The following information is subject to change in accordance with local developments
and public policy. If there is any discrepancy between the below information and the
latest policies, please defer to the latter.
Posted on Aug. 12, 2013
1. First month in Taiwan -- scholarship awarding, banking, housing, visa
transfer(ARC)
Scholarship Awarding
The scholarship is awarded every month as a deposit into students’ post office bank
accounts. The amount varies according to scholarship type. As students will not receive
their first scholarship payment before arriving in Taiwan, they should prepare extra funds
for initial tuition and housing costs, as well as other expenses for settling in. Further
details will be provided by students’ respective schools and language centers at
orientation so students encouraged to attend. During your stay in Taiwan, for any
questions, please contact the school’s office first. Or the Taiwan Scholarship and
HuaYu Scholarship office.
Banking
Students should take their ARC and passport to their local post office and open up a bank
account soon after arriving in Taiwan. As previously mentioned, unless specified by your
school or language center, this is where the scholarship stipend most likely will be
deposited and will likely be the primary account from which students pay money out in
Taiwan. After opening an account, the student will receive a bank book and debit card for
making bank transactions.
It is probable that students will pay for some expenses in Taiwan with an outside
international bank account. Most international banks assign fees to foreign purchases and
ATM withdrawals, so it is recommended that students inquire about these fees before
departing for Taiwan.
Charles Schwab and Capital One 360 offer international purchase and ATM withdrawal
services without a fee. Students should consider opening up an account with these no fee
banks before leaving for Taiwan if they wish to take advantage of their fee-free services.
Housing
It is advised that students begin investigating housing options before moving to Taiwan.
If housing cannot be arranged prior to arrival, students may consider staying at a hostel
for a month or so before moving into a more permanent situation. For a list of short-term
rental options, please refer to NTNU/MTC Living in Taipei.
Tealit is a good website for getting a sense of what’s available housing-wise. Tealit is a
site primarily aimed at foreigners, so rent may be higher on these sites than what locals
actually pay in comparably-sized apartments.
Reaching out to administrative offices at the university’s language center to find out
about local listings or roommate/ homestay situations is also recommended.
Visa Transfer (ARC)
The Alien Resident Certificate is an ID card given to foreigners to show their proof of
legal residence in Taiwan. It is essentially proof of a visa that frees students from having
to carry around a passport at all times.
Students entering Taiwan with Resident Visas are required to apply for an Alien Resident
Certificate (ARC) and a re-entry permit at the National Immigration Agency within 15
days after their arrival. Students who have successfully switched their visiting visas to
resident visas also have to apply for an ARC card and re-entry permit within 15 days after
they have obtained their resident visas. They may stay in Taiwan as long as their ARC
remains valid.
To apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), students have to bring their passport,
xeroxed copies of their passport, a 2x2 colored photo taken within 6 months, and student
identification card, together with NT$1,000 to the city/county police headquarters nearest
to their residence in Taiwan for processing. Student should apply for an ARC extension
one month before the expiration date. For more information, check out the “Information
for Foreigners in Taiwan.”
2. Life in Taiwan -- food, transportation, health insurance, Taiwanese people/culture
Food
Taiwanese people are foodies. Get ready for a variety of culinary delights. Night markets
are sprinkled all over the cities and are a great food option. Otherwise, university
cafeterias offer cheap food, and restaurants are plentiful. For vegetarians, there are
numerous Buddhist vegetarian buffets.
Transportation
Transportation options within the city may include bicycle, scooter, MRT (subway), and
bus.
To travel outside of city centers, transportation options may include long-distance buses
and high-speed railway.
Health insurance
Taiwan is a developed country with excellent universal medical coverage. Students are
eligible for national health insurance six months after they obtain legal residency. In fact,
foreigners with an Alien Resident Certificate and who have resided in Taiwan for six
months must enroll in the National Health Insurance program. They can go to a local
administrative office to enroll in the NHI program.
Before they are eligible for the NHI program, students can either purchase their own
insurance or participate in a temporary health insurance program offered by the foreign
students' office inside their host institution.
Most medical care is cheaper than in Western countries. Many doctors are trained in
Western countries and speak at least some English.
Taiwanese people/culture
Overall, Taiwanese people are warm and friendly to foreigners. Taiwan is a culturally
diverse island with a mix of Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, and aboriginal customs.
Better understanding Taiwanese people and culture can be done by traveling through the
island and talking to locals wherever one is.
3. Language Study -- Shi-Da MTC, other language centers & TOCFL test
The TOCFL Test (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) is a Mandarin proficiency test
that all students with scholarships for the period of six months or longer must take before
leaving Taiwan in order to get the final scholarship stipend payment.
More information on the TOCFL test should be available at respective institutions’
language centers and international offices. For details regarding the requirement to take
the test before leaving Taiwan, students can contact their language center.
4. Study in Taiwan -- graduate study
In addition to the Huayu Scholarship for Mandarin studies, there are also scholarships
available for graduate study through Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. Interested students
should inquire with Emily Shen for more details about the scholarship while looking into
graduate school programs.
5. Working in Taiwan
Students may find jobs tutoring on the side through private arrangements, however, as
scholarship students, they may not work for institutions like cram schools or in any other
type of formalized setting. For further details on work restrictions, please refer to the
Scholarship Terms of Agreement.
6. TAA in Los Angeles
The Taiwan Alumni Association Los Angeles Chapter is an alumni group started by the
Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles. Its
purpose is to bring Taiwan scholarship alumni together for cultural events and other
activities. Postings on group activity and other relevant information are available on the
group’s Facebook page.