Teach English in Taiwan: Salary, Jobs and Visa (2027 Guide)
Language school jobs across Taiwan, with pay rises every year
Now recruiting: language school teachers
Your guide to teaching English in Taiwan
Night markets, mountains and some of the friendliest people in Asia, with steady pay and pay rises every year you stay. Here's what the job pays, who can apply and what life is like.
We recruit for Shane English School, one of Taiwan's established language school groups, with Western management and schools across the island. Our service is free for teachers. Not ready yet? Get job alerts.
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Sky lanterns at Shifen, an hour from Taipei
Language schools · Shane English School
English teacher for young learners and adults
Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and more · Starts every month
NT$43,200–70,000A month, by qualifications and experience
Guaranteed hoursPaid for 20 hours a week for your first 4 months
NT$15,000 bonusOn completion, rising each year you stay
Regular pay risesPerformance reviews every 6 months
Teach small extra-curricular classes of young learners, elementary and junior high students and adults, with a paid training week at head office before you start, course materials and ongoing academic support.
You'll need: a native English passport, a degree, a TEFL (CELTA or CertTESOL preferred) and experience with children.
Taiwan has set itself the goal of becoming a bilingual nation by 2030, and English is everywhere: in schools, in after-school classes and in the workplace. Most foreign teachers work in buxibans, private language schools that teach children after their regular school day, plus classes for adults.
That means your working day usually starts around midday and runs into the evening, leaving your mornings free. Taiwan doesn't usually include free housing or flights, but pay is steady, rent is reasonable and many teachers stay for years, with pay rising each year.
Teach legally, every time
You need a work permit and an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) to teach in Taiwan. Foreign teachers can't legally work in kindergartens, even though some schools advertise these jobs. Our Taiwan role is on a proper work permit, with elementary, junior high and adult classes.
Language schools (buxibans)
Where most foreign teachers start. Afternoon and evening classes, small groups, year-round hiring and no teaching licence needed.
Public schools
Government programmes place foreign teachers in state schools, but usually want a teaching licence and classroom experience.
International and bilingual schools
The best-paid roles, mostly in Taipei, for licensed teachers with a PGCE or equivalent and several years' experience.
What you could save
You'll pay your own rent in Taiwan, but living costs are reasonable, food is cheap and brilliant, and annual bonuses add up the longer you stay.
NT$43,200–70,000
Monthly salary with our Taiwan partner
NT$10,000–15,000
A month's rent for a room in a shared Taipei apartment, less in other cities
About NT$100
A filling meal at a night market or a local lunch box
About NT$20–40
Most MRT rides in Taipei, on one of Asia's cleanest metro systems
NT$15,000 and up
Completion bonus each year, rising to NT$40,000+ in year four
Health insurance
Taiwan's national health insurance, among the best in the world
A realistic month on NT$55,000
Here's an illustrative budget for a first-year teacher outside central Taipei, renting a room in a shared apartment. Your numbers will depend on your city, hours and lifestyle.
Take-home pay, after tax and insurance
about NT$50,000
Rent for a room or small studio
NT$12,000
Utilities and internet
NT$2,000
Phone with unlimited data
NT$600
Groceries and eating out
NT$12,000
MRT, buses or scooter
NT$1,500
Weekend trips and travel
NT$4,000
Going out, gym and hobbies
NT$4,000
Left to save
about NT$13,900
That's roughly £330 a month, before your completion bonus.
Our honest take
Taiwan isn't the place to save the most in your first year, because rent comes out of your salary. It's the place to build a life: pay rises every year, completion bonuses grow, and plenty of teachers stay three, five or ten years.
Renting usually means a deposit of two months' rent plus the first month upfront, and your first pay day may be a few weeks after you arrive.
Arrive with around £1,500–£2,000 to cover your deposit, first month and set-up costs.
Who can teach in Taiwan?
For our Taiwan role you'll need:
A passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand
A bachelor's degree. In some cases an associate degree plus a TEFL is accepted, so ask us
A TEFL certificate, with CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL preferred
Experience with children, in or out of the classroom
A clean criminal record check from your home country
An online application and video interview, with guidance from our team before you go.
Prepare your documents
Your degree and criminal record check usually need to be authenticated by the Taipei representative office in your home country.
Training week
A paid, in-person training week at head office, with lesson observations, before you start teaching.
Work permit
Your school applies for your work permit, and you have a health check in Taiwan.
Alien Resident Certificate
With your work permit approved, you get your ARC, which lets you open a bank account, sign a lease and join national health insurance.
The right TEFL for Taiwan
Our Taiwan partner requires a TEFL and prefers CELTA-level qualifications, and most of your classes will be with children. Book through ESLstarter for our discounted prices with partner TEFL UK.
Our pick for Taiwan
168-hour Level 5 Certificate in TEFL
£239
ESLstarter price, only when you book here
Ofqual-regulated, the same level as CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL, which Taiwan schools prefer
Studied online with a personal tutor, so you can finish it around your current job
Helps you start higher up the pay scale
Recognised well beyond Taiwan, for better-paid roles later
Good to know: pay in Taiwan is linked to your qualifications and experience, so a stronger certificate can mean a higher starting rate. Just need the basics? The 120-hour TEFL starts from £63.
Where you could live
Taiwan is small, and the high-speed rail runs from Taipei to Kaohsiung in about an hour and a half, so the whole island is your weekend.
Taipei and New Taipei
A green, safe and easy capital, with the most jobs, great public transport and mountains on the edge of the city.
Taichung
Taiwan's sunniest big city, with a relaxed pace, creative cafés and lower rents than Taipei.
Kaohsiung
A warm port city in the south, with a lively harbour, beaches nearby and the lowest living costs of the big cities.
Tainan
Taiwan's old capital, famous for temples, history and arguably the best street food on the island.
Hsinchu
Taiwan's tech hub, with strong demand for English, families who value education and Taipei within easy reach.
Smaller cities
Changhua, Keelung, Miaoli and Pingtung, where your salary goes further and you'll quickly feel part of the community.
The island is your weekend
Hike Taroko Gorge, cycle the east coast past rice fields and mountains, release a lantern at Shifen and eat your way around a different night market every Friday.
Before you sign any job offer in Taiwan
Wherever you apply in Taiwan, these are the questions we'd ask before saying yes.
Will you get an ARC?
Your employer must apply for your work permit and ARC. Never start teaching on a visitor visa or visa exemption.
Are your hours guaranteed?
Language school pay is often hourly. Ask how many hours are guaranteed each week, and for how long.
Who will you teach?
Check the ages of your students. Teaching kindergarten classes is not legal for foreign teachers in Taiwan.
What's the schedule?
Ask about split shifts, Saturday classes and how many days off you get each week.
Help with housing?
Ask what help you'll get to find a flat, and whether there's a hotel or housing subsidy when you arrive.
Bonus conditions
Completion bonuses usually depend on finishing your contract. Check when they're paid and how they grow each year.
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Teaching in Taiwan, your questions answered
How much do English teachers earn in Taiwan?
Most new English teachers in Taiwan work in private language schools, known as buxibans, and earn NT$43,200 to NT$70,000 a month depending on qualifications, experience and hours. Our Taiwan partner adds pay rises every six to twelve months and a completion bonus that starts at NT$15,000 and grows each year you stay.
Do I need a degree to teach English in Taiwan?
Usually, yes. Taiwan's work permit for English teachers generally requires a bachelor's degree. In some cases an associate degree combined with a TEFL certificate is accepted, so it's worth asking us if that applies to you.
Do I need a TEFL to teach in Taiwan?
Yes, for our Taiwan role. A TEFL certificate is required, and CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL is preferred. Experience with children is also important, as most classes are with young learners. See the courses we recommend for Taiwan.
Is housing included for English teachers in Taiwan?
Not usually. Most teachers in Taiwan rent their own apartment, which gives you a free choice of where to live. Our partner gives a hotel subsidy for your first nights and helps you find a flat. A room in a shared apartment in Taipei typically costs NT$10,000 to NT$15,000 a month, and less in other cities.
Can I teach kindergarten in Taiwan?
Not legally as a foreign teacher. Taiwanese law doesn't allow foreign English teachers to be employed in kindergartens, although some schools still advertise these roles. Our Taiwan role is with elementary and junior high students and adults in a language school, on a proper work permit.
Can you save money teaching English in Taiwan?
Yes. Even after paying rent, many teachers save NT$10,000 to NT$20,000 a month, more outside Taipei. Food is cheap and excellent, transport is efficient, and completion bonuses add a useful lump sum at the end of each year.
When do teaching jobs in Taiwan start?
Language schools in Taiwan hire all year round. Our Taiwan partner runs a training week every month, so you can start in almost any month once your documents are ready.
Do I need to speak Chinese to teach in Taiwan?
No. Classes are taught in English, and Taiwan is very easy to live in with English, especially in Taipei, where signs and the MRT are bilingual. Many teachers take Mandarin lessons once they arrive.
Ready to teach in Taiwan?
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