Doing business between Italy and Taiwan
Market entry
3 guidesBranch, subsidiary or representative office: choosing a legal form in Taiwan
The three legal structures for foreign companies in Taiwan: how each handles contracts, where liability sits, and the approval sequence before registration.
Distributor, agent or direct: choosing a sales route to market in Taiwan
How Taiwan's three sales routes differ in customer ownership, credit risk and margin control, and the contract terms that actually decide success.
A first year in Taiwan: testing demand, finding buyers and building a foundation
Test demand through desk research, find qualified buyers, build the documentation pack, and recognise signals to shift from exporting to a local Taiwan presence.
Regulation and tax
3 guidesWithholding and relief: Taiwan tax on payments to Italy
Withholding, characterisation and relief for royalties and service fees paid from Taiwan to Italy, and the permanent establishment rules that affect your tax exposure.
Trade marks, designs and geographical indications: protecting Italian intellectual property in Taiwan
How the first-to-file system exposes Italian brands to squatting; what protection trade marks, registered designs and geographical indications each provide in Taiwan; and the enforcement routes and online marketplace risks Italian producers face.
Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act: how it differs from GDPR and what you need to do
Taiwan enforces data protection through sector regulators rather than a single authority. Consent and notice carry more weight than GDPR's lawful-basis menu. Cross-border transfer requires sector authority approval, not adequacy decisions. Italian controllers must navigate dual compliance with industry-specific entry points.
Trade and logistics
3 guidesImporting Italian food and wine into Taiwan: registration, inspection and labelling
How Italian food and wine comply with Taiwan customs, import inspection, mandatory Chinese labelling, and the distinct regimes for alcohol, protected names and animal-derived foods.
Customs valuation and duty rates for imported Italian luxury goods
How Taiwan values Italian luxury imports, what costs get added to the invoice, transfer pricing scrutiny, and why landed costs exceed invoice price plus one duty rate.
Shipping goods from Italy to Taiwan: routes, Incoterms and customs clearance
The logistics picture for shipping from Italy to Taiwan, covering sea and air freight, Incoterms, customs clearance roles and the documentation accuracy that determines whether goods move through port or halt.
People and culture
3 guidesWork permits, residence and the Employment Gold Card for Italian professionals in Taiwan
Two separate documents control work and residence in Taiwan. Work permission is applied for by the employer for a specific role; residence permission is held by the individual. The Employment Gold Card offers an employer-independent route for qualifying professionals.
Hiring in Taiwan: labour law for Italian employers
How employment is classified in Taiwan, the statutory obligations toward employees, and the hidden costs of treating a long-term arrangement as consultancy when the law sees it as a job.
How business culture works in Taiwan: a guide for Italian executives
Taiwanese business culture builds trust through reliability and consultation; Italian business through expressiveness and time together. Understanding how your counterparts decide and communicate prevents misreading agreement.
Sectors
3 guidesSelling Italian machinery and automation into Taiwan's manufacturing base
Italian machinery finds advantage among manufacturers who value total cost of ownership over headline price and where local service availability is decisive.
Italian fashion, furniture and design retail in the Taiwanese market
Retail channels for Italian fashion and design in Taiwan: concession and boutique models, direct e-commerce, and what local partners expect from brands.
Registering Italian medical devices and pharmaceuticals in Taiwan
The regulatory pathways for medical devices and pharmaceuticals in Taiwan: classification, licensing, European evidence and the reimbursement timeline.
These guides are general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules and figures change: check the current position with the bodies named above before you act.