How to Enter Taiwan

Do I need a passport or visa to enter?

Health Screening Process: The need for early detection and prevention of communicable diseases requires all arriving passengers to have their body temperatures scanned with an infrared thermal apparatus. Only passengers showing symptoms of communicable diseases are required to fill out the Communicable Disease Survey Form. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and your travel history, if you exhibit symptoms, you may be required to give an onsite specimen and/or follow up with local health authorities.

Customs Regulations: Taiwan customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary import or export of items such as: firearms, antiquities, medications, currency, ivory, etc. You should contact the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECRO) in Washington or one of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) offices in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements. Please see our information on customs regulations.

Disaster Preparedness: Taiwan is subject to strong earthquakes that can occur anywhere on the island. Taiwan is also hit by typhoons, usually from July to October. If you are planning a trip to Taiwan, you can obtain general information about natural disaster preparedness on the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website. Additional information about currently active typhoons can be obtained on the University of Hawaii tropical storm page. The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan's website also provides information about typhoons and earthquakes. See also US CDC website: http://emergency.cdc.gov/

Dual Nationality and Compulsory Military Service: Taiwan law provides for compulsory military service. If you are male, between the ages of 18 and 36, and were born in Taiwan or have ever held a Taiwan passport, you should be aware that you may be subject to compulsory military service in Taiwan, even if you are a U.S. citizen and have entered Taiwan on your U.S. passport. If you are concerned this may affect your travel to Taiwan, please contact the nearest TECO office in the United States before visiting Taiwan to determine whether you are subject to the military service requirement.

English Language Programming: The International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) provides most of Taiwan with English-language programming 24 hours a day. In the event of an emergency or an approaching typhoon, you should tune to FM 100.7 for English-language updates for the Taipei and Kaohsiung areas. You can find ICRT in Taichung at FM 100.1. You can also listen to ICRT's live broadcasting on its website. TV news in English is available on channel 53 at 6:00 a.m. and at 11:45 pm on Formosa Television, or at its web site. The two main English-language daily newspapers published in Taiwan are Taipei Times and China Post. In addition to the print versions, readers can read their content online. English speakers experiencing a personal crisis in Taiwan can contact on its website the Community Services Center in Taipei or at (02) 2836-8134 or (02) 2838-4947 to arrange counseling or to contact a support group.

Taiwan offers a 24-hour emergency telephone line in English: 0800-024-111.

Judicial Assistance: Authorities on Taiwan provide judicial assistance in response to letters rogatory from foreign courts in accordance with Taiwan's "Law Governing Extension of Assistance to Foreign Courts." For further information regarding judicial assistance in Taiwan, please go to AIT's website.

AUTHORITY - 22 U.S.C. 3306(b) provides acts performed by officers of the American Institute on Taiwan under 22 U.S.C. 3306 are valid, as if performed by any other person authorized under the laws of the United States to perform such acts (consular officers). The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the District of Colombia, 22 U.S.C. 3305, 3306(a)(3). The judicial assistance acts of AIT personnel parallel the acts performed by U.S. consular officers under 28 U.S.C. 1781 (a)(2). See Sec. 1-201(h) of Executive Order No. 12143, 44 Fed. Reg. 37191 (June 23, 1979). Pursuant to Section 10(a) of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), 22 U.S.C. 3309(a), the Taiwan Economic Cultural Representative's Office ("TECRO") is the instrumentality established by the people of Taiwan having the necessary authority under the laws of Taiwan to take actions on behalf of Taiwan in accordance with the Act.

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.