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    Student visa guide

    Taiwan student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate costs $97 in fees nobody can skip, up to $286 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 6 official sources

    How much does a Taiwan student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Taiwan on the Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate costs $97 in fees you cannot skip: Single-entry resident visa, applied for overseas ($66) and Alien Resident Certificate, one year ($31). Situational extras (rush handling of the visa, national Health Insurance, months seven to twelve and health certificate from a designated hospital) add up to $189 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked September 2026.

    Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate cost breakdown

    Every line the Taiwan application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of September 2026.

    Single-entry resident visa, applied for overseas$66
    USD 66 at a Republic of China overseas mission; NTD 2,200 if applied for in Taiwan Bureau of Consular Affairs: Standard fees for Republic of China visas
    Alien Resident Certificate, one year$31
    NTD 1,000 per year of validity, so NTD 2,000 for two years and NTD 3,000 for three National Immigration Agency: Instructions on document submission for an Alien Resident Certificate
    Mandatory total$97
    What the Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Rush handling of the visa$33
    A 50 percent surcharge on the visa fee, waived for emergencies or official duties Bureau of Consular Affairs: Standard fees for Republic of China visas
    National Health Insurance, months seven to twelve$156
    NTD 826 a month is the individual's share of the category 6 premium once you have lived in Taiwan for six months; six months of it in the first year National Health Insurance Administration: How premiums are calculated
    Health certificate from a designated hospital$0
    Required for the visa, priced by the hospital rather than the bureau, so it sits outside the total Bureau of Consular Affairs: Resident visas for foreign students
    If every extra applied$286
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Taiwan bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • Taiwan prices the visa in US dollars for overseas applicants and the residence certificate in New Taiwan dollars, so only the certificate and insurance lines move with the exchange rate.
    • A student who enters on a visitor visa marked for study and switches to a resident visa in Taiwan pays NTD 2,200 for the visa plus an NTD 800 special handling charge.
    • New Taiwan dollar figures convert at USD 1 = NTD 31.86, the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026.

    Taiwan student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    An admission permit from a full-time programeveryoneThe original and a copy of the admission permit go in the file, issued under the Ministry of Education's regulations for international students. Anyone not enrolled as a full-time student cannot apply for a resident visa on the ground of study. source
    A health certificate no more than three months oldeveryoneThe certificate comes from a hospital designated by the Centers for Disease Control or from a foreign hospital, and a foreign one has to be authenticated by a Republic of China overseas mission. The CDC website lists the checkup items and the designated hospitals. source
    Funds for at least six consecutive months of living costseveryoneBank statements or remittance records, from you or a relative within the third degree of kinship, must show enough for six months of living needs when the application is filed. A relative's statements travel with a birth certificate, household registration or family book proving the relationship, and a scholarship certificate has to state its duration and exact amount. source
    Your highest diploma and every year's transcripts, authenticatedeveryoneOriginals and copies of the highest education diploma and transcripts, with Chinese or English translations where they are in another language, all authenticated by a Republic of China overseas mission. source
    A passport valid six months, two photos and the barcoded online formeveryoneThe application is filled in at visawebapp.boca.gov.tw and printed with its barcode, signed, and pasted with two color passport photos on a white background taken within six months. The passport needs six months of validity and blank pages. source
    An Alien Resident Certificate within 30 days of arrivaleveryoneHolders of a resident visa apply to a National Immigration Agency service center for the certificate within 30 days from the day after arrival, and for a re-entry permit within 30 days of the visa's issue date. The certificate carries the permitted period of stay. source
    Proof of where you live, for the certificateeveryoneThe agency asks for a lease, or the owner's agreement to lend the place with a copy of the title deed, or a copy of a Taiwanese owner's identity card with the owner's consent, plus one color photo to national ID specifications. source

    How to apply for a Taiwan student visa

    1. Get admitted, then book the health check at a designated hospital

      The health certificate has a three-month shelf life, so it is timed against the visa appointment rather than the admission letter.

      source
    2. Apply for the resident visa at a Republic of China overseas mission

      Applicants outside Taiwan who meet the student requirements apply at the mission that covers them. A single-entry resident visa costs USD 66 overseas, and rush handling adds a 50 percent surcharge. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.

      source
    3. Enter Taiwan and apply for the Alien Resident Certificate within 30 days

      The certificate costs NTD 1,000 for one year of validity, NTD 2,000 for two and NTD 3,000 for three, and the agency processes it in 10 working days. The bureau's page sets the deadline at 30 days from the day after arrival; the agency's own instruction sheet still prints 15 days and a NTD 2,000 to 10,000 penalty for missing it, so file early.

      source
    4. Get a work permit before any part-time job

      A student officially enrolled in a department or graduate institute may apply for a work permit through the EZ Work Permit portal, and works no more than 20 hours a week outside the winter and summer vacations.

      source
    5. Join National Health Insurance after six months

      Foreign residents come under the scheme as category 6 insured. The average category 6 premium has been NTD 1,377 a month since January 2021, of which the individual pays 60 percent, NTD 826, and the government 40 percent.

      source
    6. Extend within 30 days before the certificate expires, each year

      An extension needs the student card stamped for the current semester or a certificate of student status issued within a month, filed within 30 days before the permitted residence ends. The fee is charged again per year of validity.

      source

    Taiwan student visa processing time

    A resident visa application filed inside Taiwan takes eight working days at the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and the Alien Resident Certificate takes ten working days at the National Immigration Agency. Overseas missions set their own visa times.

    Bureau of Consular Affairs: Resident visas for foreign students · checked September 2026

    Taiwan student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    A foreign student enrolled in a Taiwanese college or university may work with a work permit from the Workforce Development Agency, and the sum of working hours may not exceed 20 hours a week except during the winter and summer vacations, under Article 50 of the Employment Services Act.

    sourcecompare all countries

    After graduation

    A graduate with an associate degree or higher who is approved for extended residence by the National Immigration Agency may work in Taiwan during that period without a work permit, in any category of work, for a maximum of two years. The agency's instruction sheet frames the extension as six months with one further extension of up to a year in total, so the two years rests on the rules in force from 2026.

    sourcecompare all countries
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Taiwan student visa fee?
    The Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate application charge is $66 (Single-entry resident visa, applied for overseas). Add the other mandatory items (Alien Resident Certificate, one year $31) and the all-in mandatory total is $97. Optional extras add up to $189 on top.
    Can you work on a Taiwan student visa?
    A foreign student enrolled in a Taiwanese college or university may work with a work permit from the Workforce Development Agency, and the sum of working hours may not exceed 20 hours a week except during the winter and summer vacations, under Article 50 of the Employment Services Act. Source: Workforce Development Agency, EZ Work Taiwan: Foreign students taking part-time jobs, working time limit (September 2026).
    How long does a Taiwan student visa take?
    A resident visa application filed inside Taiwan takes eight working days at the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and the Alien Resident Certificate takes ten working days at the National Immigration Agency. Overseas missions set their own visa times. Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs: Resident visas for foreign students (September 2026).
    What's not included in the Resident visa for foreign students plus Alien Resident Certificate fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified September 2026.