Taiwan Scholarship FAQ 2027

No. The MOE Taiwan Scholarship and university admission are completely separate processes. The scholarship is applied for through your local TECO. University admission is applied for directly with each university you want to attend. Winning the scholarship does not admit you anywhere. You must apply to universities and secure an admission offer separately, running both processes in parallel — and send the admission letter to your office by 30 June.

Yes. Applying for both in the same application cycle is allowed and many students do it. The applications go through different channels — MOE via your TECO, ICDF via its online system and the partner university, with your ROC embassy or office doing the first review. If you receive both offers, you choose one. You cannot hold both in the same academic year. If you receive only one, you proceed with that one.

Three main ones for most applicants: the MOE Taiwan Scholarship (degree study at any Taiwan university, any field), the TaiwanICDF Scholarship (a fixed list of English-taught programs at partner universities, 32 in the 2026 guidebook, for citizens of partner countries; mostly master's and PhD) and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (Mandarin language study only, not a degree). Citizens of Taiwan's diplomatic allies can also apply for the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship. Individual Taiwan universities offer their own scholarships independently — these are separate from the government programs and are applied for directly with each university.

The Taiwan Scholarship is administered through Taiwan's overseas missions — the TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office), the ROC embassy or consulate, or an equivalent representative office in your country. Not every country has a TECO; the office serving your country may operate under a different name. Search for "ROC Taiwan representative office [your country]" to find the right contact. Your local office sets the specific deadline and may have additional document requirements beyond the MOE standard.

Possibly not. The MOE directions exclude students from the Mainland Area, Hong Kong and Macau but do not spell out how foreign citizens who live there are treated. Confirm your exact situation with your representative office before investing time in an application.

Not for the level of study you are currently in. The MOE scholarship cannot be used to fund a degree you already started. However, if you are in the final year of a bachelor's degree, you can apply for an MOE scholarship for a master's program. The same applies for master's-to-PhD transitions. The key rule: you cannot apply to continue a degree you are already enrolled in; you can apply to advance to the next level.

TaiwanICDF publishes its list of eligible countries with each cycle's guidebook. The 2026 list covers partners in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and West Asia. Countries are added and removed based on diplomatic and development relationships. Always check the current list directly on the TaiwanICDF site for the active cycle, rather than relying on third-party summaries that may be outdated.

Only if you are a citizen of a country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The 2026 cycle offered four bachelor's programs for those applicants; everyone else can apply only for master's and PhD programs. For bachelor's degree funding from other countries, the MOE Taiwan Scholarship is the relevant program.

Only if your program is not fully taught in English. The MOE scholarship requires TOCFL Level 3 (Band B) or above for those programs — this is a hard eligibility requirement wherever your office runs TOCFL testing. If your office does not, you must pass it by the end of your first semester in Taiwan. If you apply for a fully English-taught program, TOCFL is not required (though offices must give preference to applicants who have it). ICDF programs are all English-taught and do not require TOCFL.

No. HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is a mainland Chinese Mandarin proficiency exam. TOCFL is Taiwan's Mandarin proficiency exam. The MOE directions state that results from any other Chinese test are not accepted. If you have studied Mandarin and hold an HSK certificate, you still need to take and pass TOCFL separately.

TOCFL tests in Traditional Chinese script, which is used in Taiwan. If your Mandarin study was primarily in Simplified Chinese, you will need to familiarize yourself with Traditional character forms before the exam. Reading and writing in Simplified will not be accepted in the exam. Many learners find the transition manageable with a few months of dedicated practice, since the vocabulary and grammar are the same — the character forms differ.

No. The MOE scholarship covers tuition and basic study fees up to NTD 40,000 per semester. If your program's tuition exceeds this amount, you pay the difference yourself (some universities give scholarship holders a discount). Some programs, especially at private universities or in fields such as medicine, may cost more than this cap, so check the fees. The ICDF scholarship, by contrast, covers full tuition with no cap.

The scholarship is not renewed through a new annual application — it covers the full duration of your degree (up to the program maximum). However, continuation is conditional on satisfactory academic performance and conduct, reviewed by your university by 28 February each year: at least a 70 average per semester for bachelor's students and 80 for graduate students. Falling short can lead to suspension or termination. It is continuation-conditional, not guaranteed-annual.

Yes. Apply to the same representative office by 28 February as a completely new application. The five-year cap applies: if you used 2 years for your master's, you have 3 years of Taiwan Scholarship left, so a PhD scholarship would be capped at 3 years, even if your PhD program is scheduled for 4 or more years. You cannot get a second scholarship for a degree at the same or a lower level.

MOE: No. The MOE scholarship does not include flights or accommodation. You arrange and pay for both yourself.

ICDF: Yes. The ICDF scholarship includes round-trip economy airfare and student dormitory housing.

Huayu HES: No. The Huayu scholarship is a monthly stipend only — no flights, no accommodation.

No. You apply for admission directly to each Taiwan university, through its own system and inside its own deadline. That covers admission only. The MOE scholarship application goes to your TECO or representative office, completely separately, and needs proof that you have applied to a university.

Try a different contact channel — email, phone, or an in-person visit if the office is accessible. Some offices are small and have limited staff handling scholarship queries. If you are unable to reach your local office, check whether there is a regional office that serves multiple countries and contact them directly. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website lists contact information for its representative offices worldwide.

This is an avoidable situation — apply to multiple universities (3–5 is a reasonable range) to reduce this risk. Under the MOE directions, anyone not admitted to a university has their scholarship eligibility revoked, and the place goes to the next candidate on the waiting list; recipients also cannot defer to the following year. If it happens, contact your office immediately and explain — then reapply in the next cycle.

Only in limited cases. A bachelor's recipient who has studied at least one year in their department may transfer to another university or department at the same level if both universities approve, and only once during the scholarship. Moving to a different degree program means reapplying to the representative office that awarded your scholarship. TaiwanICDF recipients cannot switch programs at all — doing so cancels the scholarship.