Last night, I landed in Taiwan, which recently set a record of 200 days with no local coronavirus cases. While many countries are now struggling to contain a second wave, Taiwan is reaping the benefits of its early and swift response and can do things like safely host music festivals with thousands of people.
When I've talked to friends about coming here, almost everyone has been surprised to learn that there's an easy way to enter the country despite the entry restrictions on foreign nationals.
Let me tell you about the Gold Card.
The Gold Card is a special visa that the Taiwanese government created in 2018 to attract foreign talent to come live and work in Taiwan. It's a "four-in-one" visa that bundles an open work permit, a resident visa, the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), and a multiple entry permit.
What this means:
In other words, if you're interested in living in Taiwan for a bit while working remotely for your current job, working for yourself, or finding a job after arriving, this is the perfect visa. If your application process goes smoothly, you can be here in about a month.
While there are several ways to qualify for the Gold Card, the easiest one by far is to meet the minimum salary requirement. You'll qualify if you can prove that you've had a monthly salary of NT$160,000 (~$5,600 USD, equivalent to an annual salary of ~$67,000) at any point in the last three years. Since I spent the last several years traveling, making videos, meditating, and working on my own projects instead of making that ca$h money, I almost didn't qualify, but thankfully my 2017 W-2 from Google saved the day.
For other ways to qualify, check out this FAQ.
The cost to apply depends on your nationality and the duration of your card (you can apply for 1, 2, or 3 years).
If you're a U.S. citizen applying from abroad, here's how much it costs: