Taiwan rush (express) visa handling

Article 4 of the Standard Fees for ROC Visas in Foreign Passports adds 50 percent to the visa fee for rush handling. Applied to the fee table, this means an extra US$25 on a US$50 single-entry visitor visa, US$50 on a multiple-entry visitor visa, US$33 on a single-entry resident visa and US$66 on a multiple-entry resident visa when applying abroad. The surcharge may be waived when the request responds to an emergency or serves official duties. Like other visa fees, it is not refunded if the visa is refused.

Rush handling is not a separate visa category and there is no published guaranteed time. The Ministry or the mission decides, considering the urgency, whether to dispatch staff to process the application immediately or to issue the visa earlier than usual. Ask the mission when you lodge your application and bring evidence of the urgency, such as a medical emergency or an imminent official commitment.

Knowing the normal timelines helps decide whether rush handling is needed: resident visas processed inside Taiwan take eight working days, the ARC for students takes five working days, and BOCA advises applying for an eVisa at least seven days before travel. For visas lodged at missions abroad, BOCA does not publish a single standard time.

For short trips, eligible nationals can use the online eVisa, which BOCA recommends applying for at least seven days before travel. For urgent medical treatment, a Taiwanese hospital can initiate the visa application directly with BOCA. Employment Gold Card applications have no paid priority service.