Get the app
Get the app

Country guide · Taiwan

Taiwan travel apps and what you need before you go

Many passports, including US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian, can visit Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days with six months of passport validity and an onward ticket, and every arriving visitor fills in the online Taiwan Arrival Card up to seven days before landing. For getting around, use Uber for rides, the official Taipei Metro Go app and Google Maps for routes, an EasyCard or a contactless card on the Taipei MRT, YouBike for city bikes, T Express for the high speed rail, and LINE for messaging.

Checked against official sources on 22 October 202611 apps · 6 to set up at home
Taipei 101 rising above the Taipei skyline
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

What you need to enter Taiwan

Entry rules depend on your passport, so check the Bureau of Consular Affairs visa-exempt list for your nationality before you book.

Visa-exempt entry

Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs lists the nationalities that can visit without a visa, including the US, UK (British citizens only), Canada, Australia and EU member states, for stays of up to 90 days counted from the day after arrival. These stays normally cannot be extended, although Canadian and UK passport holders may apply to extend to 180 days. Emergency and temporary passports generally do not qualify.

Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs: Foreign nationals eligible for visa-exempt entry

Passport validity

Under the visa-exempt programme your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining on the date you enter Taiwan.

Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs: Foreign nationals eligible for visa-exempt entry

Onward or return ticket

Visa-exempt visitors need a confirmed return or onward air or sea ticket (plus a visa for the next country if one is required) and a confirmed seat reservation for departure.

Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs: Foreign nationals eligible for visa-exempt entry

Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)

Paper arrival cards have been replaced by the online Taiwan Arrival Card since 1 October 2025. Fill it in free on the National Immigration Agency site up to seven days before you arrive.

Source: National Immigration Agency: Online arrival card announcement · National Immigration Agency: TWAC can be submitted up to 7 days before arrival

Before you fly: 8 steps

  1. Check the Bureau of Consular Affairs list for your passport and that it has six months of validity on arrival.
  2. Book a confirmed onward or return ticket.
  3. Fill in the online Taiwan Arrival Card on twac.immigration.gov.tw within seven days of landing.
  4. Sign in to Uber and add Apple Pay or Google Pay with a contactless card for the MRT.
  5. Install Taipei Metro Go, T Express and Taiwan Railway e-booking, and reserve any long-distance trains.
  6. Set up LINE with your home number and buy a tourist eSIM.
  7. Download offline Google Maps and the Traditional Chinese pack in Google Translate.
  8. Bring some cash for night markets, then buy an EasyCard on arrival.

The apps that matter in Taiwan

Grouped by the job they do. Set up at home means install it and sign in before you fly, while you still have your home number and Wi-Fi.

Entry and official apps

Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)

The National Immigration Agency's online arrival card that every visitor fills in before landing.

Set up at home

Use the official twac.immigration.gov.tw site, which is free, within seven days of arrival. Ignore paid look-alike sites.

Official siteSource: National Immigration Agency: Online arrival card announcement · National Immigration Agency: TWAC can be submitted up to 7 days before arrival

Taxis and ride hailing

Uber

Ride-hailing that now covers every county and city in Taiwan, using your home account and card.

The easiest option for visitors, since it does not need a Taiwanese phone number and takes international cards. Coverage reached all 19 counties and cities in July 2026, including Hualien and Taitung.

Official siteSource: United Daily News: Uber expands to all 19 counties and cities (Jul 2026) · Tripool: Taiwan taxi app guide (May 2026)

Metro, buses and city transport

Taipei Metro Go

Taipei Metro's official app (listed as 台北捷運Go) with the network map, real-time train information and station details.

It supports English, Japanese and Korean. Use it alongside Google Maps for exits and station facilities, which Google does not always show well.

Official siteSource: App Store: 台北捷運Go by Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation

YouBike 2.0

The public bike share in Taipei, New Taipei and other cities, released with a tap of an EasyCard.

Limited for visitors

Full membership needs a Taiwanese phone number to receive the SMS code. Without one, choose Single Rental and pay by credit card, repeating it for each ride, or get a local SIM. Always push the bike fully into the dock and tap again so the rental actually ends.

Official siteSource: YouBike: FAQ (foreign nationals and single rental) · Taiwan Starts Here: YouBike for tourists (Mar 2026)

Trains and long-distance travel

T Express

Taiwan High Speed Rail's official booking app for trains down the west coast from Taipei to Kaohsiung.

Set up at home

The app is in English and takes Visa, Mastercard and JCB. Have your passport number ready when booking, and book ahead for weekends and holidays.

Official siteSource: App Store: T Express by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation

Taiwan Railway e-booking

The official Taiwan Railway app for reserving seats on conventional trains, including the scenic east coast line.

Set up at home

Available in English with online payment, changes and cancellations. East coast trains to Hualien and Taitung sell out at busy times, so reserve early.

Official siteSource: App Store: Taiwan Railway e-booking

Maps

Google Maps

Directions, bus and MRT routes, and the best place to read reviews of restaurants and night-market stalls.

Set up at home

Search 'YouBike' to see bike stations and availability. Download offline maps of the cities you will visit, especially for mountain areas with patchy signal.

Official siteSource: Taiwan Starts Here: YouBike for tourists (Mar 2026)

Paying

EasyCard and contactless cards

Taiwan's stored-value transit card, also accepted in convenience stores, buses, YouBike and many shops, plus card and phone taps on the Taipei MRT.

Since 1 July 2026 you can tap a foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover or Diners card, or Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, at every Taipei MRT gate. A card tap pays the full single fare with no transfer discounts, so buy an EasyCard (NT$100 card fee) at a station or convenience store if you are staying more than a day or two.

Official siteSource: Taipei Times: MRT accepts contactless credit cards (Jun 2026) · Taiwan News: Taipei MRT card payments from July 1 (Jun 2026) · Taipei Tourism: Getting around Taipei (Oct 2026)

Messaging and calls

LINE

Taiwan's main messaging app, used by hotels, guides, shops and new friends.

Set up at home

Register with your home number before you fly so the verification code arrives without a hitch.

Official siteSource: LINE

Food and delivery

Uber Eats or foodpanda

The two big food delivery apps in Taiwan, handy for hotel nights in.

Limited for visitors

Uber Eats is the simplest for visitors because it uses your existing Uber account and card. Taiwan's competition regulator blocked Uber's purchase of foodpanda Taiwan, so both still run separately.

Official siteSource: MarkeTech APAC: Taiwan FTC blocks Uber's takeover of foodpanda Taiwan

Translation

Google Translate

Camera and voice translation for menus, signs and conversations in Traditional Chinese.

Set up at home

Download the Chinese (Traditional) offline pack before you go, as night-market menus are often handwritten and Chinese-only.

Official siteSource: Google Translate

Money: New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$)

Hotels, department stores and chains take cards, and the Taipei MRT now accepts foreign contactless cards and phone wallets at the gates. Night markets and small eateries are largely cash, so carry NT$100 and NT$500 notes, and use an EasyCard for convenience stores and transport. Local wallets such as LINE Pay and JKOPAY need a Taiwanese ID or residence card, so they are not an option for visitors. Tipping is not customary, and some restaurants add a 10% service charge.

Practical things to know

Plugs
Types A and B (North American style); 110 V, 60 Hz. Bring an adapter if your plugs are European, British or Australian.
Emergency numbers
Police 110; fire and ambulance 119; 112 for emergency rescue. The Tourism Administration travel information hotline is (02) 2717-3737.
Mobile data
Tourist eSIMs work well, and SIM counters at Taoyuan Airport sell prepaid tourist SIMs; bring your passport. A Taiwanese number also lets you register for YouBike membership and some local apps.
Free Wi-Fi
The government's iTaiwan free Wi-Fi is available in many public places, useful as a backup.
Tipping
Not expected. Check restaurant bills for a 10% service charge.

Questions travelers ask

Do I need a visa for Taiwan?

Many passports, including US, UK (British citizens), EU, Canadian and Australian, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days. Rules depend on nationality, so check the Bureau of Consular Affairs list.

Do I need to fill in an arrival card for Taiwan?

Yes. Since 1 October 2025 paper cards have been replaced by the online Taiwan Arrival Card, which you can submit up to seven days before arrival on the official immigration site.

How much passport validity do I need for Taiwan?

Visa-exempt visitors need at least six months of passport validity on the date of entry.

Can I use a credit card on the Taipei MRT?

Yes. Since 1 July 2026 all Taipei MRT gates accept domestic and foreign contactless cards and Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. You pay the full single fare, so an EasyCard is better value for longer stays.

Does Uber work in Taiwan?

Yes. Uber operates in all 19 counties and cities and works with your home account and international card, with no Taiwanese phone number needed.

Can tourists use YouBike in Taiwan?

Yes, but without a Taiwanese phone number you use the Single Rental option with a credit card each time. With a local SIM you can register as a member and ride with your EasyCard.

Sources

Checked on 22 October 2026. Entry rules change, so confirm with the official links before you travel.

Found a mistake? Report a correction and we’ll check it against the source.

More country guides

JapanBullet trains, tiny bars and a Suica in your phone, with cash still close at hand.
FranceTGVs, café terraces and a Paris metro you now ride with your phone.
SpainFast trains, late dinners and a tap-to-pay Metro in Madrid.

All country guides →