The procedure for moving to Taiwan as an American varies greatly based on the duration of the stay in the country; Americans are in the category of nationals for which Taiwan allows visa exemptions, but of course, certain rules apply even in this case. If you are an American who wants to set up a company in Taiwan, you will most likely require a visa for business purposes, and then more complex requirements will have to be met.
If you need assistance in starting a business here, our team of consultants in company registration in Taiwan is ready to provide the necessary information; for visa matters, you can also address to our team, as our company formation experts also have the necessary legal background on the immigration rules, especially those concerning businessmen relocating here.
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When can one move to Taiwan from US visa-free?
The possibility to immigrate to Taiwan visa free is available for American nationals as long as they arrive here for short-term stay purposes. From a legal point of view, at a global level, the immigration law stipulates that short-term stays refer to any stays on the territory of a country which are of maximum 90 days in a period of 180 days.
Depending on the country, for this type of immigration, regardless of the reason of arrival, the foreigner can be allowed to arrive on the country’s territory without a visa and without the need to apply for a residence permit. Rules can vary depending on the country and the nationality of the foreign applicant, which means that some nationals should have a visa even for short stays.
For a person moving to Taiwan as an American, the visa exemption is applied to stays of up to 90 days, which is the maximum period of time of staying in this country without any further immigration formalities. As we said above, the duration of stay visa free varies greatly, based on the internal procedures to immigrate to Taiwan.
Persons who want to open a company in Taiwan and who initially want to arrive here to prospect the market or discuss on the procedures that they have to initiate for this purpose can simply come to Taiwan and, based on their nationality, they can spend the following intervals in this country:
- for anyone moving to Taiwan as an American for short-term stays, the visa-free rules applies for 90 days (EU nationals also benefit from this right);
- however, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, for this to happen, the validity of the American passport has to be of minimum 90 days longer that the 90 days stay in Taiwan – otherwise, the American can stay only for as long as the passport is valid;
- nationals from countries such as Singapore or Malaysia can stay here visa free for maximum 30 days;
- nationals from Russia can immigrate to Taiwan visa free for a period of 21 days (rule available until July 31, 2022);
- the nationals from Thailand, Philippines and Brunei can stay visa free for 14 days;
- Canadians and UK nationals can stay visa free for up to 90 days and they can benefit from an extension of the visa for a period of 180 days.
How can one move to Taiwan from US for business purposes?
Moving to Taiwan as an American for the purpose of carrying a business activity is bound by the issuance of a suitable visa. Please mind that the law in Taiwan distinguishes between business visa and entrepreneur visa – the latter has more complex rules to comply with, but it also provides more rights.
Our team of specialists in company registration in Taiwan can present all the requirements imposed for both visas, but here you can discover the basics related to the issuance of the document. The Entrepreneur Visa is the document you should apply for if you want to set up a company in Taiwan after arriving in this country.
The document grants the right to residency for a period of 1 year, so it can be used as a way to move to Taiwan from US on a long-term basis. Besides these, the visa grants the right to multiple entries/exits from the country and the visa holder will also have the right to extend the visa, only as long as the business set up here is a successful one.
This visa allows moving to Taiwan as an American not only to the person who is the applicant or the holder of the visa, but it extends to other members of the team that will help setting up the business. In order to be eligible, please mind that only specific business activities are allowed (startup, innovative products and services, ability to invest a minimum amount).
The conditions one has to respect when moving to Taiwan as an American under the Entrepreneur visa will vary greatly based on the business plans you have here and this is why we recommend you to address to a team of local specialists, who can advise and offer more details. Please contact our consultants if you want to move to Taiwan from US for business purposes.