What documents do I need to travel to Taiwan?

Entering Taiwan - what you need

Taiwan is straightforward for most visitors, as long as you fill in the arrival card online instead of waiting for a paper form on the plane. If you booked your hotel on trip1, keep the confirmation open, because the arrival card asks for your address in Taiwan.

• A passport valid for at least six months from the date you enter Taiwan (US and Japanese citizens only need it valid for their stay).
• A completed Taiwan Arrival Card, submitted online within three days of your arrival date.
• A confirmed onward or return ticket.
• Proof of where you are staying, which your trip1 booking confirmation covers.
• A visa or a Travel Authorization Certificate if your nationality is not visa-exempt.

The Taiwan Arrival Card

The Taiwan Arrival Card is a short online form on the National Immigration Agency's official site, and it is free. Taiwan phased out the paper arrival card on 1 October 2025, so the digital version is now the standard.

You can submit it up to three days before you arrive. Earlier submissions expire, so this belongs on your list for the week you travel rather than the month before.

Taiwanese citizens, Alien Resident Certificate holders, diplomatic ID card holders and transit passengers who never clear immigration do not need to submit it. Travellers from Laos, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam use a Travel Authorization Certificate instead.

Visa-exempt entry explained

Taiwan grants visa-exempt entry of up to 90 days to citizens of the US, UK, EU member states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, among others. It covers tourism and short visits, not work or study.

Most travellers need at least six months of passport validity from their entry date (US and Japanese citizens only need it valid for their stay), and immigration expects a confirmed onward or return ticket. Airline staff commonly ask to see that ticket before they let you board.

Some nationalities get shorter visa-exempt periods, and others apply for a visa or an online Travel Authorization Certificate in advance. Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes the current list by nationality, which is worth checking before you book flights.

If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, most visitors need a visitor visa from a Taiwanese representative office before they travel. UK and Canadian citizens can instead apply to extend their visa-exempt stay to up to 180 days in total.

Checking into a hotel in Taiwan

Taiwanese hotels ask for your passport at check-in and record the details for guest registration. Bring the passport itself, since a photo on your phone is often refused.

Your trip1 booking confirmation is the address you enter on the arrival card and the proof of accommodation the front desk checks. Save a PDF offline so a slow connection at the airport does not slow you down.

Some hotels ask for a payment card at check-in to hold against extras such as the minibar or laundry. That hold is the hotel's own policy and is separate from how you paid for the room on trip1.