Student visa for Taiwan

Who issues visas

Visas are issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA, 外交部領事事務局) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan, and by Taiwan (ROC) overseas missions abroad. You fill in the online form at visawebapp.boca.gov.tw.

BOCA says a visa may be refused without a reason, and the fee is not refunded if no visa is issued. An admission letter from a school does not guarantee a resident visa, and a resident visa does not guarantee entry.

Visitor visa and resident visa

• Visitor visa For stays of no more than six months, including short-term study. The stay allowed is 14, 30, 60 or 90 days.
• Resident visa For stays of more than six months, including to study. The visa itself is valid for three months.
• After you arrive Resident visa holders apply for the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) at a National Immigration Agency (NIA) service center within 30 days, counted from the day after arrival.

Degree students

This is BOCA's resident visa for foreign students in a full-time bachelor's, master's or PhD program.

• If you are outside Taiwan, BOCA advises applying at a Taiwan (ROC) overseas mission.
• If you entered on a visitor visa for the purpose of "foreign students", you can apply to the NIA for residence and an ARC.
• If you entered visa-free, on a landing visa, or on a visitor visa for another purpose, you cannot apply for a resident visa or a longer stay on the ground of study.
• If you are not enrolled full-time, you cannot get a student resident visa.

Documents BOCA lists

• The online application form with its barcode, signed.
• Two color passport photos, 45 mm x 35 mm, white background, taken in the last 6 months.
• A passport valid for at least 6 months with blank pages, plus a copy of the photo page.
• A health certificate issued in the last 3 months by a hospital designated by Taiwan CDC, or by a foreign hospital (a foreign one must be authenticated by a Taiwan (ROC) mission).
• The admission permit from your school. If you are changing purpose, a record of enrollment, registration and transcripts instead.
• Your highest diploma and the transcripts for each year. Documents not in Chinese or English need an authenticated Chinese or English translation.
• Proof of financial support: bank statements or remittance records from you or relatives within the third degree, enough for at least 6 months of living costs. A scholarship certificate must show how long it lasts and the exact amount.
• Case by case: a purpose statement, parental or guardian consent, a guarantee letter, a police criminal record certificate, a language certificate, or copies of a visitor visa and entry stamp.

Documents made outside Taiwan must be authenticated by a Taiwan (ROC) overseas mission. Documents from Mainland China are authenticated by the Straits Exchange Foundation.

Good to know: BOCA does not publish a fixed minimum bank balance. It only says the money must cover at least 6 months of living costs.

An application made inside Taiwan takes 8 working days. If BOCA asks for a missing document and you don't supply it within 7 days, the application is rejected and the fee is not refunded.

Exchange students and overseas Chinese students have their own BOCA resident visa pages, listed on BOCA's Study in Taiwan page.

Mandarin learners

To study Chinese at a language center, you apply for a visitor visa for studying Chinese at a Taiwan (ROC) overseas mission, and pay the fee there.

• You need: the application form, two photos, a passport valid for 6 months, an admission certificate from a Chinese language center attached to a university or institution accredited by the Ministry of Education, a plan for studying Chinese, and proof of stable financial resources.
• You must attend at least 15 hours of classes a week, Monday to Friday.
• With an admission to the Chientan Overseas Youth Language Center, you also need a recommendation from the Overseas Community Affairs Council.
• Missions may decline these applications from nationals of certain designated countries.
• If BOCA asks for a missing document and you don't supply it within two weeks, the application is refused and the fee is not refunded.
• No switching: if you entered visa-free, on a landing visa or on a visitor visa for another purpose, or you already live in Taiwan for another reason, you cannot change to this visa.

Moving to residence after 4 months

If you entered on a visitor visa for studying Chinese, you can apply for residence for the same purpose directly at an NIA service center once you have studied for 4 months and are enrolled for at least 3 more months. The conditions:

• An enrollment certificate from an MOE-accredited university Mandarin center showing 4 months completed and at least 3 more months registered.
• At least 15 hours of class a week, Monday to Friday.
• Absences, including approved leave, of no more than a quarter of class hours.
• Your attendance record, transcripts, a study plan, and proof of money for at least 3 months of living costs.

A residence certificate for Mandarin study is valid for one year at most. → The ARC

Visa fees

From BOCA's standard fees table. Nationals of countries with a reciprocal agreement get visitor and resident visas free.

The U.S. amounts are a reciprocal fee for general purposes, in force from 7 April 2026. A special handling fee of NT$800 / US$24 applies to applications on arrival, and to changing a visitor visa into a resident visa inside Taiwan.

→ Next: the ARC

Sources (10)

Checked November 2026.Show

BOCA, Resident Visas for Foreign Students, BOCA, Visitor Visas, BOCA, Resident Visas, BOCA, Study in Taiwan, BOCA, Visitor Visa for Studying Chinese, BOCA, Resident Visas for Studying Mandarin Chinese, BOCA, Standard Fees (PDF), NIA, 0915 Guidelines, Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens, Regulations Regarding International Students Undertaking Studies in Taiwan.