The Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP) is the Ministry of Education's scheme for placing native English speakers in Taiwan's public elementary and junior high schools. Teachers with a bachelor's degree earn NT$67,840 to NT$88,800 a month, plus flight and housing support, and need a teaching license or a year of experience with approved training.
This guide is part of our complete series on how to teach English in Taiwan. TFETP is the closest thing Taiwan has to a government placement program, and it is often compared with Korea's EPIK. Here is how it actually works, using the Ministry's own published terms.
Key takeaways
- TFETP places foreign English teachers and teaching assistants in public schools, co-teaching with Taiwanese teachers for up to 20 hours a week.
- Foreign English Teachers with a bachelor's degree earn NT$67,840 to NT$88,800 a month, depending on teaching seniority, with higher scales for master's and doctoral degrees.
- Benefits include economy airfare up to NT$40,000 each way, housing reimbursement up to NT$5,000 a month, a performance bonus of up to one month's salary and national health insurance.
- A TEFL only counts for the teacher role if it is at least 120 hours, includes practice teaching and is no more than two thirds online, alongside a year of teaching experience.
- Applications run on a rolling basis through the official portal and close once places are filled.
What is the TFETP?
The Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program is a Ministry of Education recruitment scheme that brings native English speakers into public elementary and junior high schools across Taiwan. It was launched in 2021 to support the government's Bilingual Policy 2030, according to the Ministry, and in 2024 the Ministry announced plans to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants.
There are two roles. Foreign English Teachers (FETs) co-lead classes with Taiwanese teachers and help shape the English curriculum. Foreign English Teaching Assistants (FETAs) support local teachers in the classroom and do not need a teaching license. Placements cover cities and rural areas, so you may not be in Taipei.
How much does the TFETP pay?
TFETP pays Foreign English Teachers with a bachelor's degree NT$67,840 to NT$88,800 a month, about $2,133 to $2,792, according to the Ministry of Education's Education Division in New York, whose terms were last updated on 3 October 2026. Where you start on the scale depends on your highest degree and your recognized teaching seniority. Teaching assistants received NT$50,000 a month in the Ministry's 2024 recruitment notice.
| Item | Amount | In USD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly salary, bachelor's degree | NT$67,840 to NT$88,800 | $2,133 to $2,792 |
| Monthly salary, master's degree | NT$75,680 to NT$98,780 | $2,380 to $3,106 |
| Flight reimbursement | Up to NT$40,000 each way | up to $1,258 |
| Housing reimbursement (if housing not provided) | Up to NT$5,000 a month single, NT$10,000 family | up to $157 single |
| Performance bonus | One month's salary for grade A, half for grade B | n/a |
| Overtime | NT$400 an hour elementary, NT$450 junior high | about $13 to $14 |
| Insurance | National health, labor and work accident insurance | n/a |
Conversions use NT$31.8 to the US dollar, close to the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) interbank rate on 5 October 2026. See the Ministry of Education's TFETP terms for the full wording.
Who is eligible to teach through the TFETP?
To teach through the TFETP as a Foreign English Teacher, you need a passport from a country where English is an official or common language, a bachelor's degree from a university on the Ministry's reference list, a national police check issued within six months, and one of two teaching routes. The first is a state issued teaching license. The second is more than a year of teaching English in accredited schools abroad, or a year as a full time TFETP teaching assistant, plus approved training.
That approved training can be a bachelor's degree in education, English or a related field with at least 120 hours of language teaching study, or a TESOL, TEFL or CELTA certificate approved by accredited universities. Teaching assistants need the passport, degree and police check but not the teaching license.
| Foreign English Teacher (FET) | Foreign English Teaching Assistant (FETA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Co-leads classes and curriculum with local teachers | Supports local teachers in class |
| Degree | Bachelor's or above | Bachelor's or above |
| Teaching license | License, or a year of experience plus approved training | Not required |
| Monthly pay | NT$67,840 to NT$88,800 (bachelor's) | NT$50,000 (2024 notice) |
| Best for | Licensed or experienced teachers | Graduates new to teaching |
Does an online TEFL count for the TFETP?
A fully online TEFL does not meet the TFETP teacher requirement on its own. The Ministry says a qualifying TEFL, TESOL or CELTA must be approved by accredited universities, last at least 120 hours, cover teaching methods, assessment, second language learning and trial teaching, and include no more than two thirds distance learning. It also has to sit alongside at least a year of teaching experience.
That does not make a TEFL useless for Taiwan, far from it. The teaching assistant track asks for no license, and Taiwan's private language schools, known as buxibans, accept a TEFL as a teaching qualification. A year as a teaching assistant also counts toward the teacher route later. If you are unsure how your certificate will be judged, ask the program office before you apply rather than after.
Hear it from teachers who did it: our graduate reviews on Google
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“I learned various ways to introduce teaching English to foreign learners from my tutor […] Every aspect of the course was brilliantly handled. It was really easy to follow, interactive, and also easy to understand.”
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What does a TFETP teacher actually do?
A TFETP teacher works five days a week, eight hours a day, and co-teaches up to 20 classes a week alongside Taiwanese English teachers. The rest of the day goes on lesson planning, making materials, grading and joining school activities such as performances, competitions and exhibitions designed to create an English rich environment.
It is a daytime, school calendar job, which is the biggest practical difference from language school work. You get public holidays and school breaks, but you are expected on campus for the full working day even when you are not teaching. Placements are in elementary and junior high schools, so energy and classroom management matter more than grammar lectures.
Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP): Pay, Requirements and How to Apply
How do you apply for the TFETP?
You apply for the TFETP online through the official portal at tfetp.epa.ntnu.edu.tw, run with National Taiwan Normal University. Admission is rolling, which means the program closes once all places are filled, and the Ministry warns that competition is intense and early applicants have a better chance of meeting visa deadlines.
Prepare your degree, police check and teaching documents before you open the application, and check whether they need authentication by a Taiwan office abroad. Once placed, your work permit is handled through the Ministry of Education, which has issued school teachers' permits since February 2018. Our guide to the Taiwan work visa and ARC for English teachers explains the rest of the process, from resident visa to Alien Resident Certificate.
Is the TFETP better than a buxiban job?
The TFETP is better than a buxiban job for teachers who want daytime hours, a predictable salary, government benefits and school holidays. A buxiban is usually better for new teachers without a license or experience, because it is easier to get in and the hours suit people who want mornings free. Buxiban pay varies far more, and you often teach evenings and weekends.
The money is closer than many people expect once you count the TFETP bonus and housing support. Our breakdown of what English teachers really earn in Taiwan compares the two, and our guide to the cost of living in Taiwan for English teachers shows what each salary buys in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Ready to aim for a public school job in Taiwan?
Whether you go for TFETP straight away or start at a language school and work toward it, solid training is what gets you hired. Our 180 hour Level 5 TEFL diploma (Ofqual regulated, reference 610/1572/6) is a strong foundation, and you can download our free guide to teaching English in Taiwan or explore all our accredited TEFL courses.
