Taiwan quietly launches 180-day 'digital nomad' visitor visas

Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) Taiwan has launched a six-month "digital nomad visitor visa" program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries, as long as the digital workers can meet certain financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts.

In order to apply, foreign nationals must either provide "proof of having obtained digital nomad visa [sic] issued by another country" or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Applicants aged 20 to 29 years old must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 (NT$657,361) or its equivalent in one of the last two years, while those aged 30 years or older must provide proof of US$40,000 (NT$1,314,723) or its equivalent in the same period.

Applicants must also provide "proof of bank deposits" averaging at least US$10,000 (NT$328,528) for the previous six-month period as well as "proof of health and full hospitalization insurance for the entire duration of stay," according to MOFA.

Only nationals from MOFA's list of visa-exempt countries are eligible for the new visa. These include citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and a number of European Union countries including France and Germany.

Applicants must also provide a "personal resume or portfolio, including academic background and work experience," a valid work contract from an employer or contracts for current freelance projects, and complete a "Description of Intended Activities" form.

The new "digital nomad visitor visa" was launched on Jan. 1, 2025, by the National Development Council (NDC) in conjunction with MOFA, apparently in an attempt to lure financially independent foreign nationals to spend their overseas-earned money in Taiwan.

The NDC said in July last year that it hoped to attract 100,000 "digital nomads" -- referring to persons earning incomes from overseas through working online while staying in Taiwan.

However, nearly a week after applications were first opened, neither the NDC nor MOFA has announced or promoted the new visa category on their websites in any language.

The NDC held a promotional event attended by Minister of National Development Liu Chin-chang (劉鏡清) in Tainan City on Dec. 20, according to a news release published only in Chinese on the NDC's website.

It is also unclear how Taiwan's "digital nomad visitor visa" might differ practically from other types of visitor visas the country already offers foreigners from countries on its visa-exemption list, except for offering a longer stay of up to six months.

Foreign nationals from the majority of Taiwan's visa-exempt countries can already come to Taiwan for 90 days without providing proof of income, while British and Canadian nationals can also extend their three-month stay to six months in total, according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs' website.