What documents do I need to travel to Taiwan?
US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian citizens enter Taiwan visa-free for 90 days, but almost everyone needs the free online arrival card. Here is the trip1 checklist.
Updated
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.
- 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.
Your passport needs at least six months of validity from your entry date, 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, you need a visitor visa rather than an extension of visa-exempt entry. Apply through a Taiwanese representative office before you travel.
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.
Entering Taiwan - FAQ
Most Western travellers do not. US, UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Japanese citizens can enter Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists.
Yes, for most arriving travellers. The online arrival card replaced the paper card on 1 October 2025, so there is no form to fill in on the plane any more.
Nothing. It is free on the National Immigration Agency's official site, and you submit it within three days of your arrival date.
At least six months from the date you enter Taiwan under the visa-exempt scheme. A few nationalities have different rules, so confirm yours with Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Yes. Visa-exempt entry requires a confirmed onward or return ticket, and airline staff often ask to see it before they let you board.
