How to Apply for a Taiwan Visa in Atlanta

Atlanta has a population of 6.2 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is also the commercial capital of the Southeast United States.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Tucker, Decatur, Mableton, Conyers, and others.  Atlanta has become a diverse and international city that includes a growing Asian population, which itself includes several thousand Taiwanese immigrants and American-born citizens whose parents migrated from Taiwan starting in the 1970’s.  There are also a few hundred international students from Taiwan studying at Georgia Tech, Emory, Georgia State University, and University of Georgia.  Historically, the Taiwanese community in Atlanta has been centered around Chamblee, home to a shopping plaza on New Peachtree Road known as “Chinatown”, and a Chinese community center, today known as the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.  Nowadays, Taiwanese Americans in Atlanta have spread northward to Norcross, Duluth, and Johns Creek.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is a self-ruled island located 100 miles east of China.  Taiwan also administers several outlying islands, including Great Kinmen Island, which is only 1.2 miles from China.  Taiwan’s other neighbors are the Philippines and Japan (The Philippine island of Mavulis is 50 miles from Taiwan and Japan’s Yonaguni Island is 67 miles away).  Taiwan’s population of 24 million is composed mostly of subgroups of Han Chinese who speak Mandarin, Hokkien (Taiwanese), and Hakka, along with 16 officially recognized indigenous groups of Malayo-Polynesian peoples.  Taiwan is a major player in the global economy and its companies export billions of dollars of microchips and electrical components to American manufacturers.  EVA Air and China Airlines (Taiwan’s two major airlines) have cargo flights to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, delivering critical components that fuel Georgia’s economy.  Apart from being a strategic economic partner of the United States, Taiwan is also an important center of Chinese culture where students from Atlanta can study the Mandarin language in a friendly, democratic, and open society.  Taiwan is home to the National Palace Museum, which has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts in the world.

Obtaining a Taiwan Visa from Atlanta

Visas for Taiwan are issued by the government of Taiwan in the United States.  The government of Taiwan is represented by their diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. along with twelve economic and cultural representative offices located throughout the United States, including one in Atlanta.  To apply for a visa from Atlanta, you will fill out the visa application and bring your original passport and supporting documents to their office in Regions Plaza located in Midtown Atlanta (by appointment only).  You can also send your application by US Mail or courier service using FedEx or UPS.  Here is the address:

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
1180 West Peachtree Street NW, Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30309

You should include a self-addressed USPS (US Postal Service Express Mail or Priority Mail), FedEx, or UPS prepaid envelope (please make note of the tracking number) so the consulate can return your passport and visa to your home or office. 

It is important to review the requirements for visas on the Taiwan representative office website and ensure your application and all supporting documents are accurate.  Here is the link to their website that provides detailed information: www.taiwanembassy.org/usatl_en/cat/10.html

TRAVEL TO TAIWAN IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO FOREIGN NATIONALS WHO HOLD A VALID ALIEN RESIDENT CERTIFICATE (ARC) AND BUSINESS TRAVELERS WHO HOLD A SPECIAL ENTRY PERMIT.  MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND HERE: CECC imposes entry restrictions and quarantine measures for non-R.O.C. nationals starting from January 1, 2021, and tightens quarantine measures for travelers coming to Taiwan starting on January 15, 2021 - Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov.tw)

Other things to consider:

  • U.S. citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days if they are traveling for tourism purposes, short-term business meetings, or visiting family, however, they may be asked to show an onward/return ticket that shows they are leaving Taiwan within 90 days.
  • U.S. citizens must have a passport that will remain valid for their intended length of stay in Taiwan.
  • If you are a U.S. citizen and reside permanently in the United States, and plan to work or study in Taiwan, you must apply for the appropriate visa within the United States before your departure.  A change of status inside of Taiwan is not permitted.  In other words, if you arrive to Taiwan without a visa as a tourist and decide to pursue a teaching job during your visit, you will need to return to the United States to apply for a resident visa. 
  • Please visit the website of the American Institute in Taiwan for the latest information regarding the virus situation: COVID-19 Information - American Institute in Taiwan (ait.org.tw)
  • It is recommended to purchase travel insurance before any international trip in case of medical emergencies.  We advise getting the Geo Blue Voyager Single Trip Plan.

Emergency Assistance for Taiwan Citizens in Atlanta 

If you are a citizen of Taiwan living in the Atlanta area with an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the Taiwan representative office in Midtown Atlanta by calling 404-870-9375 or by email at atl@mofa.gov.tw.  If you need to renew your Taiwan passport, please visit the following link for information: Passport General Information - Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta 駐亞特蘭大台北經濟文化辦事處 (roc-taiwan.org)

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in Atlanta or anywhere in the Southeast United States and have difficulty applying for a Taiwan visa or require assistance with any part of the visa process, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company.  We are a private agency in the city of Sandy Springs (located 12 miles north of Taiwan’s office in Midtown Atlanta) providing Taiwan visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the government of Taiwan.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans. 

We provide the following Taiwan visa services for our customers in Atlanta:

  • Taiwan Visitor Visa (for business or tourism purposes)
  • Taiwan Resident Visa (for work or education purposes)
  • Taiwan Hotel Accommodations