Taiwan to Introduce Extended Digital Nomad Visas

To attract international talent, Taiwan plans to introduce digital nomad visas, which will be valid for up to six months.

At a press conference, Paul Liu, the National Development Council (NDC) Minister, announced that in response to the increased prevalence of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council aims to attract digital nomads to enhance the country’s talent pool.

Liu highlighted that with countries like South Korea, Japan, and Thailand already implementing digital nomad policies, attracting foreign talent has become increasingly vital for Taiwan in this context.

Currently, Taiwan’s digital nomad visa permits a stay of three months. The government plans to extend this period by an additional three months.

Minister Liu stated that this extension does not require legislative changes and can be enacted with approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The minister announced that the Council will submit draft amendments to the Act for Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to the Legislative Yuan in the next session.

The proposed amendments are intended to streamline the process for highly skilled foreign professionals seeking permanent residency in Taiwan.

He added that that the bill would model Japan’s global elite visa program, and allows professionals with an annual salary of NT$6 million (US$184,021) or more to qualify for permanent residency after residing in Taiwan for at least one year.

The government aims to attract 120,000 international talents to Taiwan by 2028, including 60,000 professionals, 50,000 students, and 10,000 digital nomads, according to Minister Liu.

The National Development Council established the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to enhance international talent recruitment by streamlining work and residency applications and offering incentives for long-term stays.