Immigration

Taiwan | Amendment to act for the recruitment and employment of foreign professionals

Summary

The Taiwan government has made amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to loosen work and residency regulations and strengthen social security measures for certain groups. Most of the updates will take effect on January 01, 2026.

The detail

Key updates

Expansion of the scope of professional work covered by the law

1. The list of special professional fields will be expanded to include “environment” and “biotechnology.”
2. Public and private senior high schools and below offering bilingual education will be eligible to hire teachers to teach language and non-language subjects, including arts and extracurricular activities, and to support teaching and teacher training programs. This update will take effect on June 30, 2026.

Relaxation of requirements for obtaining work authorization

1. Foreign nationals who obtain an associate degree or higher in Taiwan will be granted the right to work in Taiwan during their approved period of extended residence.
2. Foreign nationals who have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher from one of the world’s top 200 universities within the past 5 years, and spouses of foreign Special Professionals and foreign Senior Professionals, may be eligible to apply directly for a Work Permit in Taiwan.
3. Foreign nationals who have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher from one of the world’s top 1,500 universities will be exempt from the two-year employment experience requirement when applying for a Work Permit.

Extension of stay under Digital Nomad Visa

The maximum permitted period of stay for digital nomad visa holders will be extended to 2 years.

Relaxation of requirements for permanent residence applications

1. Qualified foreign Special Professionals who meet certain criteria will be eligible to apply for permanent residence after 1 year of continuous residence in Taiwan.
2. Foreign nationals who obtained an associate’s or higher degree in Taiwan may have 1 to 3 years of residence requirement deducted when applying for permanent residency.

Improvement of labor and social rights protections

1. Foreign professionals will be eligible for the new labor pension without obtaining permanent residency.
2. Foreign professionals who obtained permanent residency will be eligible for employment insurance.
3. Foreign professionals who obtained permanent residency and meet certain requirements, along with their dependents, will be eligible for certain disability and long-term care services. This update will take effect on June 30, 2026.

Kindly note that the relevant implementation details are still subject to further announcements by the competent authorities.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Lucy Ho
Partner

Chloe Tsai
Senior Manager

Taiwan Immigration Team
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