I am looking to hire a foreign talent． How long is the work permit valid for？ Is it renewable before expiration？
Work permits for "Foreign Professionals" are valid for up to 3 years. Work permits for “Foreign Special Professionals” may be valid for up to 5 years. You can apply for an extension online through EZ Work Taiwan before the expiration date – there is no limit to the number of extensions.
In general, an application for extension can be made 4 months before the work permit expires as earliest. If the validity of the work permit is less than 6 months, an application for extension can be made after 2/3 of the employment period passes.
（ARTICLE 11 of the Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers）
I am looking to hire a foreign talent． How do I apply for work permits？
Enterprises wishing to hire foreign talents to work in Taiwan should sign employment contracts with them and apply for work permits online through EZ Work Taiwan （Ministry of Labor, MOL）.
1. The required documentation varies according to the type of work. Please refer to the Ministry of Labor official website and select the relevant occupation category to learn more about eligibility and required documents. The application form can also be found online on EZ Work Taiwan, or a physical copy may be obtained from the Ministry of Labor （10th Floor, No. 39, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City）.
2. The employer may apply in writing with the approval of the Ministry of Labor only for justifiable reasons, such as in the event of natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons, or if the online system is unavailable.
（1） Deliver the application in person to the following address:
10th Floor, No. 39, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
（2） Send the application by registered mail to the following address:
10th Floor, No. 39, Section 1, Zhongzheng Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
100 （ATTN: Workforce Development Agency （for foreign professionals）.
3. Website and Dedicated Hot-Line:
Relevant regulations, application forms, and application review guidelines are available on EZ Work Taiwan. Visit the website or call the hotline at （02） 8995-6000 to consult with the Workforce Development Agency of the Ministry of Labor free of charge.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent． Are different documents required for foreign talents hired from different countries？
The documents required for application of work permit are the same, regardless the applicant's nationalities. Employers should refer to the Ministry of Labor official website for information on eligibility and a list of required documents.
Documents issued by the following countries must first be certified by the relevant overseas Representative Offices of Taiwan:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Some documents do not need to be certified under the following circumstances:
I am looking to hire a foreign talent． How long does it take to apply for a work permit？
On the Ministry of Labor official website, you can click on the hiring category, learn more about the qualifications, obtain application documents, and apply for a work permit through the online platform of EZ Work Taiwan. If all required documents are submitted, the work permit is issued within 7 working days after the Ministry of Labor receives the application.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent． Are there any requirements on educational background and work experience？
If you expect to hire foreign talents for specialized or technical work, they should meet one of the following conditions:
1. Meet eligibility requirements of the Professional Occupational and Technical Personnel Examination Law.
2. Hold a master's degree or higher from a relevant educational institution, or a bachelor's degree from a relevant educational institution with more than 2 years of relevant work experience.
3. Has been working in a multinational company for one year and was assigned to work in Taiwan.
4. Received professional training or learned through self-study, has more than 5 years of relevant experience, and can demonstrate that they possess original ideas and special achievements.
If you are hiring foreign talents as （1） the director or manager of an approved business invested or established by overseas Chinese or foreigners （2） full-time foreign language teachers in cram schools （3） sports coaches or athletes （4） art and performing arts work （5） contract performers, please refer to the Ministry of Labor official website for detailed qualification specifications.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent with a bachelor’s degree． Does the foreign talent need to have more than 2 years of relevant work experience？
Foreign talents with bachelor's degrees engaging in specialized or technical work in Taiwan should have more than 2 years of work experience.
However, the 2-year work experience requirement may be waived if foreign talents meet one of the following conditions:
1. Possess a bachelor's degree or higher from an institution on the Ministry of Education’s list of the world's top universities.
The 2-year work experience requirement may also be waived if the employer meets one of the following criteria:
1. Possesses one of the following:
“Operation Headquarters confirmation document（企業營運總部範圍證明函）”;“Approval Letter of Domestic and Foreign Enterprises’ Plan to Establish the R&D Centers in Taiwan（國內外企業在臺設立研發中心計畫核定函）”; or “the Outstanding International Electronics and Information Technology Partner Awards（電子資訊國際夥伴績優廠商證明函）”valid within one year from the day after receipt of the award.
2. Located in one of the Science Parks and employs foreign talents to undertake design, upgrade of industry techniques, R&D, and business management, business promotion in areas abroad with specialize language requirements, and market survey and analysis for product manufacturing or labor services.
3. Complies with the Directions of Recognition for Startups with Innovation Capability.
4. Public middle schools or public primary （elementary） schools employing foreign talents to work as English-language teaching assistants.
5. Works in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
I am looking to hire foreign and overseas Chinese students who graduated from Taiwan institutions． What are the qualifications for the Scoring Criteria？
Both employers and overseas students should meet the following qualifications to apply via the Scoring Criteria for foreign and overseas Chinese students to work in Taiwan.
1. Employer Eligibility
Employers should meet the relevant requirements if they wish to employ foreign talents to engage in various job categories under "specialized or technical work". For detailed requirements, please refer to the categories of occupation on the official website of the Ministry of Labor.
2. Foreign and Overseas Chinese Students Eligibility
（1） Be a foreign student, overseas Chinese student or ethnic Chinese student; who has
（2） Obtained a bachelor's degree or higher from a university in Taiwan, or an associate degree in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, long-term care, e-commerce, etc.; and
（3） Accumulated 70 points per a review by the Ministry of Labor. For the method of calculation, please refer to the link
3. Regulations, Application documents, and Dedicated Hotlines
（1） Information on the MOL Scoring Criteria.
（2） Consultation service hotline for the MOL Workforce Development Agency: +886 （02） 8995-6000.
I am looking to hire foreign and overseas Chinese students who graduated from Taiwan institutions via the Scoring Criteria． What is the application procedure？
Hiring foreign and overseas Chinese students via the Scoring Criteria:
1. Confirm that foreign and overseas Chinese students and employers are eligible to apply via the Scoring Criteria.
2. Employers must apply to the Ministry of Labor online for permission before hiring foreign talents by submitting the application form and related documents.
3. Foreign and overseas Chinese students who have accumulated 70 points on the Scoring Criteria are eligible and qualified. Please refer to the link. The Ministry of Labor will issue work permits based on the allotted quota in the current year.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent． If he／she has dual nationality／overseas Chinese status， do I still need to apply for a work permit？
Dual Nationality:
If an employer hires a foreign talent who holds dual nationality （one of which is the Republic of China, Taiwan）, please first confirm whether he/she has a household registration in Taiwan. If he/she does not, the employer must apply to the Ministry of Labor for a work permit （Article 79 of the Employment Service Act）.
Overseas Chinese:
If the employer intends to hire an overseas Chinese, but he/she is not a national of the Republic of China, he/she will be regarded as a foreigner and the employer must apply for a work permit.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent with a working holiday visa in Taiwan． Do I still need to apply to the Ministry of Labor for a work permit？
No. The working holiday visa functions the same as a work permit, and the company does not need to apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor
（Article 4 of the Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers）.
I am looking to hire a foreign talent， but he／she already have an Employment Gold Card． Do I still need to apply for a work permit？ During the validity of the Employment Gold Card， can employees freely change the companies that they work for？
Foreign talents who are eligible for the Employment Gold Card are welcome to work in Taiwan with this card.
During the validity of the Employment Gold Card, the cardholder can freely change employment without having to apply to the Ministry of Labor for a separate work permit. The Employment Gold Card has many benefits, please refer to the Employment Gold Card Office for more information.
