The short version
Tainan (臺南市) has 14 open universities and colleges in our directory. There is one High Speed Rail station and 17 Taiwan Railway stations. International students apply for their resident certificate (ARC) at the National Immigration Agency (NIA), which has service centers here: the NIA Tainan City First Service Center and the NIA Tainan City Second Service Center.
Universities and colleges here
- CTBC Business School中信金融管理學院
- CTBC University of Technology中信科技大學
- Chang Jung Christian University長榮大學
- Chia Nan University of Pharmacy & Science嘉南藥理大學
- Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology中華醫事科技大學
- Kun Shan University崑山科技大學
- Min-Hwei Junior College of Health Care Management敏惠醫護管理專科學校
- National Cheng Kung University國立成功大學
- National Tainan Junior College of Nursing國立臺南護理專科學校
- National University of Tainan國立臺南大學
- Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology南臺科技大學
- Tainan National University of the Arts國立臺南藝術大學
- Tainan Theological College台灣基督長老教會南神神學院
- Tainan University of Technology台南應用科技大學
→ Browse Tainan's schools, including any that have closed
The city in numbers
- Registered population 1,845,313 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 2,191.6531 km², in 37 districts and townships (鄉鎮市區).
- Density 845 people per km², from the end of 2025 figures.
Getting around
- High Speed Rail (THSR) Tainan Station (台南站), 台南市歸仁區歸仁大道100號.
- Taiwan Railway (TRA) 17 stations with an address here: Houbi (後壁), Xinying (新營), Liuying (柳營), Linfengying (林鳳營), Longtian (隆田), Balin (拔林), Shanhua (善化), Nanke (南科), Xinshi (新市), Yongkang (永康), Daqiao (大橋), Tainan (臺南), Bao'an (保安), Rende (仁德), Zhongzhou (中洲), Chang Jung Christian University (長榮大學), Shalun (沙崙).
- 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 Tainan City First Service Center No.262, Sec.1, Fuqian Rd., West Central Dist., Tainan City 700016,Taiwan (R.O.C.). Phone 06-293-7641.
- NIA Tainan City Second Service Center 1 F., No. 353, Zhongshan Rd., Shanhua Dist., Tainan City 741002, Taiwan (R.O.C.). Phone 06-5817404.
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 Tainan on other sites
Inside Tainan is a guide to Tainan. These are its pages on the topics students ask about most, with NightMarket.tw for night markets.
- The city guide Inside Tainan, the city guide
- Events and what's on Inside Tainan: events this weekend and this month
- Nightlife Inside Tainan: nightlife
- Shopping Inside Tainan: shopping
- Getting around Inside Tainan: getting around
- YouBike Inside Tainan: cycling and YouBike; Cycle.tw: YouBike, city by city
- First weeks Inside Tainan: everyday life
- Night markets NightMarket.tw: Tainan night markets; Inside Tainan: night markets
Official sites
- Tainan City Government (English)
- Travel Tainan, the official tourism site (English)
- National Immigration Agency (English)
- Taiwan Tourism Administration (English)