[Ministry of Labor Announcement] Foreign Students Must Apply for a Work Permit in Accordance with the Employment Service Act
1.According to Article 43 of the Employment Service Act:
“Unless otherwise provided by this Act, no foreign national may work in the Republic of China without a permit applied for by the employer.”
In addition, Article 50 states:
“Employers hiring the following students to engage in work shall not be subject to the restrictions of Article 46, Paragraph 1. The maximum working hours during the semester (excluding winter and summer breaks) is 20 hours per week:
(1) Foreign students enrolled in public or registered private universities and colleges.
(2) Overseas Chinese students and other ethnic Chinese students enrolled in public or registered private senior secondary schools or above.”
2.To ensure that foreign students can work legally when needed, please assist in informing all foreign students at your institution of the following regulations:
(1) Students must obtain a Work Permit from the Ministry of Labor (MOL) before beginning any employment.
(2) During the academic semester (excluding winter and summer vacations), students may work up to 20 hours per week.
(3) Violations of the above may result in a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000, as stipulated in Article 68 of the Act.
3.Due to the recent rise in emerging industries (e.g., social media collaborations), please also remind students:
If a foreign student participates in activities such as filming or appearing on programs with influencers or content creators—even without receiving payment—this is still considered work and requires a valid Work Permit.
4. In addition, all employment of foreign students must comply with the Labor Standards Act. To protect students’ labor rights, please also promote relevant provisions of the Labor Standards Act.
If students encounter any issues related to their working conditions, they may call the 1955 Labor Consultation and Complaint Hotline, operated by the Workforce Development Agency, MOL.
5.For further information, please visit the official website of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), MOL: https://www.wda.gov.tw