Taiwan Visa-Free Entry: Which Nationalities Get 90 Days and How to Extend

Taiwan grants visa-free entry to over 60 nationalities, and citizens of the strongest travel passports get the full 90 days on arrival, no appointment, no fee, no e-visa form to fill.

Who Gets 90 Days

Citizens of the following blocs receive 90-day visa-exempt stays under Taiwan's reciprocal agreements and unilateral exemptions:

• European Union (all 27 member states), plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein
• United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
• United Kingdom (post-Brexit, maintained separately)
• Japan and South Korea

The exemption covers visits for tourism, business meetings, and transit. It does not permit employment or formal study enrolment.

Who Gets 30 Days (and Who Still Needs a Visa)

Not every exemption is equal. Citizens of Mexico, the Philippines, Brunei, and several Caribbean nations are currently granted 30 days visa-free, not 90. Always verify your specific country against the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) website (boca.gov.tw) before booking, as the list is updated unilaterally, sometimes with little notice.

Nationals of mainland China, Iran, and most African countries require a standard visitor visa issued in advance through a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), or a Taiwan-issued e-Visa for a small number of eligible countries (currently including India and Indonesia under a trial programme).

What the Entry Officer Actually Checks

At Taoyuan (TPE) or Kaohsiung (KHH), the immigration officer will typically want to see:

• Return or onward ticket (most important, a one-way arrival raises flags)
• Proof of accommodation for at least the first few nights
• Sufficient funds (no fixed threshold in law, but TWD 2,000/day is the informal benchmark, or a credit card)
• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended departure date

In practice, travellers holding US, EU, or UK passports with a return ticket are waved through in under two minutes. Scrutiny increases for those arriving on one-way tickets or with prior long stays on record.

Extending Your Stay

If you need more time, Taiwan's National Immigration Agency (NIA) allows one 30-day extension beyond your initial visa-exempt period. The process is straightforward:

1. Visit any NIA service centre (the Taipei branch is at 15 Guangzhou St, Zhongzheng District) before your stamp expires.
2. Bring your passport, a completed application form (available at the counter), and TWD 1,000 in cash.
3. Extensions are granted at officer discretion. Showing onward travel plans or proof of a compelling reason (medical, business, family) helps.

You cannot extend online. The extension grants a total stay of up to 120 days (90 + 30), not 180. There is no second extension available under visitor status.

Converting to a Longer-Term Status In-Country

Taiwan has a legal pathway called the Visitor Visa to Resident Visa conversion, but it requires a qualifying purpose such as employment (you need an Alien Employment Permit first), language study at an accredited institution, or family reunification. You cannot self-sponsor. Attempting to stay beyond 120 days without a resident visa is an overstay and results in a fine of TWD 2,000–10,000 per day, an entry ban of 1–3 years, and deportation at your own expense.

The 90-day visa-free window is genuinely generous. Plan around it rather than against it.