Taiwan visa options for Ireland passport holders
Tourist / short stay
Visa-free · up to 90 days
Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days.
Visa types & longer-stay routes for Taiwan
Visa-exempt entry for US/UK/EU/CA/AU/NZ/JP/KR and 50+ passports up to 90 days. Employment Gold Card open to any nationality meeting professional, salary or academic criteria
- Tourist
Visitor Visa (Single or Multiple Entry)
60 days initial, extendable twice up to 180 days total at NIA discretion
- Insurance
- RecommendedStrongly recommended (private travel medical 100,000+ USD)
- Good for
- Nationals not eligible for visa-exempt entry, or visa-exempt travelers needing >90 days for tourism, family, study, or business
- Requirement
- Application at TECO or TW embassy with purpose docs, financial proof, return ticket
- Work
Taiwan Employment Gold Card
1 to 3 years renewable; combines residence visa, open work permit, ARC and re-entry; APRC eligible after 3 yrs
- Insurance
- OptionalNHI available after 6 months residence; private cover advised in interim
- Good for
- Foreign Special Professionals in tech, finance, law, architecture, digital, economics, education, science, culture, arts, sports meeting experience/salary/PhD criteria
- Requirement
- 5 yrs experience OR 160,000+ USD salary in last 3 yrs (some fields) OR PhD from global top-500 university; online via goldcard.nat.gov.tw, processing ~8 weeks
- Work
Employer-Sponsored ARC (Work Permit)
Up to 3 yrs per renewal, tied to employment; APRC after 5 yrs continuous residence
- Insurance
- RequiredNHI mandatory once enrolled after 6 months; private cover during gap
- Good for
- Foreign professionals with Taiwanese employer sponsor
- Requirement
- Employer applies to Ministry of Labor for work permit (7-14 business days), then applicant obtains resident visa and ARC (10-15 business days); fees ~1,000-3,000 TWD
- Residence
Visa-Exempt Entry (90 days)
90 days per entry, non-extendable; no work permitted
- Insurance
- Required(private travel medical 100,000+ USD); not mandatory
- Good for
- Tourists and short-term visitors from US/UK/EU/CA/AU/NZ/JP/KR and 50+ eligible nationalities
- Requirement
- Passport valid 6 months beyond stay, onward/return ticket, accommodation
- Residence
Entrepreneur or Investor ARC
1 year initial renewable; APRC after 5 yrs
- Insurance
- Required(private cover until NHI eligible)
- Good for
- Founders and investors establishing or investing in Taiwan business
- Requirement
- Qualifying business plan or investment (typically NT 6M+), incorporation in Taiwan, economic contribution; VERIFY exact 2026 thresholds with NDC
- Residence
APRC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate)
Permanent; must avg 183 days/yr to maintain (relaxed from fixed 183 in 2026 amendments)
- Insurance
- OptionalNHI continues; private supplemental optional
- Good for
- Long-term ARC residents, Gold Card holders, Foreign Special Professionals
- Requirement
- 5 yrs continuous legal residence (3 for FSP, 1 for high earners meeting NT 6M annual income from Jan 2026); clean record, financial means
Visa rules change often and depend on your nationality. Last checked: 2026-06. Always confirm with the official immigration service or your nearest consulate before you apply.
Last verified June 2026
Routes that depend on your nationality
Some of Taiwan’s long-stay routes are open only to citizens of specific countries. Here’s where a Ireland passport stands:
Working Holiday Scheme
You qualify — open to Ireland passport holders
Bilateral working-holiday agreements administered by Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs (MOFA/BOCA). Age 18-30 for most partners (e.g. Australia, France, Germany, Poland, UK, Japan); raised to 18-35 for Canada, Hungary, Slovakia, Luxembourg and several others. One-time only; visa valid 1 year, multiple entry, each stay up to 180 days; requires ~NT$100,000 funds + travel insurance; holiday is primary purpose, work secondary. Quotas vary by country (e.g. Austria ~75/yr). The full official partner list is 17 countries; Israel (IL) is a partner but its scheme is under temporary suspension as of 29 May 2025, so it is excluded here. UK is listed separately as the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Taiwan-UK Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)
Not open to Ireland passport holders
Taiwan's bilateral scheme with the United Kingdom, implemented 1 Jan 2012 and officially called the Youth Mobility Scheme. British nationals aged 18-30 at time of application, residing in the UK, holding a British passport valid 12+ months. One-time participation; holiday is the main purpose, work secondary; no dependents. Equivalent to the working-holiday scheme but UK-specific. Source: BOCA guidelines for British nationals.
Visa-free isn’t insurance-free
Whatever route you take into Taiwan, your entry stamp never includes health cover. Many longer-stay visas also require proof of insurance before they’re granted. That part is on you — and it’s what we actually do.
Ireland → Taiwan: frequently asked
- Do Ireland passport holders need a visa to visit Taiwan?
- Visa-free · up to 90 days. Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days. Always confirm with the official source before booking.
- Can a Ireland passport holder live or work long-term in Taiwan?
- Yes, via a long-stay visa. Taiwan has 6 documented visa types covering work, study, residence and — where it exists — digital-nomad routes.
- Do I need travel insurance for Taiwan?
- Entry to Taiwan never includes health cover, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended. Several Taiwan visas also require proof of insurance before they're granted.
Last updated
Visa rules can change at short notice and depend on your purpose of travel, length of stay and onward tickets. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or the IATA Travel Centre before you book. Visa-free entry never includes travel health insurance. That’s still on you.