Making friends when you move alone to a foreign country is never easy. I know this for a fact, because I’ve had to do it three times already: in the US, in Mexico, and in Taiwan.
Taiwan was by far the most challenging one. The language barrier and cultural differences can make interacting with locals quite difficult, especially at the beginning. And for someone like me, more on the introverted side, it wasn’t always obvious how or where to connect with people. I enjoy going out, being around others, listening to their stories… but I’m what I’d call a social introvert. I don’t talk a lot, and I’m not great at forcing connections.
Still, after more than five years in Taiwan, most of my best friends today are people I met here. Some are Taiwanese, others come from all over the world—people I probably would never have met if it weren’t for this island.
A Quick Note on My Perspective
I should say this upfront: I’m sharing a very personal experience, and it won’t apply to everyone. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community definitely shaped my social life in Taiwan. In many ways, it gave me a head start, thanks to a big international queer community. At the same time, it also came with its own challenges.
Before I Even Moved to Taiwan
Before moving to Taiwan, I downloaded a few language exchange apps to practice Chinese—mainly Tandem and HelloTalk.
That’s actually where I met my very first Taiwanese friend. She helped me a lot at the beginning, answering my questions about life in Taiwan and explaining cultural things I didn’t understand yet. At the time, she lived in Taichung while I was moving to Taipei, but I visited her several times.
Later on, she moved to France. While I was still in Taiwan, my family in Belgium even hosted her for Christmas. My family has always been very international, we’ve hosted exchange students, refugees, diplomats, travelers… so welcoming someone from Taiwan felt completely natural.
My First Friends in Taiwan: The International Crowd
My first year in Taiwan was spent studying Chinese. All my classmates were international students, and naturally, friendships formed very quickly.
We did everything together: studying, traveling, hanging out, eating, complaining about homework. That year was amazing, and I still look back on it very fondly.
Was it great for my Chinese? Not really. I spoke way more English than Mandarin. But honestly, I don’t regret it at all. I had an incredible year, and sometimes that matters more than perfect language progress.
When Being Gay Helped… and When It Didn’t
Like many people, I’ve used dating apps in Taiwan. For me, they were often more about making friends than dating.
And this is where things got tricky. Even when I clearly said I was just looking for friendships, it was often misunderstood, especially by Taiwanese men. Many would get excited, expect more, and once they realized it wasn’t going to happen, they would completely lose interest.
I think this is mostly cultural. Dating in Taiwan often feels more serious, more like a commitment, rather than something casual.
That said, my experience with the international community was very different. I’ve met some of my best friends through Tinder.
Over time, though, I started feeling uncomfortable in the Taiwan gay community. Too much drama, too much competition, too much negativity. I know this exists everywhere, but I personally felt it much more strongly in Taiwan.
Friendships I Didn’t See Coming
These days, as a business owner, I attend quite a few networking events. Taipei isn’t a huge Western capital, but it still has plenty of networking meetups, some for locals, some for internationals, and some mixed.
What surprised me is how relaxed these events can become. After a while, the “professional” part fades away, people grab drinks, and real conversations start. Through these events, I’ve met some really great people who later became genuine friends.
Social Media (Obviously)
Threads
Threads has become huge in Taiwan recently. It feels like almost every young Taiwanese person uses it daily.
If you have a decent level of Chinese, posting in Mandarin, whether it’s travel content, memes, or just daily life thoughts, can get you noticed surprisingly fast. I ended up meeting several people for coffee or dinner through Threads, and it also became a fun way to practice Mandarin in real life.
This one sounds very cliché, I know. But LinkedIn is actually widely used by the international professional community in Taiwan. Some very casual LinkedIn chats turned into coffee meetings, and then into real friendships.
When It Was Really Hard
The hardest time for me socially was actually when I was surrounded by Taiwanese people the most.
During my second year in Taiwan, I enrolled in a Mandarin-taught master’s program. Almost all my classmates were Taiwanese. They were lovely people, but we had absolutely nothing in common.
Without wanting to be disrespectful, studying for a master’s degree in Taiwan felt like being back in high school in Belgium. At 25, I was treated like a child again. The education system felt very conservative and extremely theoretical, with little connection to real-life skills. I went from having one of the best years of my life as a language student to one of the worst as a master’s student.
That said, this is just my personal experience. I also met one of my best friends in that classroom – a Polish classmate who later became my business partner on several projects. She had a great experience at NTU and connected deeply with our local classmates. So please don’t take my story as a universal truth.
So, Where Can You Actually Make Friends in Taiwan?
As you can see from my own experience, there isn’t one single “right” way to make friends in Taiwan. Some paths are obvious, others are more unexpected, and many depend on your personality, language level, and life stage.
That said, there are spaces where friendships tend to happen more naturally. Based on my time in Taiwan—and on what I’ve seen work for many others—here are some of the main ways people build social circles on the island.
1. Language Exchange Apps
Language exchange apps like HelloTalk and Tandem, or even Facebook groups are often one of the easiest entry points, especially when you’re new to Taiwan.
They’re useful not only for practicing Chinese, but also for understanding daily life, cultural habits, and unspoken rules. Many Taiwanese users are genuinely curious about foreigners and enjoy helping them navigate life in Taiwan.
That said, intentions can vary. Some people are there strictly for language practice, others for friendship, and some for dating. Being clear about what you’re looking for helps a lot, and patience is key. Not every conversation will turn into a real-life friendship, but some absolutely do.
2. Dating Apps (Even If You’re Not Dating)
Dating apps aren’t just for dating. Many people, locals and foreigners alike, use them to expand their social circle. These apps usually offer settings that enable to clarify that you’re only looking for friendship and the app will only show people looking for the same.
This works particularly well within the international community, where meeting “for a drink” doesn’t automatically come with heavy expectations. With Taiwanese users, clarity really matters. Being upfront about whether you’re looking for friends, dates, or something else can save everyone time and emotional energy.
It’s a bit of a hit-or-miss option, but when it works, it can lead to long-lasting friendships.
3. Social Media Platforms
Apps like Threads (which has exploded in popularity recently) and Instagram allow people to interact very casually. Commenting on posts, replying to stories, or sharing relatable daily-life content can naturally lead to conversations, and eventually to meeting in real life.
And yes—somewhat surprisingly—Facebook hasn’t died yet. It’s still widely used in Taiwan, especially through groups (language exchanges, hiking, food, expat communities, niche hobbies), which remain one of the easiest ways to meet people offline.
If you speak or write Mandarin at a conversational level, posting in Chinese is a huge advantage. It lowers the barrier, shows effort, and often sparks curiosity and goodwill from Taiwanese users.
LinkedIn, on the other hand, is more common among international professionals and is rarely used by Taiwanese unless they work in an international environment. While it starts in a more formal way, many connections quickly move to casual coffee chats.
4. Classes, Language Programs, and Universities
Studying in Taiwan, especially in Mandarin language programs, is one of the most reliable ways to meet people.
Language centers tend to attract students who are open, curious, and in a similar life phase. Friendships often form quickly because everyone is going through the same struggles: tones, characters, culture shock, and daily life in a new country.
Degree programs are more mixed. Some people make deep connections with local classmates, others struggle due to age gaps, cultural differences, or different expectations. Experiences here vary a lot, and there’s no single outcome.
5. Work, Networking Events, and Meetups
Taipei has an active ecosystem of networking events, industry meetups, and casual professional gatherings.
Even if you’re not particularly career-focused, these events can be great social spaces. What starts as small talk about work often turns into relaxed conversations over drinks. Many friendships in Taiwan begin this way, especially among people who’ve already been on the island for a while.
6. The International vs. Local Divide
One important thing to understand is that friendships in Taiwan often form within parallel social circles.
International friends tend to be easier to make at first, shared experiences, similar communication styles, and fewer cultural expectations help a lot. Friendships with locals can take longer, often require more consistency, and sometimes depend on language ability.
Neither is better or worse, they’re just different. Many long-term residents end up with a mix of both over time.
Taiwan didn’t make friendships easy for me, but it did give me some of the most meaningful ones I’ve ever had.
Friendships here often take time, patience, and a bit of creativity. But if you stay open, try different spaces, and allow connections to grow naturally, you might end up finding people in places you never expected.
Bubble Tea Island 