's, or 5 years of experience — depending on the category
The employer must meet minimum capital or turnover thresholds and salary floors for foreign hires

How long it lasts: Up to 3 years, renewable, tied to the employer.
Path to permanent residence: Counts toward the 5-year APRC clock with 183 days of presence each year.
Cost: Employer-side application fees plus your resident visa and ARC fees.
Processing time: Several weeks for the work permit, then the visa and ARC steps.

Worth knowing

Employer capital and turnover requirements exclude many small Taiwanese companies from sponsoring at all.
Because the permit is employer-tied, a Gold Card is strictly better if you can qualify — same country, far more freedom.

Sources:National Immigration Agency BOCA — Bureau of Consular Affairs

InvestmentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

Entrepreneur visa

Founders building an innovative business in Taiwan.

What you need

Qualification on one of several tracks: funding from an approved investor, acceptance into a government-recognised incubator or accelerator, a patent or exclusive licence, or winning a designated startup competition
Or investment of at least NT$2 million in your own Taiwanese company with a credible plan

How long it lasts: 1 year initially, extendable in 2-year blocks against progress.
Path to permanent residence: Counts toward the 5-year APRC clock.
Cost: Visa and ARC fees plus the capital or programme costs of whichever track you use.
Processing time: Several weeks to a few months depending on the qualifying track.

Worth knowing

The non-capital tracks — accelerator acceptance, patents, competition wins — are the interesting ones and are often overlooked in favour of the investment threshold.
Extensions are judged on real progress: revenue, hiring or funding raised.

Sources:National Immigration Agency

StudentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

Student resident visa

Degree and Mandarin-language students at accredited Taiwanese institutions.

What you need

Admission to an accredited university or approved language centre
Proof of funds and health insurance
Health check for resident visa applicants

How long it lasts: Course length, renewed annually via the ARC.
Path to permanent residence: Study time counts at half rate toward the APRC clock, and graduates of Taiwanese degrees can use a dedicated points-based evaluation to get a work permit without the usual experience requirement.
Cost: Visa and ARC fees on top of tuition, which is low by international standards.
Processing time: A few weeks after admission.

Worth knowing

The graduate points system is the practical bridge from study to work and removes the 2-years-experience barrier that otherwise blocks new graduates.
Language-centre students get a resident visa only for longer programmes; short courses are visitor-class and build nothing.

Sources:BOCA — Bureau of Consular Affairs National Immigration Agency

On the ground

Where you'd land in Taiwan

Taipei

World-class healthcare, night-market food and the self-sponsored Gold Card — the friendliest, most livable base in East Asia for founders and remote workers.

Full Taipei guide