The first place you should look for information about settling into Taiwan is the Taiwan Information link on the IAA website. Of particular interest is the Information for International Visitors. These links contain information on everything from visas and transportation, to shopping and tourism. Much of the information is rather general, so in the other tabs on the left, we provide more details on exactly how to navigate some of these issues.
The IAA postdoc representatives are happy to answer any questions you might have before or after you get to Taiwan. The first thing on your to-do list, if you haven't done it already, is deciding whether to come here...
Pros:
Access to many world-class telescopes (CFHT, Subaru, SMA, ALMA, TAOS, AMiBA).
Collaboration opportunities in many large international projects (HSC, PFS, SPICA, GLT/VLBI, TAOS II).
On-site nano-fab and instrumentation development for next-generation instruments.
A diverse group of faculty member and postdocs with a wide variety of scientific interests.
Location on NTU campus provides for interaction with the NTU Astrophysics, Physics, and the Leung Center for Cosmology.
Funding available to invite foreign speakers/collaborators and host workshops/conferences.
The adventure of living in a new country, learning a new language.
Taipei is a fantastic city with many attractions, great restaurants, and nightlife.
Taiwan is a very safe place to live with exceptionally low crime rates.
Taiwan's location makes it easy to visit the rest of Asia for conferences or vacation.
Cons:
For standard postdocs, no moving expenses other than a one-way airfare are covered, making the first month or two rather expensive. Arrangements can be made with the front office after arrival to ease your transition into Taiwan.
By international standards, the salary at IAA is low. Whilst it is competitive locally, it just isn't that attractive compared to similar positions in Europe or North America. Monthly take-home pay after taxes in the beginning is around 50–55,000 NTD, increasing to ~63,000 NTD in the first January after the year in which you spend more than 183 days in Taiwan. For the calendar year, or fraction thereof, that you have spent more than 183 days in Taiwan, you can recoup the wages lost to taxes the following May by filing a tax return. In other words, If you get to Taiwan in the first half of the calendar year, you will be taxed at the higher rate through the end of the year, then taxed less starting in January the following year, then be able to recoup your lost wages from the first year in May. If you arrive to Taiwan in the second half of the calendar year you will be taxed at the higher rate through the rest of that year, and through the entire next year! The following January (your second January in Taiwan), your tax burden will be relieved and that May you can recoup the taxes lost in the full calendar year you spent in Taiwan. Breaking the numbers down: if you spending 180 days your first years in Taiwan, you will spend approximately an additional $2,000 USD in taxes that you won't get back. The following year, you'll be charged an additional $4,000 USD over the base rate, but you'll get this money back in September after two full years in Taiwan.
There is a limited amount of annual holiday and sick leave days available for IAA postdocs. During the first part year you are at IAA, you will likely only have two days of annual leave immediately available to you, along with five days of personal leave and fifteen days of paid sick leave (these numbers may change and are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing). In subsequent years the annual leave allowance does increase, but this is still an ungenerous annual leave allowance compared to similar level postdoc positions in e.g. Europe. There are also around 12 statutory holidays per year, including the Lunar New Year which is often a stretch of five days (typically held in February). However, these are public holidays which means that *everyone* will be on holiday at the same time, leaving local travel destinations crowded.
Preparing to move to Taiwan: In general, the IAA administrative staff are fantastic in getting you all the information you need to know before coming to Taiwan with regard to visas, degree verification etc., but a couple things to keep in mind are:
Taxes: As mentioned above, you will be taxed at a significantly higher rate for up to 18 months after you arrive in Taiwan. This is discussed a bit more here. If you spend more than 183 days of that year actually physically in Taiwan (all days for trips out of the country subtracted), then you may file a tax return in your second year to recoup the wages lost to the higher tax rate. If you spend less than 183 days, you cannot recoup the wages lost in the first year, and you will be taxed at the higher rate through your second year as well (extra taxes taken out the second year can be recouped in May of the third year). Consider arriving in the first half of the calendar year so you can get your money back and move to a lower tax rate your first January, or arrive late in the calendar year so you don't spend much time losing money at the higher tax rate (though you will be taxed at the higher rate for the entire full first year you are here). For more information, the teaching English in Taiwan website has a good description of this process.
Getting your degree verified: If you don't get your degree verified before you get here, doing so after you've already arrived in Taiwan can be a pain. The IAA staff will provide you with all the information you need to get your degree verified by the TECO office in the region where you received your degree.
Finding an Apartment: You're on your own for housing once you arrive so most people stay in a hotel for a week or so, but this can get expensive. It is possible to try to find a short term apartment and your fellow postdocs are willing to help with this. Most postdocs choose to live in New Taipei City, near the Dapinglin and Qizhang MRT stations (Green line) because it's a nice balance between convenience and affordability. Contact the postdoc representatives, and check out the page on finding an apartment for more details on where to look.
Photo: Yushan National Park. (Jonty Marshall)
Last updated: July 23, 2025