Study in Taiwan

Taiwan's higher education includes public and private institutions, from comprehensive research universities to more applied universities of science and technology, all overseen by the Ministry of Education. The main degrees are: • Bachelor's: usually 4 years, longer for medicine and dentistry. • Master's: mostly 2 years. • PhD: usually 4 years or more. The academic year has a fall semester from September to January and a spring semester from February to June, and many universities admit international students for both. The main language of instruction is Mandarin Chinese (traditional characters), but the leading universities offer hundreds of fully English-taught programmes, especially at master's and PhD level and in engineering and management. Some Mandarin-taught programmes require a TOCFL certificate, and university Mandarin centres offer language years for students who want to learn before their degree.

1) There is no national portal for international students: you apply directly through each university's online admission system, usually choosing several departments (up to 5 at National Taiwan University and up to 3 at National Cheng Kung University), with an application fee (for example NT$2,000 at NCKU and NT$1,000 or US$30 per department at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology). 2) Eligibility: you must hold a foreign nationality and never have held Taiwan (ROC) nationality; overseas Chinese and students from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao use separate admission channels. You need your diploma and transcripts, proof of nationality, a language certificate (English for English-taught programmes), recommendation letters and a financial statement; certificates are usually authenticated by the Taiwan office in your country. 3) Dates for a September 2027 start: • National Taiwan University: first round 29 September – 5 November 2026 (may be extended because of system maintenance), second round 1 December 2026 – 19 January 2027. • National Cheng Kung University: the 2026 cycle ran from 20 December 2025 to 15 March 2026. • Academia Sinica's TIGP PhD: 1 November 2026 – 1 February 2027. • Most February 2027 intakes have closed (National Tsing Hua University until 30 September 2026). Applying for university scholarships often only means ticking a box in the same admission form.

Tuition is charged per semester and is moderate at the leading public universities compared with Western countries: • National Taiwan University: bachelor's NT$50,460–62,100 per semester depending on the college; graduate programmes NT$51,280–62,360 per semester for the first two years, then "basic tuition" of roughly half from the third year; some special programmes reach NT$100,000–150,000. • National Tsing Hua University: bachelor's about NT$38,340–39,990 per semester. • Academia Sinica covers the international surcharge for TIGP PhD students, who pay about NT$28,000–31,000 per semester for the first four semesters. In other words, a year of study costs roughly US$2,500–4,200 in most programmes. Living costs: NTU estimates NT$66,000–157,000 per four-month semester in Taipei, including housing, books and health insurance, with regular dormitories at NT$7,900–12,900 for the whole semester. Academia Sinica puts Taipei living costs at about NT$12,000–27,000 a month (US$400–900), and other cities are cheaper. National Health Insurance costs about NT$4,956 per semester.

To study in a degree programme you need a resident visa for foreign students, which you request from the Taiwan embassy or representative office (TECO) in your country after admission: 1) Usual documents: a valid passport, the admission letter, proof of funds covering at least one year of tuition and six months of living costs (or proof of a scholarship), a health certificate on Taiwan CDC's form issued within three months by an authorised hospital, and authenticated diplomas and transcripts. 2) If there is no Taiwan office in your country, apply through the office that covers your country (the list is on Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website). Fees and processing times vary by nationality. 3) After arrival, apply to the National Immigration Agency for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) within 15 days and renew it each year while you study. 4) Health insurance: you need private insurance on arrival, and after six months of residence you must join National Health Insurance (about NT$826 a month). Mandarin-centre students and HES holders should ask their Taiwan office which visa fits the length of their course.

While studying: international students need a work permit, applied for online with the Workforce Development Agency (EZ Work Taiwan) before starting any job. The limit is 20 hours a week during the semester, with no limit during the summer and winter vacations, and each permit is valid for up to six months per semester. Huayu Enrichment Scholarship holders may work only if their course lasts six months or more. After graduation (new rules since 1 January 2026): graduates of Taiwanese institutions with an associate degree or higher can extend their residence to look for work for one year, renewable once, i.e. up to two years; you apply to the National Immigration Agency within 30 days before your ARC expires, for NT$1,000. During this extension graduates may work full time or part time in any field without a work permit. For professional jobs afterwards you can qualify through the points system (70 points) or the salary and experience criteria, and the Employment Gold Card gives highly skilled professionals an open work permit and residence for up to three years. Degrees earned in Taiwan also count partly towards permanent residence.