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Teach English in Taiwan

Teach English in Taiwan

Great wages, low cost of living, beautiful mountains and beaches – it’s no wonder Taiwan has become one of Asia’s top TEFL destinations.

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Taiwan is an up-and-coming destination for TEFL teachers, with decent salaries, plenty of job opportunities, and a surprisingly low cost of living. Aiming to be entirely bilingual by 2030, Taiwan has all the conditions for a rapid rise in English proficiency, and continues to ramp up its hiring of qualified English teachers. 

Though China, South Korea, and Japan are nearby and considerably bigger, Taiwan is an increasingly popular TEFL market. Teaching jobs are available in state schools, private education, and an impressive university sector, while the country’s financial districts are full of tutoring opportunities. 

In this article, we’ll discuss English teaching in Taiwan, covering the requirements you need to meet, compensation for teachers, and other key areas.

Is Taiwan a good place to teach English?

One of the Four Asian Tigers, Taiwan has a strong economy that focuses on exports and the supply chain. As a result, the importance of English is stressed in business and schools from an early age, culminating in the country’s Bilingual 2030 project. 

Tip: The Four Asian Tigers - South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan - are countries with prominent, high-income economies. These nations have an incredible demand for English language education, and can pay amongst the highest TEFL wages.

Taiwan aims to be completely bilingual by 2030, to help the country be more competitive globally and promote Taiwanese culture. This initiative has seen a substantial increase in TEFL jobs in Taiwan, whether you want to teach adults or school kids. 

In Taiwan, you can find jobs in language schools, public schools, international schools, universities, summer camps, and freelance/private tutoring work, especially in Taiwan’s financial districts. Along with the availability of jobs, Taiwan’s lifestyle is a significant selling point for TEFL teachers. Taiwan has been named the “best place to live for expats”, is consistently voted the happiest country in Asia, regularly ranks highly for quality of life, and has friendly, eager learners alongside large English-speaking communities.

Requirements to teach English in Taiwan

Here’s everything you need to know, from teaching qualifications to visas and work permits:

TEFL certification

To teach English in Taiwan, you need a high-quality TEFL certificate. The industry standard is 120 hours of training. 

You’ll find various teaching jobs in Taiwan, so finding a niche and taking an advanced TEFL certificate is a good idea. A certificate in Teaching Young Learners or Business English will help you find Taiwan’s two biggest audiences for English lessons.

Degree requirements

To obtain a work visa, you need a bachelor's degree. Teachers with a two-year associate's degree could bypass that rule if they also have a TEFL certificate.

Experience needed to teach English in Taiwan

Buxibans (cram schools) and other private language schools often hire TEFL teachers without experience, as long as they have a TEFL certificate, enthusiasm, and ideas. However, public schools, universities, and international schools prioritise foreign English teachers with classroom experience.

Visa and work permits for Taiwan

To get a work visa for Taiwan, foreign English teachers need to have:

  • A bachelor's degree.
  • Native-level English fluency
  • Hold a passport from an English-speaking country like the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand.
  • A clean criminal record

To get a Taiwanese work permit, your employer must sponsor you. 

A common route to teaching English in Taiwan is a holiday visa, which allows you to live and work in the country for 12 months. To be eligible for a working holiday visa, you need to:

Some TEFL teachers arrive in Taiwan on a temporary landing visa and look for work in person. Once a school or business has made a job offer, that temporary visa must be changed to a work visa. 

Tip: Staying in Taiwan for too long on the wrong visa can lead to fines and deportation. Try to get a teaching job before moving.

Can non-natives teach English in Taiwan?

Non-native English speakers can teach abroad in Taiwan under certain conditions. 

If you’re a non-native English speaker raised in an English-speaking country and have an IELTS or TOEFL certificate, you might be able to teach English in Taiwan. A bachelor’s degree (or above) from an English-language university may also be enough.

Download our teaching English in Asia guide

How to apply to teach English in Taiwan

Here are our tips for applying to Taiwanese teaching jobs:

Job boards, schools and recruiters

If you want to find English teaching jobs in Taiwan, job boards are an ideal starting point. Online job portals like The TEFL Org Jobs Centre list the latest Taiwanese teaching opportunities, and you can gain lifetime access once you’ve completed a TEFL Org course. 

You can also find English teaching jobs in Taiwan through job boards, recruiters, and schools like Hess Education, Jumpstart, Kang Ning, KNS, Reach to Teach, Saxoncourt Recruitment, and Tealit. 

Tip: The peak hiring season for English teachers in Taiwan is between July and August, but buxiban and tutoring jobs can be found year-round. International schools usually advertise roles in January before hiring teachers in March/early April.

Application and job etiquette tips

Before you apply for Taiwanese teaching jobs, it’s essential to understand the working culture. Hierarchy is a significant part of Taiwan’s culture, especially in the workplace. You’ll need to learn Taiwanese greetings and social etiquette, especially bowing, greeting the most senior person in the room first, offering a firm handshake, and maintaining eye contact. 

Unlike many other countries, Taiwanese applications and job interviews aren’t necessarily about how great you are. Instead, it’s more about the Chinese concept, Guanxi: how well you work with others and how much you value relationships and networking. Avoiding conflict, supporting colleagues, and gelling quickly with people around you are more important than projects you’ve led. 

A well-designed business card is the best way to stand out in Taiwan, where collectivism is highly valued. Make sure your contact details are easy to read, and always pass them to someone with your right hand, keeping the written side face up. Don’t “deal” them like a playing card - it’s considered insulting in Taiwan.

Where possible, learn some interview phrases in Mandarin. It’s a way to show your prospective employers your respect, and it’s more effective to do it in Mandarin than in English. As a bonus, it also indicates cultural awareness and a willingness to adapt to your environment.

Initial interviews for Taiwanese teaching jobs are usually conducted online, via services like Zoom. Conducting interviews in well-lit, quiet environments is essential - a school won’t be particularly impressed if they can’t see or hear you. Also, research the school you’re applying to. Employers will love it if you’ve done your homework; it’ll give you an edge against competing candidates. 

Tip: During your applications and interviews, draw heavily on the times you’ve worked well in a team. 

Job resources

To land a job in Taiwan, sharpen up your job applications, or find other teachers working in the country, try these resources:

Types of teaching jobs in Taiwan

Here’s where you can find teaching jobs in Taiwan:

Public school jobs

With programmes like the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP) putting qualified teachers into schools, and the introduction of Bilingual 2030, it’s easier than ever to find public school jobs.

These jobs can be intense and competitive, but they’re extremely rewarding for teachers with TEFL certification and a degree. Class sizes can be as high as 35 students, though there are government efforts to lower this number by increasing funding.

Teaching English in Taiwan: salary, benefits, and cost of living

Here’s what you need to know about salaries and benefits in Taiwan:

How much do English teachers earn in Taiwan?

On average, an English teacher in Taiwan will earn NT$72,436 - NT$72,667(£1,776 - £1,781 / $2,387 - $2,395) monthly, with higher salaries in elite institutions and bigger cities, like Taipei. Let’s take a more detailed look at the range of teaching salaries:

Country Avg. monthly salary Degree required Start of term Teaching experience Housing & flights included Suitable for non-native English speakers Age restrictions
Teach in Taiwan
72,436 TWD
£1,725 GBP
$2,220 USD 		September Sometimes Under 65
Type of SchoolAverage monthly salary (NT$/GBP/USD)
Public SchoolNT$62,686 - $83,581 (£1,533 - £2,045 / $1,910 - $2,545)
Language SchoolsNT$50,000 – NT$70,000 (£1,220 – £1,710 / $1,520 – $2,130)
International SchoolsNT$75,223 - $105,000 (£1,840 - £2,565/$2,290 - $3,195)
UniversitiesNT$100,000 - NT$150,000 (£2,445 - £3,670 / $3,045 - $4,570)

Salary figures are based on extensive research by The TEFL Org, gathered from sources including job adverts, teacher feedback, and reliable information from recruiters.

Private tutoring - how much to charge in Taiwan

The usual base rate is NT$700 - NT$1,000 (£17 - £25 / $21 - $31) for an hour of teaching, and you can earn significantly more by teaching groups of professionals in Taiwan’s business community. Tip: Try marketing yourself online or advertising in financial districts and universities, especially in major cities like Taipei. However, remember tutoring on the side is illegal if you’re on a work visa tied to a specific employer.

Benefits

Teaching jobs in Taiwan often provide:

  • Airfare
  • Accommodation/rent stipend
  • Performance bonuses
  • Health insurance
  • Accident cover
  • Free meals
  • Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
At private language schools, your contract might include:

  • Contract completion bonus
  • Mandarin lessons

Cost of living in Taiwan

Taiwan is one of East Asia’s more affordable destinations for teaching abroad. In Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, the cost of living is comparatively low for a major Asian city. Expect to pay about £589 / $793 per month for a central, one-bed apartment, while suburban rents cost £423 / $569. Flatshares can cost as little as £111 / $150 per month. 

Monthly utilities cost £61 / $82, with internet access costing £19 / $26 - great if you want to teach English online. Meanwhile, cafes and restaurants are affordable: lunch is about £5 / $7, and a meal for two in a mid-range restaurant is £29 / $39.

Taipei is Taiwan’s most expensive city. For comparison, a one-bedroom apartment of the same size in Kaohsiung’s city centre is around £348 / $468 monthly, with utilities falling to £58 / $78.

Monthly budget in Taiwan

Before rent, you can expect to spend about £612 / $822 per month teaching English abroad in Taiwan. With rents included, you could set a monthly budget of £1,100 / $1,475. Contrasted against the average salary,you could save around £500 / $670 monthly.

Take a look at our Taiwan cost of living table for more:

Restaurants
TWD
USD
GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets
TWD
USD
GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation
TWD
USD
GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities
TWD
USD
GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes
TWD
USD
GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes

Teach English in Taiwan: key takeaways

Taiwan is an ambitious, upwardly mobile country with intense demand for teachers, excellent salaries, and plenty of job opportunities across different sectors. Here are some key takeaways to remember:

  • Salary and benefits: Taiwan's average teaching salaries compare extremely well with those in the rest of Asia. Benefits, including accommodation, flights, and performance bonuses, are common.
  • Requirements: You can’t teach in Taiwan without a degree and a TEFL certificate
  • Key cities: Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung
  • Demand: The 2030 Bilingual project has increased the demand for English teachers at state schools. Jobs at language schools, universities, and international schools are also widely available.
  • Tutoring opportunities: A specialty like Business English or English for Academic Purposes can increase your chances of earning lucrative tutoring fees in Taiwan.
  • Broad appeal: Taiwan is consistently voted the happiest country in Asia, and is one of the safest countries in the region.

With a thriving economy, strong demand for English teachers, and a culture blending opportunity with qualify of life, Taiwan is one of Asia’s most rewarding TEFL destinations.

More on teaching English in Taiwan

Frequently Asked Questions

    Here are the most frequently asked questions about teaching abroad in Taiwan:

  • Q. How much money can you make teaching English in Taiwan?

    On average, a TEFL teacher in Taiwan will earn NT$72,436 - NT$72,667 (£1,776 - £1,781 / $2,387 - $2,395) monthly.

  • Q. Are English teachers in demand in Taiwan?

    Taiwan aims to be a bilingual country by 2030, so there has never been a higher demand for English teachers.

  • Q. Do you need a degree to teach English in Taiwan?

    A bachelor’s degree will be required for most teaching positions in Taiwan. This is because you must have a university degree to receive a work visa (in most cases).

  • Q. Can non-natives teach English in Taiwan?

    To obtain a work visa for Taiwan, ESL teachers must be native English speakers and hold a passport from a native English-speaking country.

  • Q. Do you need a TEFL certificate to teach in Taiwan?

    A TEFL qualification isn’t a legal requirement for teaching English in Taiwan, but employers will ask for one.