Taiwan’s National Development Council (NDC) will introduce a new digital nomad scheme.

This allows remote workers from overseas to stay up to six months while continuing their professional activities remotely, NDC Minister Paul Liu said on July 18, 2024. This initiative aims to attract global talent and enhance Taiwan’s competitive edge as other Asian countries introduce similar visa schemes.

Currently, digital nomads enter Taiwan either visa-free or with a tourist visa, which permits a stay of up to three months, Liu said. However, these visa holders are not permitted to work during this time. The proposed digital nomad visa scheme will offer an initial three-month stay, extendable for an additional three months, Liu said. The extension will not require legislative amendments and is expected to be implemented once approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he added.

This new visa program aims to complement digital nomad visa schemes in countries like Japan, South Korea and Thailand, Liu said. For example, digital nomads could head to Taiwan after using Japan’s non-extendable six-month digital nomad visa, tapping into the two countries’ proximity, he said.

In addition to the digital nomad visa, Liu also announced plans to ease restrictions on permanent residence for skilled, high-earning foreign workers in Taiwan. The NDC plans to submit draft amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to the Legislative Yuan for review during its next session, he said.

Liu emphasized the importance of attracting international talent. He noted that Southeastern countries are major labor exporters, but that many of these countries will see rising local incomes through 2035. This will prompt most people from these countries to stop seeking jobs overseas.

The rise of digital nomads

The global work environment has undergone significant changes, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the shift towards remote work. This trend has given rise to digital nomadism, where individuals work remotely from different locations around the world.

Recognizing this trend, over 40 countries and jurisdictions have introduced digital nomad visa programs, according to CNBC, allowing remote workers, freelancers, and digital nomads to live in the country for an extended period while continuing to work for foreign employers or clients.

Countries in Asia have been particularly active in introducing digital nomad visas. South Korea launched on January 01, 2024 a pilot program for a digital nomad visa scheme, allowing foreigners to stay for up to two years while maintaining a job back home. The visa program, called the Workcation Visa, offers an immigration pathway for remote workers, and aims to revitalize the local economy.

Japan followed suit, introducing a digital nomad visa in April 2024. The program is aimed at remote workers with an annual income of at least JPY 10 million (US$62,700), and allows visa holders to live and work remotely in the country for up to six months.

Finally, Thailand unveiled on May 30, 2024 the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). The DTV is a five-year multiple-entry visa program designed not only for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers but also for individuals interested in long-term cultural immersion.

Taiwan’s talent shortage

Currently, it is estimated that there are about 35 million digital nomads worldwide, Liu said. The goal is to bring 120,000 foreign talents into Taiwan by 2028, which is expected to consist of 60,000 international professionals, 50,000 foreign and overseas compatriot students and 10,000 digital nomads. Taiwan aims to retain 10% of its digital nomads, adding that this would boost domestic tourism and the economy, Liu said.

Taiwan is updating its immigration rules to attract more skilled workers in response to a significant talent shortage. A new survey by human resources advisory firm ManpowerGroup reveals that about 73% of Taiwanese employers are struggling to recruit.

The transportation, logistics, and auto industries (78%) report the highest hiring challenges, followed by the industrial and raw material sectors (77%). Information technology and data skills are the most challenging to find (35%), ahead of engineering skills (26%), manufacturing/ production skills (24%), human resources skills (23%) and sustainability/ environmental skills (20%).

Featured image credit: edited from freepik