Taiwan - Republic of China
Area: 36,188 sq km
Population: 22,911,292
Population density: 633 per sq km
Capital: Taipei
Area: 36,188 sq km
Population: 22,911,292
Population density: 633 per sq km
Capital: Taipei
Taiwan country information
Passport & visa | Getting there | Cycling & maps | Cost of living | Accommodation | Food | Bike shops | Climate | Distances
Passport & Visa
| Passport Required? | |
|---|---|
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes |
| Other EU | Yes |
| Visa Required? | |
| British | No |
| Australian | No |
| Canadian | No |
| USA | No/1 |
| Other EU | No/2 |
Passports
Passport valid for at least
six months required by all nationals referred
to in the chart above.
Visas
Not required by nationals
referred to in the chart above (provided they
have no criminal record, have a confirmed return
air ticket or documentation for onward travel,
and seat reservation for departure) for stays
of up to 30 days (this period cannot be extended),
except:
1. if a US citizen has a passport valid for less than six months from date of entry into Taiwan, travellers may apply for a landing visa that has a duration of stay of no more than 30 days. The processing fee is US$135 and no extensions are allowed.
2. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, who do require a visa.
1. if a US citizen has a passport valid for less than six months from date of entry into Taiwan, travellers may apply for a landing visa that has a duration of stay of no more than 30 days. The processing fee is US$135 and no extensions are allowed.
2. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Passengers
arriving at Kaohsiung International Airport, including
passengers arriving from China (PR), may apply
for a temporary entry permit at the Kaohsiung
Station Aviation Police Bureau. They must convert
the permit into a visa at the Bureau of Consular
Affairs or its Kaohsiung Office within three days.
If they fail to do so, they will be subject to
a fine.
(b) Nationals holding British National (overseas) passports, if born in Hong Kong or Macau or if having previously visited Taiwan, may obtain a visa on arrival, valid for up to 14 days.
(c) Passengers arriving at CKS International Airport may apply for a landing visa at the Visa Office at CKS International Airport, Bureau of Consular Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(d) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
Travellers intending to stay more than three months in Taiwan will be required to take an AIDS test. If the test is positive, they will be required to leave the country.
(b) Nationals holding British National (overseas) passports, if born in Hong Kong or Macau or if having previously visited Taiwan, may obtain a visa on arrival, valid for up to 14 days.
(c) Passengers arriving at CKS International Airport may apply for a landing visa at the Visa Office at CKS International Airport, Bureau of Consular Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(d) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
Travellers intending to stay more than three months in Taiwan will be required to take an AIDS test. If the test is positive, they will be required to leave the country.
Types of Visa and Cost
Single-entry:
US$50; US$75 (express service). Multiple-entry:
US$100; US$150 (express service). Landing: fee
varies according to nationality, plus TWD800 handling
fee. Multiple-entry visas are issued for business
purposes only and require a document from your
employer regarding the purpose of visit.
Validity
Single-entry:
up to three months; up to two extensions of 60
days each may be granted by local police stations
for certain applicants, if they have stayed in
Taiwan for an initial period of at least 60 days
and documents have been submitted that provide
evidence for the necessity of an extension. These
visas are valid for three months from date of
issue. Multiple-entry (business purposes
only): six months from date of issue. Landing:
30 days. A visa is not required by travellers
continuing their journey by the same or connecting
aircraft on the same day, provided holding confirmed
onward tickets and the necessary travel documentation
and provided not departing from the transit lounge.
Applications to:
Visa section
of Taipei Representative Office.
Working Days Required
One. However,
some visa applications may be subject to delay.
Applicants who have paid rush handling fees may
collect their visas at 1630 on the same day.
Getting there
Getting There by Air
The national airline is China
Airlines (CI) (website:
www.china-airlines.com
).
Approximate Flight Times
From London
to Taipei is approximately 15 hours, including
stopover.
Main Airports
Taiwan
Taoyuan International Airport
(TPE) (website:
www.taoyuanairport.gov.tw
) is 40km (25 miles) south of the city (journey
time - 30 minutes). To/from the airport:
Buses depart for both Sung Shan (domestic) airport,
the main railway station and high-speed rail
Taoyuan Station. Taxis and buses are available
to the city centre. Facilities:
Duty-free shop, post office, car hire, bank/bureau
de change, bar/restaurant and tourist information.
Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw ) is 9km (4 miles) from the town centre. To/from the airport: A regular bus service is available (journey time - 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Facilities: Duty-free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change, post office and bar/ restaurant.
Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw ) is 9km (4 miles) from the town centre. To/from the airport: A regular bus service is available (journey time - 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Facilities: Duty-free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change, post office and bar/ restaurant.
Departure Tax
None.
Getting There by Water
Main
ports: Keelung and Kaohsiung
(website:
www.khb.gov.tw
).
Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau.
Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau.
Cost of living
Taiwan:
all prices in Taiwan New Dollars (TWD)
| drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores |
||||
| water (mineral) |
1 litre 1 litre 300ml 1 litre |
20 65 18 45 |
bread loaf-white |
550g 750g |
50 75 |
| vege buffet cheap vege buffet mid range cheap local eatery noodle shop pizza-takeaway |
all u can eat all u can eat one serving big bowl med |
150+ 300+ 120-200 35-70 400+ |
|||
| beer-local wine |
330ml 750ml |
30-50 250-300 |
|||
| tea coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee-ground |
25 bags per cup 125g 500g |
80 20-50 120 250 |
rice (white) pasta eggs tinned tomatoes |
kg |
20 25 40 25 |
| milk yoghurt / curd cheese Magnum icecream |
1 litre 200 kg each |
35 |
potatoes onions tomatoes asian spinach |
kg kg kg kg |
40 25 45 25 |
| chips salted peanuts dried apricots |
200g pack kg kg |
tba tba tba |
apples oranges bananas |
kg kg kg |
60-80 60-80 80-100 |
| cornflakes chocolate biscuits-plain biscuits-chocolate |
375g pack 100g block 200g pack 200g pack |
170 50 30 55+ |
pineapple (can) oil (corn) |
500g can 500ml |
50 25 |
| peanut paste jam |
500g jar 400g jar |
90 65 |
|||
| accommodation | personal | ||||
| budget city hostel budget city hotel |
300+per dorm bed 800+ double with ensuite |
deodorant - roll-on |
50ml 150g bar 200ml 2 pack 100ml 5 pack 4 pack |
80 25 80 85 65 75 99 |
|
| camping |
possible, but needs more research |
||||
| internet | 20-50 per hour | ||||
| *
tba = price to be announced * January 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 34.71 TWD all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in Taiwan. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxury. |
Source:www.exchange-rates.org |
