Located roughly 160 km from the coast of southeast China, Taiwan is home to one of the most powerful economies in southeast Asia. With mountains and forests covering around two-thirds of the island’s surface, Taiwan boasts beautiful natural sceneries. Known as one of the ‘Four Asian Tigers’ (along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore), the island plays host to a wide variety of tree and tropical evergreen plant species along with around 45 indigenous mammal species and close to a hundred indigenous bird species. Taipei, in particular, has a lively social and entertainment scene alongside an amazing food culture.
If you need personal relocation services to relocate to Taiwan, take a look at this quick guide!
Fast facts
- Taiwan is a small island — so small that you can drive around it in only eight hours.
- Taiwan is a highly urbanised country with nearly 80% of the population living in cities.
- The national language of Taiwan is Mandarin, although English is widely spoken across the country.
Why do people relocate to Taiwan?
Taiwan offers an affordable cost of living with plenty of budget-friendly accommodation options that are easy to come by. Further to this, the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, is known to be one of the safest cities in the world with a low crime rate, which contributes to its overall good quality of life. The public transport system is convenient and well-functioning, making it simple and easy on the wallet to get around using trains, subways and buses. If you plan on relocating to Taipei, you can rely on the MRT system for moving around the city as well as outlying suburbs.
Taiwan has a subtropical climate with long, warm summers that usually last from April until October. The winters are relatively short, although the temperatures can drop significantly depending on where you are based. The higher the elevation, the colder it gets — you may even experience some snowfall in the mountainous regions of the island.
What do I need to know before moving to Taiwan?
Taiwan is a densely populated country with an average of more than 600 persons living per square kilometre. Considering that nearly half of the island is uninhabitable due to the geography, the majority of the population resides along one strip of land along the east coast of Taiwan. The most populated urban regions in Taiwan include Keelung, New Taipei and Taipei in the north of the country, Taoyuan and Hsinchu in the northwest, Taichung and Chiayi in the west, and Tainan and Kaohsiung in the southwest. Although Taiwan has a large English-speaking expat community, which eases the process of settling in and navigating life abroad, it will be a major advantage to learn basic Mandarin if you plan on relocating here.
Unless you are travelling from a visa-exempt country, you will need a visa to enter Taiwan. When travelling to Taiwan, you have two main visa types to choose from: the Taiwan Visitor Visa, better known as the Taiwan Tourist Visa, which is issued to visa-required foreign nationals for stays of up to 90 days; and the Taiwan Resident Visa, which is issued for stays of longer than 90 days. Subtypes of the Taiwan Resident Visa include the Taiwan Work Visa, Student Visa and Family Reunion Visa.
Ready to relocate to Taiwan?
If you are looking for a relocation manager to assist you with international relocation services, reach out to Claymore Thistle today to book a free consultation with one of our relocation agents. Whether you need office relocation services, personal relocation services or general expat relocation support, we can help you make this process as easy as can be!
