The short version
Hsinchu City (新竹市) has five open universities and colleges in our directory. There are six Taiwan Railway stations, and no High Speed Rail station. International students apply for their resident certificate (ARC) at the National Immigration Agency (NIA), which has a service center here: the NIA Hsinchu City Service Center.
Universities and colleges here
- Chung Hua University中華大學
- Hsuan Chuang University玄奘大學
- National Tsing Hua University國立清華大學
- National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University國立陽明交通大學
- Yuanpei University of Medical Technology元培醫事科技大學
→ Browse Hsinchu City's schools, including any that have closed
The city in numbers
- Registered population 455,731 at the end of September 2026. This is the household registration count (戶籍人口), people registered here, which is not the same as everyone living here.
- Land area 104.1526 km², in 3 districts and townships (鄉鎮市區).
- Density 4,376 people per km², from the end of 2025 figures.
Getting around
- High Speed Rail (THSR) No station here. None of the 12 THSR stations has an address in Hsinchu City.
- Taiwan Railway (TRA) 6 stations with an address here: North Hsinchu (北新竹), Qianjia (千甲), Xinzhuang (新莊), Hsinchu (新竹), Sanxingqiao (三姓橋), Xiangshan (香山).
- Metro and light rail None.
The station list comes from Taiwan Railway's station dataset, which does not say which stations are staffed or which trains stop there. Check a station on Taiwan Railway's own site before you plan a trip around it.
→ Getting around Taiwan: fares, monthly passes, YouBike and scooters
Your ARC: the immigration office
International students apply for the resident certificate (ARC) and register a change of address with the National Immigration Agency (NIA).
- NIA Hsinchu City Service Center 1F., No.12, Sec. 3, Zhonghua Rd., North Dist., Hsinchu City 300003, Taiwan (R.O.C.). Phone 03-524-3517.
NIA service centers are open 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, including the lunch hour. The NIA's Foreigners in Taiwan Hotline is 1990 from a Taiwan phone, or 886-800-001990 from overseas.
Housing and costs
- Dorms: how to apply, who gets priority, fees and rules.
- Tuition and living costs: what rent and everyday life cost across Taiwan.
- Renting: renting a room or flat off campus.
More about Hsinchu City on other sites
Inside Hsinchu is a guide to Hsinchu City. These are its pages on the topics students ask about most, with NightMarket.tw for night markets.
- The city guide Inside Hsinchu, the city guide
- Events and what's on Inside Hsinchu: events this weekend and this month
- Shopping Inside Hsinchu: groceries and shopping
- Getting around Inside Hsinchu: getting around
- YouBike Inside Hsinchu: buses, YouBike and scooters; Cycle.tw: YouBike, city by city
- First weeks Inside Hsinchu: your first 30 days
- Night markets NightMarket.tw: Hsinchu City God Temple food area; Inside Hsinchu: night markets
Official sites
- Hsinchu City Government (English)
- Hsinchu City tourism site (新竹市觀光旅遊網, English)
- National Immigration Agency (English)
- Taiwan Tourism Administration (English)