Taiwan considering proposal to attract 'digital nomads': NDC

Taipei, July 18 (CNA) Taiwan is considering a proposal to attract "digital nomads" and hopes they might stay after experiencing life in Taiwan, said the National Development Council (NDC) on Thursday.

NDC head Paul Liu (劉鏡清) told the media that the council is proposing to work together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to issue special visas for digital nomads as part of the country's plan to attract more foreign talent.

"Digital nomads are those who have digital abilities to work remotely," explained Liu, adding that after the pandemic the number of digital nomads increased to about 35 million worldwide.

"They can contribute to Taiwan as tourists and consumers, and if they are attracted by the life here, they would probably want to stay for longer and might be a driving force for local enterprises," the NDC head said.

The council is hoping to attract 100,000 digital nomads and have at least 10,000 reside long-term in Taiwan.

While investigating ways that Taiwan can attract foreign talent, the council discovered that "many other Asian countries" including Japan, Thailand and Malaysia have been developing measures to attract digital nomads, he added.

The NDC's plans involve working with MOFA to update visa regulations, expanding the scope of Taiwan's longest-stay Visitor Visa to cover digital nomads.

This could allow those working remotely to do so in Taiwan for up to 180 days, said an NDC official.

Since no legal amendments would be needed, the visa change could be implemented as soon communication with MOFA is completed, the NDC official later explained, without elaborating further on the specifics of the proposal.

The official added that the council will discuss with other agencies about measures for supporting foreign workers to stay longer than 180 days and will also encourage local governments to make their own proposals.

In addition, the NDC is proposing to amend the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to relax the current regulations, including qualifications for permanent residency, in order to attract more foreign professionals, according to the NDC head.