Taiwan

Understand

Taiwan is home to more than 24 million people (2022). Although the vast majority of the population is ethnically Han Chinese, the indigenous Austronesian inhabitants maintain their own cultures, and the legacy of Japanese colonial rule still pervades much of Taiwanese life. Japanese, Hongkongers and Southeast Asians enjoy taking short trips to Taiwan to enjoy its neighborly hospitality. Taiwan is home to some well-known international companies such as Acer, MSI, Asus, HTC, TSMC and Giant Bicycles, whose technologies are some of the most advanced in the world.

History

Taiwan was first populated 30,000 years ago by an Australo-Melanesian group known as the Negrito. The Negrito were eventually assimilated and displaced 5,000 years ago by Proto-Austronesians who arrived from the east coast of mainland China, predominantly from what is now Fujian province. It has been suggested that these people were the ancestors of Austronesian speakers across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and even Madagascar. Recorded history began with the partial colonization of Taiwan by the Dutch and then the Portuguese in the early 17th century. (The old name of Taiwan, Formosa, comes from the Portuguese Ilha Formosa for "beautiful island".) Many pro-independence Taiwanese consider the establishment of Dutch colonial rule in 1624 to be the birth of the Taiwanese nation. Han Chinese immigrants arrived in significant numbers with the onset of European trade. The Ming loyalist Koxinga defeated the Dutch garrisons and set up Taiwan as a rump Ming Empire with the hope of reconquering Qing China. His grandson surrendered to the Qing in the late 1600s. Although contact between China and Taiwan dates back thousands of years, it was not until larger numbers of ethnic Han residents arrived during the Qing d

See

Perhaps due to its political ambiguity and lack of global presence, Taiwan has traditionally not been a significant destination for Westerners, though this is changing. Nevertheless tourists from Japan and Hong Kong have been visiting Taiwan in droves for a long time, and they are b

Getting there

Entry requirements

Visas Foreign nationals of the following countries can enter Taiwan visa-free as a visitor provided that their passports are valid for at least 6 months upon entry: For up to 90 days: All 27 European Union member states, Andorra, Australia, Canada, El Salvador, Eswatini, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Paraguay, San Marino, Switzerland, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City. For up to 30 days: Belize, Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Nauru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Singapore. For up to 14 days: Brunei, Philippines and Thailand (until 31 July 2026 for all three). Visa-free entry for Russian citizens has been suspended. Citizens of the above countries presenting an emergency or temporary passport will be required to apply for a visa on arrival by supplying a passport photo and paying a fee of NT$2,400, or NT$800 for citizens of countries with reciprocal agreements. The visa on arrival allows a stay of up to 30 days. It is issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which has offices in Taipei and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Visitors landing at Taoyuan can apply for a visa on arrival at the airport. If landing at other airports, a temporary entry permit will be issued, and holders must apply for a visa on arrival in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Citizens whose place of birth is listed as mainland China must have lived outside China for over four years. Citizens of Turkey can apply for a free visa on arrival. However, Turkish citizens whose place of birth is listed as mainland China must prove that they reside in

Getting around

IC Cards Taipei's EasyCard (悠遊卡 Yōuyóukǎ) and Kaohsiung's iPass (一卡通) are the main public transportation smart and electronic payment cards, and replace the need to buy separate tickets for most national, regional and city buses, metro (MRT), as well as train services (TRA) all over Taiwan, and they can be used at retail establishments that display the respective sign, like convenient stores (7Eleven, Family Mart), parking lots and some restaurants and shops. Though originally accepted only in their respective cities, the two cards can now be used interchangeably at most (but not all) locations. Besides saving you the hassle of having proper change ready for your ticket, it mostly always gives discount on the chosen journeys. For instance, the price for any train (TRA) is calculated based on the price of a local train and a 10% discount. Thus, you can even take the faster trains with it (but not THSR) like the Tzu-Chiang limited express. The only disadvantage is that you will not have a reserved seat, which however is not an issue except on Saturday morning/noon and Sunday afternoon. The EasyCard also provides discounts on Taipei's public transportation network, and likewise with the iPass on Kaohsiung's network. The EasyCard can be bought at the airport, in any of stations of Taipei MRT and most convenient stores. As of 2025 the price was NT$500, consisting of a non-refundable fee of NT$100 and NT$400 in electronic cash. If you want to add money onto the card, you can do so in MRT stations (including Kaohsiung MRT), TRA stations, and the common convenient stores. The card can hold amounts up to NT$5,000. Student IC cards with even deeper discounts are also available for purchase, but only upon request at a desk and a recognised student ID like ISIC. Whether the card