If you want to visit Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), you may have to apply for a Taiwan visa.
Even though most foreigners do need to get a Taiwan visa, there are certain countries whose nationals are allowed to travel to Taiwan visa-free, provided they will only stay short-term (up to 14, 21, 30, or 90 days depending on the country) and for tourism, business, or visiting purposes.
If you are not from a visa-exempt country, then you have to apply for a Taiwan visa if you want to be allowed entry into the country. This article will detail the Taiwan visa application process, including the Taiwan eVisa and Visa On Arrival.
Taiwan Visa Application Process
You have to apply for a Taiwan visa in person at a Taiwan diplomatic mission abroad, preferably in your country. However, before appearing at the Taiwanese diplomatic mission, you have to complete and print an online Taiwan Visa Application Form. The Taiwan visa application process is as follows:
- Complete, print and sign the electronic Taiwan Visa Application Form
- Collect the required documents for a Taiwan visa
- Submit the application and the required documents at a Taiwan diplomatic mission
Complete the Taiwan Visa Application From
The first part of a Taiwan visa application is completing the visa application form, which the Taiwan government has made accessible online. You can access the Taiwan Visa Application Form through this website. The fields you must complete include:
- Your personal details, such as your name, nationality, gender, birth date and place, marital status, details of your spouse (if any), employment status, address, contact details, etc.
- The details of your passport, such as issue/expiry date, type of passport, and passport number.
- The type of visa you want
- Selecting the Taiwanese diplomatic mission where you will submit the visa application to from a dropdown menu.
- Details regarding the purpose of your travel
- Contact information of your host/contact in Taiwan
- Stating whether you are submitting an application on someone else’s behalf.
After starting an application, you can select “Save Draft” and exit the application to complete it at another time. If you remain on one section of the application form for longer than 30 minutes without saving, you will lose that section and have to restart.
Once you complete the Taiwan visa application form, you have to print it and sign it. You can have someone else complete the application on your behalf, but the application form must have your signature.
Collect the required documents
When you submit a Taiwan visa application, you must have several supporting documents, such as:
- The printed Taiwan Visa Application Form
- Your passport or another travel document, valid for at least six more months from the date of entry to Taiwan.
- Two passport-sized pictures
- A return/onward travel ticket, which proves you intend to leave after your stay in Taiwan is over.
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay
- Proof of payment of the Taiwan visa fee
- Any additional documents based on the purpose of your visit, such as:
- A letter from your current employer, if traveling for business
- Invitation letter from your relatives in Taiwan along with proof of relationship, if travelling for a social visit
Submit the Taiwan visa application at a diplomatic mission
After you complete the online Taiwan visa application, you must collect the documents and submit them in person at a Taiwan diplomatic mission within 30 days. You can select the diplomatic mission where you will submit your documents from a dropdown menu on the online application. However, even though you may apply for a Taiwan visa at any Taiwanese diplomatic mission, you should do so at the nearest one to where you live.
- The diplomatic mission staff may request an interview with you if they think it is necessary.
- You have to pay the Taiwan visa fee at the time of application.
- If all is in order with your application, they will issue your visa and notify you when you can pick up your passport with an affixed visa.
- If the Taiwan diplomatic mission considers that your application needs further review, they will forward it to the Taiwan Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA). Once the BOCA approves your application, they will notify the diplomatic mission, who then issues you your visa.
- Some diplomatic missions require you to appear yourself for document submission, while others may allow you to authorize someone else to apply on your behalf.
- If you want to receive your passport via mail, you have to include a self-addressed and prepaid envelope along with your documents.
Taiwan visa application Requirements for Specific Countries
If you are from one of the countries mentioned in the table below, you must apply for a Taiwan visa at one of the following locations:
- Nepal: the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi.
- India: the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi.
- Nigeria: the Taipei Trade Office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Ghana: the Taipei Trade Office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
If you are a national of one of the following countries, you cannot get a Taiwan Visitor Visa unless you fall under one of the following categories:
| Afghanistan | Algeria | Bangladesh | Bhutan | Cameroon |
| Gambia | Ghana | India (only applies to holders of Identity Certificates) | Iraq | Nepal |
| Niger | Nigeria | Pakistan | Senegal | Somalia |
| Sri Lanka | Syria |
- You have been invited by a Taiwan government agency on official business
- You will be partaking in an international activity or meeting for religious, athletic, or cultural exchange purposes which is organized by a Taiwanese organization
- You will visit a family member who is a legal resident in Taiwan, such as a spouse, a family member of lineal relationship, or a sibling.
- You will conduct economic or commercial businesses (you will need a Letter of Guarantee from your contact in Taiwan)
- You are a crew member and will come to Taiwan to report for duty
- You will come to Taiwan for medical treatment
Nationals of Bhutan and Sri Lanka can also apply for a Taiwan tourist visa.
How to Apply for a Taiwan visa Extension?
You may apply for a Taiwan visa extension at a local office of the Taiwan National Immigration Agency before your current visa expires. But you may only extend a Taiwan visa if your visa does not specify otherwise.
If the Taiwan visa you received has a stamp that states “No Extension Will Be Granted”, you are not allowed to apply for an extension. You can, however, apply to turn your visa to an extendable one at the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Taiwan.
How to Apply for Taiwan eVisa?
Nationals of certain countries, as detailed below, are eligible for a Taiwan eVisa. The eVisa is issued entirely online without having to appear before a Taiwanese diplomatic mission at all. It is only for short-term stays of up to 30 days, for tourism, business, visits, etc. The Taiwan eVisa application process is as follows:
- Complete and submit the eVisa application here
- Pay the Taiwan eVisa fee (by credit card)
- Wait for the eVisa to process
- Once processed, you will receive the confirmation on your email
- Print the eVisa and use it to travel to Taiwan, where you must show it to the immigration officers at the point of entry.
Only nationals of the following countries can apply for a Taiwan eVisa:
- Bahrain
- Burkina Faso
- Colombia
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- Oman
- Panama
- Peru
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates.
You can also apply for a Taiwan eVisa if you will travel with a tourist group under “Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries” and you are from one of the following countries:
- Cambodia
- India
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
If you are from one of the following countries and you will conduct business in Taiwan with a recommendation by the local offices of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), you may also apply for a Taiwan eVisa:
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Iran
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
How to Apply for Taiwan Landing Visa (Visa On Arrival)?
If you are from Turkey or you have an emergency or temporary passports issued by a visa-exempt country, you can get a Taiwan Landing Visa (Visa On Arrival) at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Other permitted ports of entry are:
- Taipei Songshan Airport
- Kaohsiung International Airport
- Taichung Airport
If you arrive in Taiwan through one of the last three ports, you will receive an entry permit and you have to apply for a visa at one of the following locations:
- Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA)
- A local office of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The BOCA office at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
If you arrive in Taiwan though any other entry point, you won’t be allowed to enter unless you have a valid Taiwan visa obtained beforehand.
How to Get Entry and Exit Permit for Taiwan?
Residents of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau cannot apply for a Taiwan visa. Instead, they have to get an Entry and Exit Permit.
Hong Kong and Macau citizens need an Entry and Exit Permit if they have one of the following:
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport (HKSAR)
- British National (Overseas) passport (BN(O))
- Macao Special Administrative Region passport (MSAR)
If it is the first time you’re getting the Taiwan Entry and Exit Permit, you can apply for it online. Once you have already entered Taiwan with the Permit once, you can then obtain it through a simplified method online or upon arrival to Taiwan.
If you are from Hong Kong or Macau but have obtained the nationality of another country, you no longer need the Entry and Exit Permit. You are subject to the rules of the country you’re living in.
Citizens of the People’s Republic of China need a travel authorization known as a Mainland Resident Travel Permit which they can receive from the Chinese authorities. They also need an Entry and Exit Permit, and can only receive it if they are part of a pre-approved group tour.