The following is based on a press release from the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Ministry of Labor, issued on 1 February 2021.
Up to 20 hours a week, no weekly limit during breaks
Overseas Chinese students, students from Hong Kong and Macao, and foreign students studying in Taiwan may apply for a work permit during their studies, so they can work in their spare time and experience life in Taiwan. They may work up to 20 hours a week, but there is no weekly limit during winter and summer breaks. Employers hiring these students must still follow the working-hour rules of the Labor Standards Act.
Apply online after the semester starts
Students may apply after their semester starts, through the WDA’s EZ Work Permit website. The Ministry of Labor confirms the student’s enrollment based on the school’s review and then issues the work permit.
Under the Employment Service Act, students working part-time are not restricted to the job categories that normally apply to foreign workers. Except during winter and summer breaks, they may work up to 20 hours a week. Under the Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers, a work permit is valid for up to 6 months.
Electronic application and electronic permit
Student work permits are applied for and issued electronically. If the student agrees on the website to receive the permit as an electronic document, then after the permit is approved the student must download it from the same website within 8 calendar days from the date of the Ministry of Labor’s email notice. The student can also use the “mobile view” function to show the permit as a QR code on a phone, for the employer to check.
Penalties for working without a permit
A student who works without a permit can be fined up to NT$150,000. Employers should check a job-seeking student’s status: hiring a student without a valid permit, or whose permit has expired, can be fined up to NT$750,000. For rules and hiring information, see the WDA website or call the Ministry of Labor’s call center at +886-2-8995-6000.
From 2026: no work permit needed after graduation
Under the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, in force from 1 January 2026, a foreign national who has obtained an associate degree or higher in Taiwan, and who holds a residence extension approved by the National Immigration Agency as a new graduate, may work in Taiwan without a work permit during that extension.
According to the Executive Yuan, students may work freely for up to 2 years of post-graduation residence extension. The employer does not need to apply to the Ministry of Labor for a work permit, the graduate does not need to change visa, and the job does not have to be professional or technical work.
The 20-hour weekly limit and work permit rules above apply to students who are still studying.