Startup visa for Taiwan

Legal basis

The Entrepreneur Visa program is designed for foreign entrepreneurs who want to found and grow a business in Taiwan. Meeting any one of the following conditions is enough:

• Raising venture capital of at least 2 million Taiwan dollars.
• Holding an invention patent abroad or an invention or design patent in Taiwan.
• Taking part in a Taiwanese startup incubator or innovation park.
• Winning a major startup or design competition.
• Taking part in a startup accelerator in Taiwan.
• Investing at least 1 million Taiwan dollars in an innovative business in Taiwan.
• Having a project whose innovative potential is recognized by the government.

Amounts in dollars

• venture capital or international funding - from $62,000 (2 million Taiwan dollars);
• your own investment in an innovative company in Taiwan - from $31,000 (1 million Taiwan dollars);

Dollar amounts use the market rate of 17 October 2026, 32.45 Taiwan dollars per US dollar, rounded up.

Term and renewal

The first residence permit is issued for 2 years. It is then extended for up to 2 years at a time if the entrepreneur shows the company is genuinely operating: revenue, staff, contracts. Without real activity the extension will not be approved, so the business plan must cover the first years of operation. Each extension is reviewed separately, so it is best to collect evidence of the company's work - contracts, invoices, accounts - from the first month.

Path to permanent residence

Permanent residence can be obtained after 5 consecutive years in Taiwan if you spent more than 183 days in the country in each of those years. Investors have a separate route: investing from $470,000 (15 million Taiwan dollars) in a profitable company and creating 5 jobs for Taiwan nationals for 3 years.

Cost by item

• company registration in Taiwan with our support;
• the investment or proof of funding for your chosen ground;
• visa fees, health insurance, translation and legalisation of documents.

Our manager calculates the cost of support for the visa itself in the chat.

How to get approved the first time

• the project does not look innovative: ordinary trade or services with nothing new;
• funding or investment is not documented;
• at renewal the company has no revenue, staff or contracts;
• the business plan does not explain why the company is needed in Taiwan specifically.

Comparison with other Asian countries

Alternative: the Employment Gold Card

If you are highly qualified but have no ready start-up, the Employment Gold Card is more convenient. It combines a work permit, resident visa, residence permit and re-entry permit in one document and is issued for 1 to 3 years, as you choose. No sponsoring employer is needed. One path is an average salary of at least $5,000 (160,000 Taiwan dollars) a month, evidenced by tax documents, and the job may be in any country. First-time incoming professionals can pay tax on only half of income above 3 million Taiwan dollars a year for 5 years.

Documents and steps

1. Choosing a ground and preparing evidence: an investor agreement, an incubator decision, a patent or proof of investment.
2. A business plan describing the product, market and financial forecast.
3. CV, diplomas and passport, translated and legalised if needed.
4. Filing with a Taiwan representative office abroad, or in Taiwan if you are already there. Russian citizens need a visa to enter Taiwan, so the entrepreneur visa is obtained before the trip.
5. Receiving the visa, entering and obtaining the residence permit.
6. Registering the company and starting work; after a year, renewal subject to real activity.

Taxes in Taiwan

You become tax resident after 183 days in the country in a year. Resident income tax is 5 to 40%, and corporate tax is 20%. Gold Card holders and employed professionals can get a tax discount on high income in their first 5 years. For the company you set up under the entrepreneur visa, the tax burden depends on the structure, so we calculate it at the business plan stage.

Benefits of the Taiwan startup visa

How to get a Taiwan startup visa

FAQ