Geographic
Population & Language
Politics
During COVID
Travel Tips
Geographic
Taiwan is situated in the West Pacific between Japan and the Philippines. The total area of Taiwan property and its outlying islands is around 36,197 km2, with a length of 394 km and 144 km in width. The size is similar to Switzerland (41,284 km2) and Belgium (30,528 km2).
Taiwan is in the heart of Asia Pacific, a critical hub for global logistics. It takes 2.55 hours flying from Taiwan to 6 major Asian cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. If going by sea, it takes 53 hours from Taiwan to 5 major Asian ports - Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.
Sitting in the path of warm ocean currents off the east coast of continental Asia, Taiwan is uniquely blessed with a wide range of climatic zones from tropical to temperate. The weather is humid but mild all year. In the summer time from June to September, the average temperature can go up to 38 °C, and it is usually a typhoon season. The average annual temperature is around 22°C, 18°C in January and 29°C in July. The weather and the surrounding, in combination of fertile soil and enough sunshine, make Taiwan an agricultural and aquacultural paradise
Population and Language
The population in Taiwan is approximately 25 million. It is also home to over 541,000 new immigrants, mostly from China and Southeast Asia.
Fluent in Mandarin (Chinese) and English and familiar with ethnic Chinese culture and mindsets, as well as numerous new immigrants, Taiwanese businesses provide an excellent entry point for expanding the ASEAN and Mainland Chinese market.
Politics
Taiwan has been ranked as the No. 1 "full democracy" in Asia, jumping three places in the 2021 Democracy Index rankings from the previous year, according to a report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). This indicates Taiwan's strong bonds in democracy with the western world.
The president and vice president are directly elected, serve terms of four years and may be re-elected for one additional term. In May 2020, after the presidential election, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen (left) and Dr. Lai Ching-te (right) were officially sworn in as the 15th-term president and vice president.
About COVID-19
Effective May 1, COVID-19 to be downgraded to Category 4 notifiable communicable disease and CECC to disband; Ministry of Health and Welfare to take charge of relevant preparation and response work.
On April 25, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported that the severity of COVID-19 decreased, the domestic coronavirus situation continued to be stable, and infections remained at a low point. Additionally, the international community has moved towards downgrading COVID-19 response to a lower emergency level. In consideration of these developments, the CECC announced that, effective May 1, COVID-19 would be reclassified as a Category 4 notifiable communicable disease. In addition to the reclassification of the disease, the Executive Yuan has approved the dissolution of the CECC on the same day, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will organize regular cross-agency epidemic prevention liaison meetings to ensure the continued operation of COVID-19 preparation and response work.
The CECC provided the key points of these adjustments as well as subsequent epidemic prevention efforts below after COVID-19 is downgraded on May 1 as follows:
A. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control will continue to deploy multiple mechanisms to monitor the COVID-19 situation at home and abroad as well as the trends in variants and provide relevant information to the public in weekly press conferences.
B. The stockpiling COVID-19 vaccines and implementation of government-funded COVID-19 vaccination programs for all ages will continued to be carried out. Relevant units will review look at the latest scientific evidence and international vaccine recommendations and share such information with ACIP experts to discuss subsequent vaccination plans.
C. Government-funded antiviral drugs and herbal formula NRICM101 will remain available to infected individuals who are eligible for these medications. The Integrated Outpatient and Inpatient Care Program for Post COVID-19 Rehabilitation Program will continue to be implemented. COVID-19 designated wards will end. Restrictions regarding visitation as well as companions of patients will remain in place and be included in routine management. Healthcare facilities and care institutions will continue to implement necessary infection control measures to protect vulnerable groups. The current protocol that confirmed cases with complications (moderate-to-severe cases) who have met the current case definition of COVID-19 need to undergo a health assessment by a doctor and be hospitalized for isolation and treatment will remain in place. Expenses related to their medical care received during their isolation in the hospital will be covered by the government (including foreign nationals without an NHI card). Mild cases still need to practice self-health management.
D. To prepare for rapid developments in the COVID-19 situation, designated wards and government quarantine facilities will be opened again (mainly military bases) if circumstances require to ensure accommodation capacity and coordinate medical resources in a timely manner. At present, there are sufficient reserves of medical masks, at-home rapid tests, antiviral drugs, and other medical supplies. If there is an imbalance between demand and supply, such as panic buying, in the free market, the name-based rationing system will be implemented again.
Travel Tips
Entry Visas
Citizens of more than 60 countries and territories are eligible for visa-exempt entry for a period of 30 or 90 days. You may refer to the website of “Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs” to see if you are eligible for visa-exempt entry.
Taiwan Employment Gold Card
Since 2018, Taiwan launched “Taiwan Employment Gold Card” to attract highly-skilled foreign talent. This is a 4-in-a card, which combines resident visa, work permit, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and re-entry permit, allowing foreign employees to leave and re-enter Taiwan multiple times over the course of 1-3 years. Clink here to learn further information.
Accommodation in Taiwan:
If you haven’t determined where to stay in Taiwan, You may find useful hotel information on the Meet Taiwan website.
Currency
Taiwan New Dollar (NTD). Each foreign visitor may bring up to NT$100,000 into Taiwan, and is required to declare amounts in excess of the above threshold to the Customs Authority when entering. Foreign currency can be exchanged at the airport as well as at authorized banks and hotels. Internationally recognized credit cards are accepted in most hotels, many restaurants, and many shops. Exchange Rate Converter
Time Zone UTC+8, no seasonal adjustments. Time Zone Converter
Electricity AC 110V/60 Hz
Emergency
Taiwan is generally safe and is with minimal risk of violent, however, visitors should exercise normal precautions and be aware of their surroundings at all times. If foreign visitors need medical assistance, they can go to nearby hospitals or clinics, bringing their passports. Payment of hospital and other expenses is the patient’s responsibility. Some emergency telephone numbers may be worth to know:
- Fire/Medical: 119
- Police: 110
- English-Speaking Police: (02)2556-6007 (24 hours)
- English Directory Assistance:106
(Source: International Trade Administration)
Internet Access
Broadband and Wi-Fi services are widely available in major cities. Nearly all business hotels, restaurants and coffee shops provide free Wi-Fi access. 5G services is applicable since Taiwan has released 5G spectrum licenses in 2020 and right now there are 5 carriers. There are 4 mobile phone providers and many re-sellers selling dozens of SIM cards at TPE Airport. Please choose “Cellular Service Center” to find out their locations and operation hours at your landing terminal. The Services & facilities at TPE Airport is also available in Janpanese.
Airports:
Taiwan has three major international airports: Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), close to the capital city Taipei, is the main gateway to the island. Hsiaokang International Airport (KHH), located in Kaohsiung Northern Taiwan, offers regular flights to major destinations in the region. Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA), located in downtown Taipei, offers direct flights to and from Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Gimpo and major cities in China.
Transportation at TPE Airport:
By Metro Taoyuan to Taipei: It takes approximately 40 minutes to drive from the airport to Taipei city. Visitors heading North can also take “Metro Taoyuan” travelling to Taipei. Schedule and fare information is available in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean.
By Bus: Regular hotel shuttle buses to Taipei and buses to other cities like Hsinchu, Taichung or Kaohsiung are available at the airport too.
By Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR): Another option travelling to major cities from this airport is by HSR, which currently connects 12 Taiwan western cities. Time table and faire information is also available in Chinese, English and Japanese.
By Taxi: Taxis operating by shifts are located at the west side(meeting point 26) of the Terminal 1's and Terminal 2's Arrivals Lobby at the TPE Airport. Taxi fare is charged slightly differently throughout the country. For instance, in Taipei, the first 1.25km is NT$70. From that point on, every additional 200m is NT$5. Night cab charges NT$20 more per ride. Please press here to find out estimated fares for taxi trips from TPE Airport to different destinations.
Other useful information about transportation at TPE airport
Car Rental and other transportation information provided by the TPE Airport is available in Chinese, English and Japanese too.
Custom regulations on entry and personal belongs
Personal belongings and household articles (excluding controlled or restricted articles) carried by inbound passengers may be granted duty exemption. Please refer to the following links for details: Arrival Declaration / Taipei Customs Office / Quarantine System for Entry/