Eastern Asia
Taiwan: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of China (Taiwan) · 中華民國
Taiwan is a country in Eastern Asia with its capital in Taipei. It covers 35,980 km². The official language is Chinese. The currency is the New Taiwan dollar (TWD, $).
Where is Taiwan? Map of Taiwan
Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China.
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Coordinates
- 23.5° N, 121° E
- Neighbours
- none (no land borders)
- Coastline
- 1,566 km
- Taiwan
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Taiwan showing Taipei (capital) and the largest cities: Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Chiayi City, Taitung and Hualien City.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Taiwan
- Passport
BOCA says visa-exempt entry requires a passport with remaining validity of at least six months as of the date of entry, and that US and Japanese nationals need a passport valid for the intended period of stay.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 65 need no visa, 5 need an eTA, 21 need an eVisa, 107 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Taiwan entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
BOCA says visa-exempt entry requires a confirmed return air or sea ticket, or a ticket and a visa for the next destination, and a confirmed seat reservation for the departure flight.
- Proof of funds
No official requirement. BOCA says holders of Brunei, Philippines and Thailand passports entering visa-free must have proof of a hotel booking, their host or sponsor's contact information and sufficient travel funds.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. The UK government advises appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.
- Vaccinations
BOCA says applicants for Taiwan (ROC) visas who have resided in or visited Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Laos or South Sudan for four weeks or more within the pas…
- Arrival card
The National Immigration Agency's TWAC site says the arrival card is to be submitted by foreign nationals without an Alien Resident Certificate, resident visa or diplomatic ID card, by people of the Mainland Area and of…
- Customs allowance
The UK government says to declare cash or travellers cheques if the value is higher than NT$100,000 or US$10,000.
- Travel advice
Safe to visit — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Taiwan
- Safety: Yes — Taiwan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Taiwan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: April and October — when daytime highs in Taipei are around 24–25°C.
- Money: the New Taiwan dollar (TWD) — 1 US dollar is about 32.5665 TWD.
- Plugs: type A and B, 110 V / 220 V, 60 Hz — mixed voltage: check the socket before you plug in. Dual-voltage chargers (100–240 V) work everywhere.
- Emergency numbers: Police 110, Ambulance 119, Fire 119.
- Language: Chinese is official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 50 km/h outside built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC+8 in Taipei.
- Capital: Taipei.
- Outdoors: 9 national parks and 1 ski area.
Key facts
Taiwan at a glance
Languages spoken: Mandarin (official), Min Nan, Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages
Geography & history
About Taiwan
First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan, based on a 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist Government ruled Taiwan under …
Read the full history
First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan, based on a 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist Government ruled Taiwan under a civil war martial law declaration dating to 1948. Beginning in the 1970s, Nationalist authorities gradually began to incorporate the native population into the governing structure beyond the local level. The democratization process expanded rapidly in the 1980s, leading to the then-illegal founding of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan’s first opposition party, in 1986 and the lifting of martial law the following year. Taiwan held legislative elections in 1992, the first in over 40 years, and its first direct presidential election in 1996. In the 2000 presidential elections, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power with the KMT loss to the DPP and afterwards experienced two additional democratic transfers of power in 2008 and 2016. Throughout this period, the island prospered and turned into one of East Asia's economic "Tigers," becoming a major investor in mainland China after 2000 as cross-Strait ties matured. The dominant political issues continue to be economic reform and growth, as well as management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China.
Location
Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
Climate
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year
Terrain
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Highest point
Yu Shan 3,952 m
Natural resources
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land
Natural hazards
earthquakes; typhoons volcanism: Kueishantao Island (401 m), east of Taiwan, is the only historically active volcano, but it has not erupted in centuries
National symbols
white sun with 12 rays on a blue field
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Taiwan
The default speed limits in Taiwan are 50 km/h outside built-up areas. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 5050 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roads
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 Vienna, 1949 GenevaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Taiwan safe to visit?
Yes — Taiwan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Taiwan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information of the health risks you’ll face in Taiwan (‘Health’ page).
Updated 28 Aug 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Taiwan
The best time to visit Taiwan is April and October, when daytime highs in Taipei are around 24–25°C. November is also a good time to go. July is the warmest month (30°C by day), January the coldest (12°C at night), and June the wettest with about 270 mm of rain.
- Jan17°C12°C
- Feb18°C12°C
- Mar20°C14°C
- Apr24°C18°C
- May27°C21°C
- Jun29°C24°C
- Jul30°C25°C
- Aug30°C25°C
- Sep28°C24°C
- Oct25°C20°C
- Nov22°C18°C
- Dec18°C14°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Taiwan
Plugs & sockets
110 V / 220 V, 60 Hz · Mixed voltage: check the socket before you plug in. Dual-voltage chargers (100–240 V) work everywhere.
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
1 ski resort in Taiwan
Biggest: Little Ding-Dong Ski Resort
National parks
9 national parks in Taiwan
- 7,515 km² protected
- oldest from 1984
Largest: Dongsha Atoll National Park · Yushan National Park · Taroko National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
New Taiwan dollar exchange rates today
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan dollar (TWD, $). One US dollar buys 32.5665 TWD; over the last 30 days the TWD has lost 2.6% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in TWD
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Taiwan ranks
How Taiwan compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Taiwan
114 airports and airfields — 7 large, 13 medium and 36 small, plus 57 heliports. 14 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
No land borders
Taiwan has no land borders with other countries. Coastline: 1,566 km.
Military
Taiwan armed forces
Taiwan ranks #23 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking.
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: New Taipei City (4.5 million), Taipei (2.8 million), Taoyuan (2.3 million), Kaohsiung (1.6 million), Taichung (1.4 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Export partners
China 20%, USA 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Singapore 9%, Japan 7% (2023)
Top exports
integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Taiwan
Next public holiday
Constitution Day — Friday, 25 December 2026. Then Founding Day of the Republic of China (1 Jan).
Taiwan passport
Ranked #85: 75 countries visa-free, 34 with visa on arrival, 9 with an eTA and 37 with an eVisa.
Taiwan passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Taiwan's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Taiwan
Dial +886 before the local number. Internet domain .tw.
Climate footprint
262.3 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 11.30 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Taiwan: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Taiwan
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Frequently asked questions about Taiwan
What do I need to travel to Taiwan?
How long must my passport be valid for Taiwan?
Where is Taiwan?
What is Taiwan known for?
What is the capital of Taiwan?
What language is spoken in Taiwan?
What currency does Taiwan use?
What is the calling code of Taiwan?
Does Taiwan have land borders?
How strong is the Taiwan passport?
What is the speed limit in Taiwan?
Is Taiwan safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Taiwan?
What plug type does Taiwan use?
How many airports does Taiwan have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.