Living in Taiwan, explained properly.
ARC, banking, health insurance, tax and housing — written for people who actually have to do it, and sourced from the published rules.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Taiwan Visa? What the Published Guidance Actually Says
How Taiwan visitor visa processing time works: why there is no single published number, what each overseas mission publishes, the application flow, and how to plan so timing never becomes your problem.
how long does it take to get a taiwan visa — Read guideWhat's in this guide
- There is no single published processing time for a Taiwan visa — each overseas mission sets its own guidance and every case is assessed individually.
- Published windows range from a few working days to several weeks depending on the mission, the visa type and whether an interview or further review is needed.
- Apply well in advance through the Bureau of Consular Affairs' online system, and treat any published window as guidance, not a guarantee.
Recently updated
- Visa
Taiwan Visa Run: What Re-Entry Does and Does Not Reset
What a visa run in Taiwan actually achieves: how visa-free stays work, what re-entry does and does not reset, why back-to-back runs can be refused, and the proper alternatives.
- Visa
Taiwan APRC: Permanent Residency Requirements, Documents and What Gets It Revoked
How to get Taiwan's Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC): the five-year residence rule, the 183-day test, financial proof, the application window, and what can cancel it.
- Visa
Can Foreigners Work in Taiwan? The Legal Routes in 2026
Yes — but only with a work permit. Who applies, the white-collar work permit route, the Employment Gold Card for specialists, the salary threshold, and what working without a permit means.
- Visa
Documents Required for a Taiwan Visa: The Complete Checklist
The document set required for a Taiwan visa application: the online application form, passport photos, passport validity, proof of funds, itinerary and return ticket, plus the additional documents that apply by purpose and who submits them.
- Banking
Getting a Credit Card in Taiwan as a Foreigner: What Issuers Look At
Can foreigners get a Taiwanese credit card? The practical answer — what issuers weigh (residence, income, local credit history), why new arrivals are often declined, and the realistic path to a card.
- Visa
Taiwan Resident Visa: The Entry Step That Leads to an ARC
The Taiwan resident visa (居留簽證) is the document that lets you stay long term and convert to an Alien Resident Certificate. Here is who needs one, how it differs from a visitor visa, and the step to the ARC after arrival.
- Visa
Converting a Taiwan Tourist Visa to a Work Permit: What Is Actually Possible
You cannot work on a Taiwan visitor visa, and a work permit comes from your employer, not from 'converting' your visa. The real steps: work permit, resident visa, then ARC — and when you can do it without leaving Taiwan.
- Phone
Taiwan Phone Plans: Prepaid, Postpaid and MVNO Options Compared
How to choose a phone plan in Taiwan as a foreign resident — prepaid top-up plans, postpaid contracts with an ARC, and budget MVNOs, with what each requires and when each makes sense.