Taiwan
Why Teach in Taiwan?
This off-the-beaten-path teaching destination is one of Asia’s best-kept secrets. Yes, everyone has heard “made in Taiwan” but beyond that- do you know much about this tiny island? Probably not. This is precisely what makes it such a hidden gem.
In one word, Taiwan is unspoiled.
Unspoiled in teaching opportunities, the market is begging for more English teachers. Public schools, private schools, and one-on-one tutoring is booming with demand.
Unspoiled in beauty, Taiwan’s infrastructure has been built around the lush tropical rainforests, instead of developing over it. Living in a big city, you are never far from gorgeous hikes and fresh water rivers.
Unspoiled in tourism, you get the local experience that drove you to live in Asia in the first place. The cities are a mixture of old culture and new infrastructure, yet step outside the big city and it’s like you go back in time 30 years.
Night markets, hiking, temples, shrimp fishing, karaoke rooms… every day of the week is low-key awesome.
Qualifications to Teach in Taiwan
There are two routes to teaching in Taiwan: Teaching legally with a work permit and teaching illegally without a work permit.
Teaching with a work permit offers you a year-long visa, health insurance, and 14 hours of work per week. Teaching without a work permit is like freelance teaching where you hop from school to school, making your own schedule, and don’t acquire any benefits. This is illegal and can possibly (not probably) get you deported if authorities are alerted.
With a Work Permit
Native Speaker: Required
Bachelor’s Degree: Required
TEFL Certificate, CELTA Degree or Equivalent: Flexible but Highly Recommended
Criminal Background Check: Not Required
Health Check: Required in Country
Without a Work Permit
Native Speaker: Flexible
Bachelor’s Degree: Flexible
TEFL Certificate, CELTA Degree or Equivalent: Required
Criminal Background Check: Not Required
Health Check: Not Required
Teacher Tip: You can get a teaching job in Taiwan without a University Degree. You can also teach in Taiwan even if you're not a native English speaker. The key is having a TEFL Certificate.
Don't have a TEFL yet? We can fix that.
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If you want to get your TEFL quickly via the clearest course online, iTTT TEFL is the way to go.
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This 120-hour TEFL Certificate can be finished as quickly as 4 weeks online.
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Become a highly competitive candidate with a TEFL degree under your belt
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Increase your value as a teacher and thus increase your salary
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Open the doors to landing a teaching job in practically any country in Asia
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A TEFL degree is your golden ticket to getting hired in Taiwan.​
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Use our link and automatically get a 5% discount off your online course or a 5% discount off a 4-week TEFL course in Asia- applied at checkout!
How to Find a Job in Taiwan
Breif Insight: Taiwanese kids attend their regular public schools in the morning, and then head straight to their “cram school" afterwards where they study until the evening/night. Most English teachers work in the privately-owned “cram” schools or “buxiban” in Chinese.
When looking for a teaching job in Taiwan, there are multiple options specifically unique to the country. Let’s break em’ down.
Option 1: Apply to a Large Chain “Cram School” or Buxiban
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Look into big cram schools, which are hiring year-round, such as Shane School, Hess, Joy School or a few others. These schools have branches all over Taiwan, have plenty of positions to fill and allow you to apply online even before you move to Taiwan.
As with any big company, schools such as these have their pros and cons.
The pros being that you don’t have to have experience to teach here and you are guaranteed a visa/work permit and consistent schedule. The cons are that you don’t have much leverage to negotiate your work schedule, hourly salary, and must stick to the franchise curriculum no matter how outdated it may be.
Option 2: Use a Recruitment Agency such as Reach to Teach
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This is a decent option for first time teachers! Reach To Teach has connections with big branch schools in Taiwan and can match you with one in your preferred city or area.
You can apply on their website from your home country before you move! Reach to Teach will set up a Skype call to get acquainted with you, and then begin sending you job listings in their database that match your criteria. See one you like and Reach to Teach will set up an interview! Simple.
Reach to Teach doesn't charge teachers a recruitment fee and they take the stress out of auditioning for jobs.
Again, this is a great options for first-time teachers, but if you have more experience then we suggest you first try to use your bargaining power for ideal wages and schedules with smaller schools around you.
Option 3: Look for Smaller Schools Online via Job Postings
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Jobs posted on Facebook and in teaching forums lead you directly to the source! You can easily have several interviews lined up within your first few days of applying!
You’ll need to be in the country (or a couple weeks within moving) in order to apply for these schools, as they require a “demo class” where you will teach a 20-40 minute class to real students. This is your interview.
Where to look
English Teaching/Subbing Jobs in Taiwan!
Taiwan English Teacher Job Openings
Need a Sub Teacher or Want to Sub Teacher in Taiwan?
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When you work directly with the manager or director of a small school, you are able to negotiate your salary and teaching hours.
Side Hustle: Post your teaching profile on MYU – a private tutoring site that can land you well-paying side jobs!
Helpful Tip: Take substitute jobs while you’re on the job hunt! Good teachers are hard to find, so if a school likes the substitute, it’s not uncommon for them to offer them some permanent classes.
Visas for Teachers in Taiwan
Getting a visa in Taiwan is easy. Perhaps, the easiest.
You can easily enter Taiwan via a 3-month (on arrival) tourist visa during your job hunt. Once a school hires you, they can sponsor you with a 1-year visa. You do not have to leave the country for your visa to be updated.
In order to get an official sponsored work permit and visa that will allow you to live and work in Taiwan for a year or more, the following documents will be required:
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Application Provided by your School
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Health Check in Taiwan
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Copy of your University Degree or TEFL Degree
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CV/Resume
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2 Passport Photos
Your school will help you gather the documents you need and will submit them on your behalf or direct you where to submit them in country.
As with several countries in Asia, many teachers who do not have University Degrees or are not native English speakers teach without official work permits. This means that they work illegally on a 3-month tourist visa and leave the country on “visa runs” to renew their 3-month visa. We do not encourage or condone this practice.
What's Included in the Job
Your hourly rate in Taiwan depends on your school, your experience, and your qualifications. The benefits you receive depends on your visa status.
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English Schools with a Legal Work Visa​​​
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Average Monthly Income: $1,200-$2,700+ per month
Average Hourly Rate: $20-$26 per hour (600–800 NTD per hour)
Housing: Not Provided
Flights: Not provided
Medical Insurance: Provided by your school
End of the Year Pension or Bonus: Not provided by your school
Vacation Time: Flexible
Contract Commitment: Yearly
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English Schools without Work Visa
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Average Monthly Income: $1,200-$2,700+ per month
Average Hourly Rate: $20-$26 per hour (600–800 NTD per hour)
Housing: Not Provided
Flights: Not provided
Medical Insurance: Not provided
End of the Year Pension or Bonus: Not provided
Vacation Time: Flexible
Contract Commitment: Monthly-Quarterly
Cost of Living in Taiwan
AndySlot via Imgur
Cost of living is relative to your lifestyle. Where you live, what amenities you require, and the big one- how much you drink- all determine your overall cost of living. But for measurement's sake, here are the basics…(Prices are in USD roughly according to numbeo.com and individual research– Updated August 2017)
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Overall Cost of Living Range by City
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Compare your current cost of living to Taiwanese cities here
Taipei
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$767 per month total
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: $544
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: $329
Kaohsiung
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$623 per month total
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City
Centre: $287
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: $194
HsinChu
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$550 per month total
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: $323
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: $237
Taichung
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$710 per month total
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: $336
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: $213
Day to Day
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Taxi (1km): $1.23
Gasoline (1 Liter): $3.34
Cinema- International Release (1 Ticket): $9.91
Milk (1 Liter): $3.20
Chicken Breast (1kg): $3.72
Loaf of Fresh White Bread: $1.44
Draft Beer (pint): $1.65
Restaurant Meal (average restaurant): $3.96
McDonald’s Combo Meal: $3.96
The Low Down on Taiwan
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Currency: Taiwan New Dollar; (TND rate here)
Type of Government: Unitary Semi-presidential Constitutional Republic
Crime: Extremely low! One of the safest countries in the world! Check out the data here.
Safety Concerns: Motorbike traffic accidents
Street Food: Night markets around every corner! Dishes start at $1
Public Transportation: Taipei has an amazing subway and bus system; Country-wide bus systems and taxis; very pedestrian friendly
Gay Friendly: Very
Safe for Solo Females: Extremely
What's it like Living in...
Taipei
You get the best of both worlds living in Taipei. The perfect balance between city life and country culture is right here. The safest capitol city in Asia, Taipei is a dream! Walk the city streets at 3am, leave your front door unlocked, and talk to strangers- it’s all good. To get around, the sky train and bus system are incredibly efficient and easy for even us foreigners to navigate. There is a public bicycle system and taxis are super cheap. Hands down, the best night market culture in Asia, every night of the week there are humongous markets full of food, games, clothing, tattoo shops and more scattered all around the city. There is are western shopping centers and cinemas to give you that city fix, then
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New Taipei
New Taipei is huge! This city is encompasses the regions surrounding Taipei that span from the northern tip of the island in Keelung down to Yilan county. New Taipei, however, is the newest focus of growth for the country meaning that many areas feature newer bridges, trendy shopping districts, and more expensive real estate. Your experience of living in New Taipei will depend on the neighborhood. Juifen is an old town located on the water with beautiful pagodas, Damsui is considered “the Seattle” of Taipei, Keelung is an old fishing town, and anywhere on the MRT is shiny and new. This guide will help.
HsinChu
History buffs will love living in the oldest city in northern Taiwan. Lot’s of temples, museums, landmarks, and historical buildings can be found here. HsinChu is also home to several universities, which have given life to the café and art culture. You’ll find plenty of international students in the area and there are lots of opportunities to learn Chinese at a lower cost than Taipei. Enjoy city life on a smaller scale!
Taichung
With a comfortable climate comparable to California, Taichung is great for outdoorsy people! Some of the best hiking trails in the country can be found just outside the city center! Taichung also offers a taste of culture with a winery, opera, art museum, and cultural center! The main form of transport in Taichung are buses, taxis, and personal motorbikes. Taichung’s crime rate is practically non-existent which makes running around town at night between markets and bars A-OK.
Kaohsiung
The most popular teaching destination in Taiwan in Kaosiung and for good reason. This underrated city has every Taipei can offer- historical landmarks and museums, huge night markets for traditional food and shopping, western malls, whacky outdoor parks, convenient transportation, and extremely safe society- all for a fraction of the price. More so than anywhere else in Taiwan, teachers will find a sense of community with fellow expat teachers! Check out all the things to do in Kaohsiung!
What's to Love about Taiwan?
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Jobs are plentiful and easy to find – even for 1st time teachers
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Cost of living is low and wages are decent
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Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world
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Taiwan is totally gay-friendly and has a feminist female president
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Night market culture makes eating cheap, fun, and something to look forward to
What's to Dislike about Taiwan?
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Traffic accidents are quite common in the big cities
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Mandarin Chinese is a very challening language if you don't make the effort to learn
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You might get fat because the food is so incredibly amazing
