01Free
The 30-second card
LanguageAmis, Standard Taiwanese Mandarin, Kinmen dialect, Taiwanese Sign Language, Kavalan, Truku, Taiwanese Hokkien, Kanakanavu, Matsu dialect, Sakizaya, Wuqiu dialect, Paiwan, Saaroa, Puyuma, Atayal, Tsou, Rukai, Yami, Seediq, Saisiyat, Taiwanese Hakka, BununSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗
Visa · United States passport
No visa needed · up to 90 daysSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗SIM and eSIM
Unlimited-data SIMs cost about NT$300 for 3 days or NT$500 for 7 days at official shops; bring a passport.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Apps locals use
LINE: the messenger locals use instead of WhatsApp; hosts often give a LINE contact.Bus+: live bus routes and timetables without reading Chinese stop signs.Google Maps: rough route planning, though bus times can be overstated.LINE Pay: mobile payments if you already have an account from Japan, Thailand or South Korea.OsmAnd: offline hiking maps and trail tracks.
Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 2 of 5: Cash is used for most payments, though cards are accepted in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Taiwan
New Taiwan Dollar · $ · TWD
Withdraw cash at FamilyMart rather than 7-Eleven, whose ATMs charge NT$100 per withdrawal.
Spend NT$2,000 or more in one participating shop on one day and you can reclaim the VAT when leaving.
Pay cash in small shops, as card payments often carry a surcharge of up to 8%.
Ride Taiwan Railway trains on an EasyCard to pay the local-train fare minus 10%, even on faster services.
Collect New Taiwan Dollar in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Taiwan say, side by side, checked daily.
German Foreign Office says
No travel warning
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
U.S. Department of State says
Exercise normal precautions
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Level 1 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 24 Nov 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 24 Nov 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
No advice against travel
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 28 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 28 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Routine shots, plus hepatitis A and B if not yet protected; altitude sickness is a risk in some areas.
Vaccinations
Be current on routine shots; hepatitis A and hepatitis B are advised for travellers who are not yet protected.
Altitude
Altitude sickness can affect visitors in some parts of the island.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
04Travel layer
In the app: the travel layer
The travel layer
Read a country like someone who’s been there.
What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use
€4.99once · all countries
Pay once. No subscription. All countries, yours forever.
05Free
Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $611.4 billionSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2023 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Top exports | integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 23.6 millionSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 45.1 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2005 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 35,980 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all yearSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in westSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | semi-presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +886Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗
Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).
More countries in Asia
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
Cyprus
Georgia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Macao
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen