Taiwan is one of the most appealing destinations in Asia to work as an English teacher. This country is modern, very safe and has some of the highest salaries in the world.
Taiwan doesn’t get all the press that other countries in Asia do but the pay here is really good and there are an abundance of jobs, though they tend to be with little kids. The night life may not be as crazy as Bangkok or Seoul but it’s still a lot of fun here. You will find getting a job here very easy and many schools will hire you without even stepping foot into the school.
A Guide to Teaching in Taiwan
Taiwan is a great place to teach English. Though not as popular as other destination in Asia, Taiwan is a lot of fun. In Taipei, you will find a lot of expats and college students learning Chinese. This makes for a vibrant nightlife, especially since most bars offer all you can drink with the cover and Roxy 99 has free beer on Wednesday nights. Life in Taiwan is fairly cheap with most local food costing only 100 NT. Drinks are typically more expensive than food, unless you by them in a 7-11.
The exact number of hours you end up working depends on what kind of school you teach in. Having said that, the majority of private schools will offer you, on average, anywhere from 20 – 30 hours of actual teaching hours per week. Compared to most 9 – 5 jobs back home, you will be working fewer than 40 hours per week. However, don’t forget that many schools require you to turn up at least 30 minutes before class, so you can usually expect to add 2 or 3 hours on top of whatever your school claims as your work load. Public schools will require you to be at work all day.
Salaries for Teaching in Taiwan
English teachers make quite good money in Taiwan, with a monthly salary of about 65,739.92 TWD ($2,172 USD). If you earn money hourly, you can expect to make about 302.67- 696.14 TWD ($10-23 USD). With the cost of living being so low, you can expect to save up a lot of money working here. Full-time salaries are usually calculated on a monthly basis. A typical full-time position at a kindergarten could last from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and pay NT$50,000 to NT$60,000 per month.
Requirements for Teaching in Taiwan
You will need a BA from an accredited university in order to get an ARC (the card that lets you stay in Taiwan!). TEFL or experience is not required though it is preferred. Taiwan accepts a lot of first time English teachers. You must also be a native English speaker.
Visas Rules for Taiwan
In order to legally search for and accept a job in Taiwan, you need to have a resident visa. Therefore, it is recommended that you look for work before actually coming to the country. Also, if you find work before coming to Taiwan, your employer will take care of all of your paperwork, and you will not have to leave the country to get your visa status renewed and then come back again.
Many people come to Taiwan first and then begin to look for work on a visitor’s visa. This is technically illegal, so if you decide to do this, do not give this as your reason for visiting when you arrive in the country. Citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand do not need a special visa to visit Taiwan, but they can obtain a visitor’s visa when they arrive at the airport that is valid for two weeks.
If you are coming to work, it is advised that you obtain a “landing visa” at the Taiwanese embassy outside of Taiwan so that you can stay without a work visa for 30-60 days, depending on your visa and home country. The landing visa cannot be renewed. Once you find employment, you must leave the country and visit a Taiwanese embassy to get your resident visa validated. If your landing visa expires before you find a job, you can leave Taiwan to go to a nearby country and start the process from the beginning again.
You are required to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) within 15 days of your arrival in Taiwan, and this must be validated by your employer. To apply for your ARC, you must have a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date of entry, a copy of your work permit, and two passport-sized photos. If you would like to travel outside of Taiwan, you also need to visit the Foreign Affairs police station to apply for exit and re-entry visas before leaving the country.
TEFL Courses in Taiwan
If you are looking to get qualified, we highly recommend getting an online a TEFL certificate. It’s inexpensive and allows you to legally teach in Taiwan!
TEFL Jobs in Taiwan
These companies offer TEFL jobs in Taiwan:
• HESS International Educational Group
Taiwan TEFL Reviews & Testimonials
If you have been to teach in Taiwan and would like to share your experience please contact us.
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