Taiwan’s excellent quality of life and inherent advantages in high-tech industries make it easy to attract foreign to come here. In order to better retain these talents in Taiwan, the government has introduced the “Employment Gold Card (TEGC)”. By combining four documents into one, foreigners can work in Taiwan with just one gold card! What are the features of the Employment Gold Card? What problems does it solve? Let’s find out!
Content:
- What is the Gold Employment Card? What are the four cards in one?
- Gold Card Eligibilities
- Benefits of Gold Employment Card
- How to Apply For Taiwan Employment Gold Card?
What is the Employment Gold Card? What are the four cards in one?
The Taiwan Employment Gold Card (TEGC) was launched in 2018, with the aim of making it more convenient for foreign professionals to work and reside in Taiwan, as well as allowing Taiwan to retain and attract talents more effectively.
The Employment Gold Card combines 4 certificates that foreigners need to use:
-
Work Permit: allows cardholders to freely seek employment, work at any time, legally work part-time, and freely change jobs.
-
Residence Visa: Long-term visa, which allows foreigners to stay in Taiwan for more than 180 days.
-
Alien Residence Certificate (ARC): An identity document used to prove that foreign nationals who are not citizens of the Republic of China and stateless nationals are legally residing in Taiwan for a long period of time.
-
Re-entry Permit: Unlimited entry and exit permit to Taiwan.
Gold Card Eligibilities
Employers or third-party organizations are not required for foreigners to apply for TEGC. Individuals can apply as long as they are working in the selected industries below and meet the requirements of any one of them.
Industries that are eligible to apply for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card
-
Science & Technology (National Science and Technology Council)
-
Economy (Ministry of Economic Affairs)
-
Education (Ministry of Education)
-
Culture & Arts (Ministry of Culture)
-
Sport (Ministry of Education)
-
Finance (Financial Supervisory Commission)
-
Law (Ministry of Justice)
-
Architecture (The Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior)
-
National Defense (Ministry of National Defense)
-
Digital (Ministry of Digital Affairs)
Eligibility requirements vary by field. Please check the official website of TEGC Office for details.
Benefits of Gold Employment Card
In addition to the convenience of being 4-in-1, TEGC also offers four major benefits to cardholders:
-
Work Freely
This card is an open work permit issued to employment-seeking individuals that require neither pre-confirmed hiring by nor application through any employer.
-
Tax Exemption
Gold Card holders who work in Taiwan for the first time and meet specified conditions are eligible to apply for a 50% tax exemption on annual salary income exceeding NT$3 million in the first 5 years.
-
Permanent Residency
Eligible to apply for permanent residency after three years (excluding Hong Kong and Macao residents). Obtaining a Doctorate Degree in the R.O.C counts towards one of the three years that is needed.
-
Enrollment of National Health Insurance System
Employment Gold Card holders who are employed to engage in professional work in Taiwan, or who are employers or self-employed business owners in Taiwan, and their dependent relatives, can directly join the National Health Insurance system without having to wait six months for inclusion.
How to Apply For Taiwan Employment Gold Card?
You can visit the Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform website to create an account. After that, you can follow the steps to complete the application. The steps include filling in your information, uploading documents, payment, and passport inspection.
You can also visit the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office website to see the detailed introduction of the application process (PDF included).
For more information and to explore job opportunities, visit Yourator!
