After months of teasing, the moment has finally come: one of the most sought-after destinations in Asia right now, Taiwan is launching its own Digital Nomad Visa (or, as we like to call it here, a DNV).
An island nation lying southwest of China, it's risen fast in popularity with remote workers thanks to its vibrant capital, Taipei, which boasts a large number of coworking centers and affordable prices, an idyllic nature, and a postcard-ready coastline.
If you've been waiting patiently for Taiwan to drop this visa, and you're now ecstatic at the news, here's everything you need to know about applying and, most importantly, who's eligible.
Let's cut to the chase already and open with the juicy stuff:
Taiwan Digital Nomad Visa 2025: Everything You Need to Know
As reported by Taiwan News, all foreign nationals, regardless of citizenship, and this includes U.S. and Canada nationals, who are able to work remotely digitally are eligible to apply for the Taiwanese DNV.
In other words, the oddly-simple criteria is as follows:
- You must be able to carry out remote work in Taiwan
- You cannot be employed by a local business or start a Taiwan-based business
DNVs usually come with a strict checklist of requirements that must be met for issuance, but in Taiwan's case, it seems to be pretty straightforward.
Naturally, we expect authorities to run some sort of background check, such as asking applicants to provide proof of a clean criminal record, though that is not part of the formal instructions circulating in the local press (just yet).
DNV applications also involve, more often than not, a financial threshold being met, and in Taiwan's case, it's no different.
Surprisingly, unlike Japan's DNV, which comes at the jaw-dropping requirement of US$65,000 in yearly earnings, or even Thailand's long-term residence program, which only accepts applicants earning over US$80,000-a-year, Taiwanese authorities have set a much-lower bar…
Depending on age.
If you're a young nomad aged 20 to 29, you must present proof of income of at least US$24,000 in the previous year––meanwhile, those aged 30 or above must have made a minimum of US$60,000 in the year preceding the application.
It sounds fair enough to us, as younger travelers are unlikely to be top-earners and are usually not contemplated in Digital Nomad Visa rules, despite contributing significantly to the entrepreneurial scene and economy of the cities they live in.
All in all, Taiwan seems to have done its homework: the DNV requirements are non-bureaucratic, fair, and all-encompassing.
How Long Can You Stay In Taiwan With A Digital Nomad Visa?
Now, how long can nomads actually stay in Taiwan on a Digital Nomad Visa?
That's the part that let us down a little: these visas will only have an initial validity of 3 months, renewable for an additional three, allowing for a maximum stay of 6 months, no further renewals permitted to the best of our knowledge.
Bummer.
When entering Taiwan as a tourist, U.S. passport holders are already granted a three-month stay in the territory without the need to apply for a permit in advance.
Their reason for visiting must be tourism, but it's not like authorities are checking whether you're working remotely from your Airbnb in between sightseeing and exploring Taipei's night markets.
The good news is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed this short-term visa can be later converted to a work visa if nomads do decide to stay longer in Taiwan and set up base on the island.
In that case, they would be treated as formal residents, paying taxes locally, and if they're entrepreneurs, the visa conversion might involve converting their foreign-based business to a Taiwan-based one.
Good luck doing that in Mandarin Chinese.
Do You Have A DNV Already?
You're In!
The other good news, if not great, is that nomads who have already been issued a Digital Nomad Visa elsewhere will have their review process waived.
You read that right:
If you currently hold a DNV in a European country, in Latin America, Asia, or any country or region you can possibly name, and you're interested in relocating to Taiwan on a fresh DNV, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will directly issue your visa, no questions asked.
How cool?
In this case, you're also eligible to convert your DNV to a work visa or even apply for Taiwan's Employment Gold Card or Entrepreneur Visa.
Tainan City Is The Official Starting Point Of The Program
According to the National Development Council, which held the visa launch ceremony back in December 20, 2024, Tainan will be the ‘starting point' of the new program.
You may be wondering why Tainan and not Taipei, or even Kaohsiung, the second-largest city.
Tainan has the distinction of being the oldest city on the island, with over 400 years of history, a plethora of ornate temples to its name, and world-class restaurants serving $5 Danzai noodles and other Taiwanese delicacies at affordable prices.
It has a population of over 1.8 million residents, and as it's the sixth-largest urban conurbation in Taiwan, it's still metropolitan and vibrant enough to appease the most sociable and outgoing of digital nomads.
On top of that, Tainan is one of the cheapest city destinations in Taiwan for digital nomads, with Numbeo reporting an average rent of $294 per month in the city center and an even cheaper $176 further out.
Either way, this does not mean nomads will only be allowed to reside in Tainan––not that we'd be particularly mad about it ourselves…
It just means it is the ‘pilot' city for the wider launch of the DNV, as Taiwan pours 150 billion New Taiwan dollars into entrepreneurship programs, infrastructure development, and so on (Tainan is just likely to be on the receiving end of it for now).
Everything Else We Know Already About The Taiwanese DNV
In the words of Liu Ching-ching, the Development Minister, Taiwan has ‘the best digital nomad environment in Asia and has received international recognition in terms of living conditions, environment, and food‘.
Indeed, it has a higher GDP per capita than average, especially compared to Southeast Asian states, it's probably the closest one to ultra-developed nations like Japan and Singapore and in terms of social well-being, democracy and infrastructure, and crime levels are very, very low.
For that reason, Liu believes Taiwan is the most suitable Asian country for nomads, and depending on the initial results, the Government is even open to the idea of extending the six-month stay period, so keep your hopes up, folks!
The visa will be formally launched at the start of this year, and soon enough, an online application platform with more information and one-stop services for nomads will be released.
It is set to include assistance in English to foreigners coming to Taiwan in ‘distinctive areas of interest'.
These are:
- Tainan
- Taitung
- Hualien
- Nantou
In Nantou, the focal point will be Zhongxing New Village, where a ‘digital nomad demonstration zone' will be installed, with ‘vacation and experiential activities', and even long-stay assistance for nomads residing in these areas.
We're not sure what a ‘demonstration zone' means exactly––maybe they mean a digital nomad village in the style of Brazil's Pipa, with lots more perks?––but we're eager to find out more as much as you are.
2025 has barely started, but it sounds promising already to the digital nomad community!
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