Taiwan · Work
Taiwan Graduate work permit (points)
First stay: 3 yrs
Work permit for graduates of Taiwanese universities (points test)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Graduate work permit (points) is a work route for Taiwan. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- TWD 500 ≈ $16
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government feesTWD 500 ≈ $16
- TWD 500 (≈ $16)Employment permission review fee per permit or extension for specialized or technical work, paid by the employer.
RenewalRenewable
The work permit is valid for up to 3 years and the employer can apply to extend it.
Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of Justice
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
General rule: 5 consecutive years of legal residence with at least 183 days in Taiwan each year, plus good conduct and enough property or skills to support yourself. Time on a student residence permit does not count, but later employment on a work permit does.
Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of JusticeNational Immigration Agency Taiwan
CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence
General naturalization needs legal residence in Taiwan of more than 183 days each year for at least 5 consecutive years, plus good conduct, means of support and basic language and civics knowledge.
Ministry of Justice, Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in Taiwan
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Taiwan
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- The applicant graduated from a Taiwanese university with a bachelor degree or higher.
- An associate degree or higher qualifies in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, long-term care or e-commerce.
- The applicant scores 70 points or more on the addendum table to Article 5-1.
- The table covers education, salary, work experience, language ability, background and support for government industrial policy.
- The employer is a juridical person with total funding of NT$10 million (under one year old) or average operating expenditure of NT$5 million, or another eligible organisation.
What you must show and pay1
- A fee of TWD 500 (≈ $16) · Employment permission review fee per permit or extension for specialized or technical work, paid by the employer.
Steps1
- The employer applies for the permit.
When you become tax resident
How Taiwan decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a taxable yearResident for progressive-rate assessment
- More than 90 days in a taxable yearOver 90 but under 183 days: withholding on Taiwan-source income
- Foreign-source income
Overseas income, basic tax only
Taiwan's regular income tax covers income from sources in the R.O.C.; income from outside Taiwan is excluded from consolidated gross income but is added to 'basic income' when a filing unit's overseas income is NT$1,000,000 or more, and the Income Basic Tax is 20% of basic income above NT$7,500,000, payable only when it exceeds the regular tax.
All tax rules for Taiwan Tax records checked
Full official text
Work permit for foreign, overseas-compatriot and ethnic-Chinese students who graduated from a Taiwanese university (bachelor or higher; associate degree in selected sectors), granted on a 70-point test. 1 2 3 4 5 6
What you must show and pay
- A fee of TWD 500 (≈ $16) · Employment permission review fee per permit or extension for specialized or technical work, paid by the employer. 3
Requirements
- The applicant graduated from a Taiwanese university with a bachelor degree or higher. 1 2
- An associate degree or higher qualifies in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, long-term care or e-commerce. 1 2
- The applicant scores 70 points or more on the addendum table to Article 5-1. 1 2
- The table covers education, salary, work experience, language ability, background and support for government industrial policy. 1 2
- The employer is a juridical person with total funding of NT$10 million (under one year old) or average operating expenditure of NT$5 million, or another eligible organisation. 1 2
- The employer applies for the permit. 1 2
Stay
- Employment permit valid up to 3 years; the employer can apply for extensions.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Open only to foreign, overseas-compatriot and ethnic-Chinese students who graduated in Taiwan, not to foreigners in general.
Work
Employment in specialized or technical work with the sponsoring employer under the work permit.
Family
Spouse, children under 18 and adult children who cannot live independently because of a disability can apply for residence. Your spouse or partner needs their own work permit to work in Taiwan.
Official sources
- Qualifications and Criteria Standards for Foreigners Undertaking the Jobs Specified Under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act (Article 5-1: 70-point test for foreign graduates) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-10
- Apply by New Scoring Criteria for Foreign and Overseas Chinese Students to Work in Taiwan · Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor (EZ Work Taiwan) · checked 2026-10-10
- Fee-charging Standards for Application Case Review and License under the Employment Services Act · Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor, Taiwan · checked 2026-10-11
- Employment Service Act (Taiwan) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- NIA residence and dependant eligibility for foreign professionals · Bureau of Consular Affairs / National Immigration Agency, Taiwan · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2024-01-01
- Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (amended 24 September 2025) · Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Ministry of Justice) · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2025-09-24
- Immigration Act (Taiwan) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- 0903 Guidelines for Foreign Nationals Applying for Permanent Residency · National Immigration Agency Taiwan · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-04-21
- Nationality Act (Articles 3 to 5) · Ministry of Justice, Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan) · checked 2026-10-11
Graduate work permit (points) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate work permit (points) | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Professional work permit | Needs income of TWD 48k+ a month ≈ $1,500 | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Job-seeker visa | Needs income of TWD 48k+ a month ≈ $1,500 | 6 mo | No |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Graduate work permit (points)?
A fee of TWD 500 (≈ $16). Employment permission review fee per permit or extension for specialized or technical work, paid by the employer.
How long can I stay on the Graduate work permit (points)?
Employment permit valid up to 3 years; the employer can apply for extensions.
Can I work on the Graduate work permit (points)?
Employment in specialized or technical work with the sponsoring employer under the work permit.
Can I bring my family on the Graduate work permit (points)?
Spouse, children under 18 and adult children who cannot live independently because of a disability can apply for residence.
Does the Graduate work permit (points) lead to permanent residence in Taiwan?
Time on the Graduate work permit (points) counts toward permanent residence in Taiwan, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Graduate work permit (points) counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
More in Taiwan
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 9 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Qualifications and Criteria Standards for Foreigners Undertaking the Jobs Specified Under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act (Article 5-1: 70-point test for foreign graduates) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-10
- Apply by New Scoring Criteria for Foreign and Overseas Chinese Students to Work in Taiwan · Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor (EZ Work Taiwan) · checked 2026-10-10
- Fee-charging Standards for Application Case Review and License under the Employment Services Act · Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor, Taiwan · checked 2026-10-11
- Employment Service Act (Taiwan) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- NIA residence and dependant eligibility for foreign professionals · Bureau of Consular Affairs / National Immigration Agency, Taiwan · checked 2026-10-10
- Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (amended 24 September 2025) · Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Ministry of Justice) · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Act (Taiwan) · Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- 0903 Guidelines for Foreign Nationals Applying for Permanent Residency · National Immigration Agency Taiwan · checked 2026-10-10
- Nationality Act (Articles 3 to 5) · Ministry of Justice, Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.