What is the Taiwan Employment Gold Card?

According to [National Development Council], the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is part of the [Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professional Talent], implemented in October 2017. It is part of a more comprehensive government initiative to attract highly skilled foreign talent to Taiwan.

Launched in 2018, the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is a 4-in-1 card, that includes a resident visa, work permit, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), and re-entry permit, which allows you to leave and re-enter Taiwan multiples times over the course of 1-3 years. Applicants can apply online without sponsorship.

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Four-in-One

1. Work Permit: Allows cardholders to seek employment freely, obtain employment at any time, work any part-time job legally, and freely change jobs.
2. Resident Visa: Long-term visa which allows cardholders to stay in Taiwan for more than 180 days.
3. Alien Resident Certificate: A physical ID card proving that you can live in Taiwan legally.
4. Re-entry Permit: Allows unlimited entry and exit from Taiwan (even during COVID-19).

Qualification is based on an assessment of your professional skills. You don’t need to have already secured a job in Taiwan. The Gold Card costs anywhere between USD 100 and USD 310 depending on your nationality and the duration of the card.

A perfect application takes 30-days, however, if additional supporting documents are requested, expect a time frame of 50-60 days.

The Taiwan Employment Gold Card. (Photo / Provided by the National Development Council)

Industries that are eligible to apply for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card:

Please select which single ministry is most relevant, and in most cases also select a specific entry on the list of qualifications in that particular industry for your application.

• Science & Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology)
• Economy (Ministry of Economic Affairs)
• Education (Ministry of Education)
• Culture & Arts (Ministry of Culture)
• Sport (Ministry of Education)
• Finance (Financial Supervisory Commission)
• Law (Ministry of Justice)
• Architecture (Ministry of the Interior)

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Benefits

1. This card is an open-end work permit issued to employment-seeking individuals that require neither pre-confirmed hiring by or application through any employer.
2. There are income tax benefits in terms of income tax deduction and exemption.
3. Lineal relatives can apply for visitor visas with a maximum stay of up to one year.
4. Spouses and children can apply for residency in Taiwan as well.
5. Employment Gold Card Holders are eligible for National Health Insurance. Cardholders who are not employed in Taiwan professionally are subjected to a 6-month waiting period. Cardholders’ spouse, children under the age of 20, and adult children who cannot live independently due to physical or mental disability are subjected to the same rules.