What is the Gold Card?
The Taiwan Employment Gold Card is a combined visa, work permit and residence permit launched in 2018 to attract professional talent in Taiwan. The card gives you the right to stay and work in Taiwan for 1 year to 3 years, and you can apply online without sponsorship. The card comes with open work rights, so you may work for any (or multiple) company in Taiwan or start your own business. You can bring your family with you, and visitor rights for parents and grandparents are also included. There are tax incentives for cardholders with high salaries.
Qualification is based on an asssessment of your professional skills, you don’t need to have already secured a job in Taiwan. The Gold Card costs between USD100 and USD310 depending on your nationality and the duration of your card.
How long does the application take?
A perfect application takes 30 days, if your supporting documents are accepted the first time around and there are no external factors (eg COVID-19 delays). If you are asked for tweaks to your supporting documents, expect 60+ days.
Do I apply for the Gold Card personally, or should I ask my employer to do that?
Generally you should apply personally. Employers can help with the process, but you do not need their sponsorship or support to apply for the card. Additionally, the card once issued contains an open work permit that allows you to work for any company. If someone is asking you for large sums of money to help with your gold card application, it could be a scam.
What fees are involved in a Gold Card application?
There is only one fee, which is paid through the Gold Card application portal. There are no separate visa or work permit fees.
The fees varies if you apply from Taiwan or overseas, the duration of the visa, and your nationality. You can check the “Fees for Employment Gold Card” section of the application portal.
Who can I talk to about this?
If you’d like to discuss: whether you should apply, benefits of the program, or any early questions:
- Read the Official Gold Card Website
- Ask help@taiwangoldcard.tw, the Gold Card Helpdesk run by the National Development Council
- Ask Contact Taiwan. They are a Government-funded organisation whose mission is to help you find a job. They’ll direct you to the right place.
Otherwise, specific questions should be directed to the government agency responsible:
- tax incentives: the National Tax Bureau’s toll-free English line 0800-000-321 can sometimes provide some basic information about this, otherwise ask the Gold Card Helpdesk to get a specific Ministry of Finance contact.
- visas for your spouse/family: Contact NIA, again following up with the Gold Card Helpdesk if you encounter people who don’t know what they are doing.
Do you need to undergo a health check to apply for the Gold Card?
We haven’t heard of anyone to date who required a health check, so it’s not a normal part of the process at least.