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Pathway

Taiwan Entrepreneur Visa

Taiwan Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Eligible founders and startup teams can apply for two years in Taiwan to develop a business. You need evidence for an accepted innovation category, and renewal depends on business results.

Starting point
Meet one official funding, incubator, patent, achievement, or innovation category
Documents
Passport valid for at least six months and evidence for your chosen category
Team applications
A team intent letter and evidence of each member’s own role and eligibility

Summary

Taiwan’s Entrepreneur Visa can give eligible founders and startup teams two years to live in Taiwan and build a business. You may qualify through accepted funding, an incubator, patents, recognized achievements, or another listed innovation category. You do not always need to set up a Taiwan company before applying.

Renewing usually means showing real business results. Residence approval also does not replace any work permit, business registration, or professional license you need.

Starting and renewing entrepreneur residence
  1. Prove one entry category Document the accepted funding, incubator support, patents, or other innovation evidence.
  2. Build the business after approval Use the initial two years and keep records of actual operations.
  3. Show results for renewal Meet a revenue, expense, employment, or other accepted contribution test.

The first application and renewal use different tests. The residence card does not replace any required work permit.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

Choose a category you can prove

You must meet at least one official category and provide its required documents. Common options include:

Use the official checklist for your chosen option. A promising idea alone is not enough: funding needs investment records, an incubator needs its agreement and recommendation, and an existing business needs company, role, and investment evidence.

Applying alone or as a team

You need a recent photo, a passport valid for at least six months, and documents for your chosen category. Hong Kong and Macao applicants follow separate identity and residence rules.

Teams also submit a team intent letter explaining the proposed work together. Each member must document their role and eligibility. One founder’s approval does not cover the others.

What This Route Allows

Initial residence and family

An approved foreign applicant receives two years of residence and an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), Taiwan’s residence card for foreign residents. It allows you to live in Taiwan and leave and return while it is valid.

A foreign spouse, child under 18, or older child unable to live independently because of a qualifying disability may apply for family residence. Their work rights require a separate check.

Renewing through business results

You can apply in the four months before your ARC expires. Each business extension can be up to two years if the Taiwan business meets at least one of these tests:

If the business has ended but you genuinely need time to leave or change immigration status, you and already approved family members may receive a six-month extension and, if needed, one further extension. The total is limited to one year. This is temporary time to make other arrangements, not a renewal based on a successful business.

What This Route Is Not

You cannot buy residence by depositing TWD 2 million. That figure applies to one specific funding option, with rules about the source and records. A shell company also does not qualify on its own.

The residence card is not a general work permit. Before doing executive, technical, salaried, or self-employed work, confirm what permission the Employment Service Act and other relevant laws require.

The route does not automatically give permanent residence or citizenship. Later permanent residence has separate rules about time living in Taiwan, physical presence, conduct, and finances. Family members receive family residence, not their own entrepreneur approval.

Next Steps

  1. Choose one official category and list the documents that prove each requirement, including dates, amounts, issuers, and translations.
  2. Confirm that your investor or funding platform is accepted, or obtain the required incubator agreement and recommendation.
  3. Prepare a Taiwan business plan explaining the idea, market, team roles, funding, milestones, and expected local contribution. Teams also need a consistent intent letter.
  4. Apply through the National Immigration Agency’s Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform. Be ready for passport checks and requests for more evidence.
  5. Complete company, tax, banking, licensing, and work-permit steps separately.
  6. Keep invoices, expenses, payroll, tax, employee-nationality, and business-performance records from the start so you can document renewal.
  7. Apply within the four-month renewal window and report address or business-location changes within 30 days.

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