What is the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)?

The Taiwan Arrival Card, usually called TWAC, is Taiwan’s online arrival registration form for travellers who are required to submit an arrival card. It is completed online before immigration clearance and is free of charge.

TWAC is an arrival form, not a visa. Holding a visa does not automatically remove the need to complete TWAC, and submitting TWAC does not decide whether you need a visa or qualify for visa-free entry. For the wider rules that may apply to your passport and trip, see the Taiwan visa and entry requirements page.

Complete TWAC before reaching immigration in Taiwan. A submitted form supports the arrival process, but it does not replace any visa, permit or other travel document that may be required for your trip.

Who needs to submit TWAC?

The National Immigration Agency lists the following traveller categories as generally required to submit an online arrival card before entering Taiwan:

  • Foreign nationals: submit TWAC unless you hold a resident visa, an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), or a diplomatic ID card issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • Hong Kong and Macao residents: submit TWAC if you hold a multiple-entry permit.
  • People from the Mainland Area: submit TWAC if you hold a multiple-entry exit-and-entry permit for sightseeing.
  • Nationals without household registration in the Taiwan Area: submit TWAC unless you hold a Taiwan Area residence certificate.

Your passport, immigration status and travel document matter. For example, a visitor using a United States, United Kingdom, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand or Irish passport is normally covered by the foreign-national category unless they hold one of the stated documents that removes the requirement.

When should you complete the TWAC form?

You can currently complete and submit TWAC within 7 days before arrival in Taiwan. It must be submitted before you go through immigration clearance.

Do not wait until the last possible moment if your itinerary includes several flights, a cruise arrival, or limited airport connectivity. Taiwan’s immigration authorities may provide QR codes at airports and seaports for travellers who still need to submit the form, but completing it before travel is the more practical approach.

What you need before starting

Prepare the details you will enter before opening the form. The official TWAC system identifies the following information as necessary:

  • Valid passport: have the travel document you will use to enter Taiwan available. The system can support passport data-page image upload to help populate personal information.
  • Working email address: you must verify the email address at the start of the process and receive the submission confirmation there.
  • Personal details: including your nationality, occupation and telephone number.
  • Travel details: your arrival information and other itinerary details requested by the form.
  • Accommodation details: information about where you will stay in Taiwan.

How to fill out the Taiwan Arrival Card

The online process is structured around email verification, traveller information, itinerary details, review and confirmation. Complete the form carefully and make sure the details match the passport and trip you will actually use.

  1. Verify your email address. Enter your own valid email address, request the verification code, then enter the code received to continue. If the email does not arrive, check spam, junk or promotional folders before trying another address.
  2. Enter traveller information. Use the passport data page as your reference. Uploading a passport image may help auto-fill some details, but review every field for accuracy.
  3. Add your itinerary and stay information. Provide the requested arrival, travel and accommodation details for this visit.
  4. Review every answer. Check names, passport details, nationality, dates, flight or vessel information and accommodation carefully before submission.
  5. Submit and retain the confirmation. The system sends a confirmation email after successful submission. You will not normally need to show it at inspection because the information can be retrieved after your passport is scanned, but keep the email accessible in case an officer asks for verification.

Important details that can cause problems

  • English name field: enter only English letters and spaces. Do not add symbols or punctuation that the field does not accept.
  • Chinese-language entry: if you choose to complete information in Chinese, use Traditional Chinese only.
  • Email address: a typo can prevent you from receiving the verification code or confirmation message.
  • Passport consistency: do not rely solely on auto-filled data. Compare the form with the passport you will present on arrival.
  • Travel itinerary: enter the itinerary and accommodation information for the arrival trip being registered, not details from an earlier or tentative itinerary.

Practical TWAC examples

  • US passport holder visiting Taiwan for tourism: if the traveller enters as a foreign national and does not hold an ARC, resident visa or diplomatic ID card, they normally need to submit TWAC before immigration clearance. Their visa and entry requirements for Taiwan must be checked independently.
  • UK passport holder travelling with a visitor visa: TWAC is separate from the visa. A visitor visa does not itself appear among the foreign-national exemptions from the arrival-card requirement.
  • Canadian traveller with a multi-stop itinerary: the 7-day submission window can allow the traveller to complete TWAC before beginning an itinerary with connecting flights, provided the form reflects the relevant Taiwan arrival trip.
  • Family travelling together: one person can submit forms for a family or group of up to 16 travellers. Each traveller’s personal and passport information still needs to be entered accurately.

Can you correct or update a submitted TWAC?

Check your information before submitting. The official TWAC service provides an option to update arrival-card information, and the National Immigration Agency also advises travellers with errors or omissions to complete and submit the arrival card again.

If your passport, nationality, date of birth or itinerary details are wrong, act before reaching immigration. Use the official TWAC update function or submit a corrected card as directed by the official system. Do not assume that an incorrect confirmation can be ignored.

TWAC for children, families and groups

The published TWAC rules are based on traveller category and immigration status, rather than setting out a broad child exemption. For a child, check whether TWAC applies to that child’s travel document and status.

A parent or another member of the party may complete forms for accompanying travellers through the group function, with a maximum of 16 people in one group submission. This can be useful for families, but it does not remove the need to enter each traveller’s details accurately.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing TWAC with a visa: TWAC is an arrival registration form. It neither replaces a visa nor confirms visa-free eligibility.
  • Using an unverified email address: email verification is the first stage of the online process, and the confirmation is sent to that address.
  • Submitting outside the current window: the current submission period is within 7 days before arrival, not the previous 3-day period.
  • Entering a name in an unsupported format: the English-name field accepts English letters and spaces only.
  • Assuming one family entry covers incomplete personal details: group submission helps one person file for others, but each traveller’s form information must still be correct.

What happens after you submit?

After successful submission, the system sends a confirmation email. At immigration, officers can retrieve the submitted information when they scan your passport, so you do not normally need to present the email. However, keep it available until you have entered Taiwan because an officer may request it for additional verification.

Check the formalities for your own trip

This guide explains how TWAC works, but it cannot determine every entry requirement for every traveller. The formalities that may apply can vary with the passport used, immigration status, purpose of travel, route and other circumstances. Use Go2entry to check the entry formalities that may apply to your actual Taiwan trip.