TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The original plan for a six-month digital nomad visa will be changed to allow a one-year stay, while the program will also involve Japan and South Korea, the National Development Council (NDC) said Wednesday (Oct. 30).
At present, freelancers and independent workers arrive in Taiwan by visa-free entry or on a tourist visa, allowing them to stay for three months. With a declining population and businesses complaining about hard-to-find staff, the government has been preparing to launch programs to attract more highly trained workers from overseas.
NDC Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said the latest plan was to allow digital nomads to stay for six months, with the possibility of a six-month extension and even longer if necessary, Radio Taiwan International reported. Taiwan also planned to sign memorandums of understanding with the Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka and South Korea to allow the digital workers to spend time at each destination.
Only Taiwan would offer them resources to help them foster innovation and creativity, Liu emphasized. The local governments of Hualien, Taitung, Tainan, and Pingtung expressed interest in attracting digital nomads, he added.
After spending a full year in Taiwan, digital nomads could under the right conditions also obtain an “Employment Gold Card” to be employed or launch a business. The NDC estimated there are 35 million digital nomads worldwide, rising to 40 million by 2030. Taiwan hoped to attract 100,000, with a target of 10,000 remaining in the country after the initial period.