Taiwan’s New Digital Entry Rule: Mandatory Arrival Cards for All Travelers

Taiwan’s New Digital Entry Rule: Mandatory Arrival Cards for All Travelers

If you have plans to visit Taiwan this year, your pre-flight checklist just got a bit more specific. As of October 1, 2025, Taiwan has officially retired its traditional paper arrival cards. Every foreign traveler entering the island must now use the mandatory Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) system.

This shift marks a significant move by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to modernize its borders. While the change aims to make the immigration hall less of a bottleneck, it also means that "winging it" upon arrival is no longer an option. If you haven't submitted your digital form before landing, you won't be cleared for entry.

The New Digital Standard

The Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) is now the only way to provide your arrival data to the Ministry of the Interior. The system is entirely free and operates through a dedicated web portal. Unlike the old paper slips handed out by flight attendants, this digital version must be completed within a three-day window before you arrive in Taiwan.

The NIA has designed the portal to be relatively user-friendly, supporting seven languages including English, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. To speed things up, the system includes a passport photo upload feature that auto-fills your personal details. If you are traveling with family or a tour group, a lead traveler can submit a group filing for up to 16 people at once.

Once you submit the form, you'll receive a confirmation email. The best part? You don't need to print anything out. When you reach the immigration counter, the officer simply scans your passport, and your TWAC data is automatically retrieved from the system.

Who Needs to File?

The requirement applies to almost everyone who does not hold a Taiwan Resident Certificate. This includes:

• Tourists traveling under visa-exemption programs.
• Visitors on standard tourist or business visas.
• Hong Kong and Macao residents holding multiple-entry permits.
• Mainland Chinese travelers with valid entry permits.

If you are an expat living in Taiwan with a valid Resident Certificate, you can skip this step entirely. However, for digital nomads or frequent visitors who rely on visa-exempt entries, you must submit a new TWAC for every single entry, regardless of how short your stay is.

What This Means For Your Next Trip

For the most part, this is good news for travelers. The automation of data retrieval is expected to significantly reduce wait times in immigration lines. For digital nomads who move in and out of Taipei frequently, the ability to edit previous submissions and use the auto-fill features makes the process a minor administrative task rather than a logistical hurdle.

However, the risk lies in forgetfulness. Because the paper cards are gone, there is no "backup" at the immigration desk. If you arrive without having filed, you will be redirected to a kiosk or asked to use your phone to complete the form on the spot via QR codes provided at the airport. To avoid this delay, make it a habit to file your TWAC at the same time you check in for your flight.

The information required is standard for any immigration news update: you’ll need your passport details, flight numbers, intended exit date, and the address of your hotel or Airbnb. The NIA has been clear that while this digital card is mandatory, it is not a visa. You still need to ensure your passport validity and visa status meet Taiwan’s standard entry requirements.

The Bottom Line

Taiwan’s transition to a paperless entry system is a permanent change designed to streamline the traveler experience. To ensure a smooth arrival, head to the official TWAC portal no more than 72 hours before your flight, verify your email, and submit your details. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time, and it ensures that your first experience on the ground in Taiwan is a quick walk through immigration rather than a stressful scramble for Wi-Fi.