Apply to learn Chinese(Mandarin) in Taiwan with visa application & entry requirements

Last Updated on 01-23-2024

With renowned institutions and language programs, Taiwan is a great place to study Chinese.In fact, Taiwan is one of the greatest destinations to visit if you want to study Chinese on a budget. While there are many locations in mainland China where you may study Mandarin without spending a fortune, Taiwan boasts dozens of Mandarin classes that are reasonably priced.

Although Taiwan may be ranked as one of the best places in the world to study Chinese, many don’t tell you how to get there. In this article, we’ll outline a four-step process that anyone who has never been to Taiwan can use to travel there and study Chinese.

In addition, before you go to Taiwan to study Chinese, you also need to find your accommodation in Taiwan. Apart from school accommodation, you can also go to mrhost to find Short-term Rentals. mrhost offers different kinds of short-term rentals, so you can pick the one that suits you the best to start your Chinese language learning life in Taiwan！

Step 1 : Apply for a Mandarin Training Center Seasonal Program in Taiwan

If you want to travel to Taiwan to study Chinese(mandarin), the first and obvious step is to apply to study a seasonal program at a Mandarin Training Center(Chinese language center). If you have not selected a language center already, you can pick one from the list of all the Chinese language centers in Taiwan or from the recommendations below.

When you’ve decided on a Mandarin Training Center, go to their website and follow the procedures for applying to study Mandarin at their school. It is important to note that required documents and submission deadlines may vary for each language center.

Once you have successfully applied for admission and enrolled in the Chinese language program, the Mandarin Training Center will email you an admission letter. If you have completed the enrollment process and have not received your admission letter, we recommend contacting the Mandarin Training Center via phone/email as you will need an admission letter from the language center in order to proceed to the next step.

Recommend mandarin centers to learn Chinese in Taiwan

• Chung Yuan Christian University
• Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
• National Sun Yat-sen University
• National Cheng Kung University
• Soochow University
• Chung Yuan Christian University
• National Tsing Hua University
• Ming Chuan University
• Shih Chien University
• Feng Chia University
• National Taipei University of Education

Step 2 : Apply for a Republic of China (Taiwan) visitor visa (student visa)

Taiwan has decided to finally open its borders. As a result, students from countries participating in Taiwan’s visa exemption program can visit Taiwan without a visa. Students from countries that are not part of this program must apply for a visitor visa (student visa) in order to enter the country. You can begin applying for your student visa once you have received your admission letter from the Chinese language center.

Documents required to apply for a student visitor visa :

• Filled in the application form including the barcode. You can fill out the form on Taiwan’s government website. If you require guidance when filling out the form, please refer to how to apply for a student visa step-by-step process.
• The original and a photocopy of your passport (valid for more than 6 months and must have blank pages).
• Two (2) 2-inch color photos (with white background) taken within 6 months.
• Residence visa fee of NT$3,000. The fee may vary with the embassy; please check with the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in your country to confirm.
• The original and a photocopy of the Mandarin Training Center (MTC) admission letter.
• One (1) original study plan (describing your motive and plan for studying Chinese).
• The original and photocopy of a financial statement (e.g., bank statement or proof of foreign remittance)
• The original copy of your health check-up certificate (done within the last 3 months). The health check-up certificate should be issued by a domestic hospital or a foreign hospital designated by the Department of Health of your country.
• Other documents required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in your country to know if you need any “other documents.”

Step 3 : Apply for a student visa at TECO – the Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy

When you have obtained all of the necessary documents, you can go to the Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy in your country to apply for a student visa.

Going to Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) to apply for the student visa

When you have gathered all the documents, take them to any one of the (preferably the closest) Republic of China (Taiwan) embassies in your country and they will apply for the student visa on your behalf. Ensure to call the embassy before your trip to confirm that all your documents are prepared according to their regulations.

If the visa application is successful, the embassy will contact you to notify you of the result. Feel free to contact the embassy if you do not hear from them. If you do not know where the Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy is located in your country, use the link below to search for their location and contact information.

Step 4: Find your accommodation and book your flights.

If you have been successful in obtaining a visa, then you can start by booking your flight to Taiwan and looking for accommodation where you can learn Chinese in Taiwan. The policies against Covid-19 have been lifted and you are free to come to Taiwan to learn Chinese and experience life in Taiwan.

In terms of accommodation, you can usually choose to live in a school dormitory, but if you want to experience more local life in Taiwan, you may want to check out mrhost Taiwan Short-term Rental for more short-term rentals, and choose the one that meets your needs to start your local life in Taiwan!

Read more:《Does Taiwan speak English? English Speakers Must Know About Living in Taiwan》

Taiwan’s latest scholarships for foreign students

2024 MOFA Taiwan Scholarship

Application Date

2024.02.01-2024.03.31

Eligibility

1. You are a high school graduate or higher with excellent academics, good moral character, and no criminal record.
2. You are not a national of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
3. You are not an overseas compatriot student.
4. You have never attended an educational institution in Taiwan at the same level of degree or LEP that he/she intends to apply for.
5. You are not an exchange student through any cooperation agreement between a foreign university/college and an educational institute in Taiwan while receiving the Scholarship.
6. You have not previously had a Scholarship revoked by an ROC government agency or other relevant institution.

Documents Required

1. Scholarship Application Form
2. A passport or a copy of a document sufficient to prove your nationality.
3. Submit a photocopy of your highest-level diploma and transcript. If from a foreign institution, authenticate through an ROC diplomatic mission or have the institution send them directly. Translate non-Chinese or non-English documents.
4. Submit proof of application to the educational institution or its affiliated Mandarin Training Center. This includes photocopies of the application fee receipt, application form, and any response from the institution.
5.  Applicants for Chinese-taught degree programs need to submit a photocopy of a TOCFL transcript or Level 2 certificate or higher.
6. Submit a photocopy of a TOEFL transcript, an approved government-issued English proficiency certificate, or proof of graduation from an English-taught program. Not applicable to applicants whose official national language is English.
7. If applicants can’t provide the required English proficiency proof due to special circumstances, the diplomatic mission may assess their language skills through interviews or tests.
8.  Additional documents as requested by the accepting diplomatic missions.

*Failure to submit required documents within the specified timeframe, as notified by the diplomatic mission, will result in the non-acceptance of applications.

Scholarship Amount and Points to Note

Scholarship recipients receive a monthly stipend of NT$28,000 for LEP and NT$33,000 for degree programs. Recipients cover all stay expenses, but MOFA provides one-way economy-class plane tickets. Universities may offer reduced tuition and fees.

The award period for each program is as follows:

1.  Pre-degree LEP: one year.
2. Degree programs:
   • Undergraduate program: four years maximum
   • Master’s program: two years maximum
   • Doctoral program: four years maximum
3. Award periods must be continuous, with no breaks, and may not exceed five years in aggregate without MOFA’s consent.

2024 MOE Taiwan Scholarship

Application Date

2024.02.01-2024.03.31(Malaysia’s application deadline is April 30th.)

Eligibility

1. Applicants must be foreign nationals with a secondary school diploma or higher, an excellent academic record, and good moral character.
2. A person in any of the following categories is ineligible to apply:
   • An R.O.C. national or an overseas Chinese student.
   • Students currently enrolled or registered in a Taiwanese university/college are ineligible, except those graduating in the current year, who can apply for a Taiwan Scholarship to pursue a higher degree.
   • An applicant who previously pursued a degree at the same level in Taiwan is ineligible for the current enrollment.
   • An exchange or dual/joint degree student admitted to a Taiwanese university through an academic cooperation agreement.
   • A person who has already been a Taiwan Scholarship recipient for a total of five years. 
   • An individual whose Taiwan Scholarship or MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship has been revoked before is ineligible.
   • An applicant is ineligible if they have received any scholarship or subsidy from a Taiwan Government institution or any Taiwanese education institution, except for university/college subsidies covering the outstanding amount if tuition and fees exceed the scholarship limit.

Documents Required within the given period to their local Taiwan Representative Office

1. Submit the Taiwan Scholarship Application Form, available from the local Taiwan Representative Office for each country or region.
2. Submit a photocopy of the applicant’s passport or other proof of nationality.
3.  Submit a photocopy of the highest academic award and associated transcripts. Ensure compliance with  the MOE Regulations for International Students in Taiwan. Translate documents not in Chinese or English, and authenticate the translations.
4. Submit photocopies of evidence showing the applicant’s application to a Taiwanese university/college, such as the application fee receipt, application form, and acknowledgement notice or email from the university/college.
5. Submit a photocopy of a language proficiency certificate, overseen by each Taiwan Representative Office according to specified provisions:
6. Submit two signed reference letters from a principal, college or university president, professors, or supervisors, enclosed in sealed envelopes.
7. Other required documents specified by the local Taiwan Representative Office.

Scholarship Amount and Points to Note

1. The Ministry of Education covers up to NTD 40,000 per semester for approved tuition and miscellaneous expenses. If the total exceeds NTD 40,000, the student must pay the remaining amount to the university. Miscellaneous expenses exclude administration fees, thesis supervision fees, insurance, accommodation, and internet access, which are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.
2. The Ministry of Education gives students studying at the undergraduate level NTD15,000 per month and those pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree NTD20,000 per month as a living allowance.

2024 HES Scholarship

Application Date

2024.02.01-2024.03.31

Eligibility

1. Anyone 18 or older from another country can apply if they have a high school diploma, good grades, and a good character.
2. Candidates with one of the following qualifications may not apply:
   • Is a Chinese student from another country or a citizen of Taiwan.
   • Is currently studying at a Mandarin Language Center or enrolled in a university or college in Taiwan.
   • Has already received a HES or a Taiwan Scholarship, in the past.
   • Is an exchange student to Taiwan, during the scholarship period.
   • Currently getting money from the Taiwan government or another school.

Documents Required

1. An application form (see appendix 1; provided by local embassies or missions).
2. A photocopy of his/her passport or any other documents that can verify the nationality of
3. the applicant.
4. A photocopy of the certificate of the highest credential and transcript.
5. A photocopy of the applications to the Mandarin Language Center.
6. Other documents required by local embassies or missions.

Scholarship Amount and Duration

1. TWD25000 per month
2. Huayu Enrichment courses have a summer term in June and July or July and August, as well as short-term classes lasting 3, 6, 9 months, or a year.
3. Generally, the scholarship runs from September 1st to August 31st of the next year, except for summer classes. If recipients don’t enroll in Taiwan within the given time, they lose their scholarship.
4. The scholarship starts when you enroll and ends on its expiration date or if it gets revoked.

For more detailed scholarship information, you can visit the Taiwan government’s website.