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Taiwan visit visa: TAC and visitor visa for Indians
Indian travellers need a visa or an entry authorization for Taiwan, since there is no visa-free entry and no visa on arrival. The route depends on your documents. If you already hold a visa or residence card from a country like the United States, United Kingdom, or a Schengen state, you may use the free Travel Authorization Certificate. If not, you apply for a regular visitor visa. Either way, you also complete a free online arrival card before you fly.
Data current as of June 2026
What you need to visit Taiwan
Taiwan is a rewarding destination for Indian travellers, from the night markets and temples of Taipei to the gorges of Taroko and the tea hills of the centre. The entry route is clear once you know which of three paths fits your documents.
Indian passport holders need a visa or an entry authorization to visit Taiwan. There is no visa-free entry and no visa on arrival. The good news is that Taiwan offers a simplified route for many Indians: a free online Travel Authorization Certificate for travellers who already hold a qualifying visa or residence card from a listed country. If you do not qualify, you apply for a regular visitor visa at a Taipei Economic and Cultural Center office in India.
One more step applies to everyone. Since October 2025, all travellers must complete a free online Taiwan Arrival Card within three days before arrival, which replaced the old paper card. It is separate from your visa or certificate and does not replace them. Taiwan also has its own immigration system, so a mainland China visa does not let you enter. This page is a full guide: the three routes, the free certificate and who qualifies, the visitor visa and its fees, the arrival card, the stay rules, and the documents.
Three routes, and how to choose
Almost every Taiwan trip from India uses one of three routes. The right one depends on the documents you already hold and how long you want to stay.
- For travellers who hold a qualifying foreign visa or residence card.
- Applied for fully online, with no embassy visit.
- Stay up to 14 days, valid for 90 days.
- Up to six uses in a calendar year.
- Best for short tourist or business visits.
- For travellers who do not qualify for the certificate.
- Applied for in person at a TECC office in India.
- Stay up to 60 days, sometimes extendable.
- Single or multiple entry, with a fee by demand draft.
- Best for longer stays or non-qualifying travellers.
- Mainly for designated tour groups, not independent tourists.
- Applied for online through the consular authority.
- Tied to specific travel arrangements.
- Not the default route for most Indian travellers.
- We confirm if it applies to your trip.
Source: National Immigration Agency and Bureau of Consular Affairs, Taiwan (immigration.gov.tw, boca.gov.tw), and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (roc-taiwan.org), current for 2026. Indian nationals may use a free Travel Authorization Certificate if they hold a qualifying visa or residence card, otherwise a regular visitor visa applied for at a TECC office, while the eVisa mainly serves designated tour groups. Rules can change, so confirm before you book.
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Who qualifies for the free certificate
The Travel Authorization Certificate is free, but it is conditional. You must meet three basic requirements, and also hold one qualifying document. Here is the full picture.
Basic requirements, all three
Passport valid at least six months from your arrival in Taiwan.
An onward or return air or ferry ticket.
You have never worked as a blue-collar worker in Taiwan.
One qualifying document
A valid resident card or visa, or one expired less than ten years ago, from one of these places:
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Japan
South Korea
EU or Schengen
Or a Taiwan entry visa or resident card issued at any point in the past ten years, with no record of immigration irregularities. Work permits do not count, and visas marked void or cancelled do not qualify.
Source: Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the National Immigration Agency, Taiwan (roc-taiwan.org, immigration.gov.tw), current for 2026. The certificate requires a passport valid six months, an onward or return ticket, no history of blue-collar work in Taiwan, and a qualifying valid or recently expired visa or residence card from a listed country, or a past Taiwan visa. Holders of certain migrant-worker or special-project visas are not eligible. Rules can change, so confirm your documents before you apply.
Will your documents qualify?
Get a free assessment and we will check whether your visa or residence card meets the certificate rules.
The arrival card everyone must complete
This step applies to all travellers, on every route, and is easy to miss. It is separate from your visa or certificate.
Taiwan Arrival Card, free and online, within three days before arrival
Since October 2025, the paper arrival card has been replaced by the online Taiwan Arrival Card. Every traveller, including those on a visa, a certificate, or visa-free schemes for other nationalities, must complete it on the official National Immigration Agency site within three days before arrival. It is free, and it does not replace your visa or certificate. You still need a valid certificate or visa to enter, and the officer scans your passport to retrieve the arrival card data.
Source: National Immigration Agency, Taiwan (immigration.gov.tw, twac.immigration.gov.tw), current for 2026. From 1 October 2025, all travellers must complete the free online Taiwan Arrival Card within three days before arrival, replacing the paper card. The arrival card is mandatory and separate from any visa or certificate, and only the official site should be used, since fake paid sites exist. Rules can change, so confirm before you travel.
How the free certificate works, step by step
If you qualify, the certificate is quick and fully online. This diagram shows the flow, from checking your eligibility to carrying your documents and the arrival card.
Check your eligibility
Confirm you hold a qualifying visa or residence card from a listed country, or a past Taiwan visa, and meet the three basic requirements.
Open the official site
Use only the official National Immigration Agency certificate site. It is free, so avoid any third-party site that charges a fee.
Complete the form accurately
Enter your passport and qualifying-document details, and answer every question fully and correctly, since errors can lead to refusal.
Print the certificate
Once approved, print the certificate. It is valid for 90 days, with a stay of up to 14 days from the day after arrival.
Complete the arrival card
Within three days before you arrive, complete the free online Taiwan Arrival Card, which is separate from the certificate.
Carry both documents
At the airport, carry the printed certificate and the qualifying document you applied with, since entry is denied if they are not produced.
Source: Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the National Immigration Agency, Taiwan (roc-taiwan.org, immigration.gov.tw), current for 2026. Eligible travellers apply online for free, print the approved certificate, complete the separate arrival card within three days before arrival, and must present the certificate and the qualifying document on entry or be refused. A certificate does not guarantee entry. Confirm current rules before you travel.
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Validity, stay, and the yearly limit
The certificate has a clear validity, a fixed stay, and a yearly cap on how many times you can use it. Here is how they fit together.
You can enter on the certificate up to six times per calendar year
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The year runs 1 January to 31 December. After six entries in a year, you apply for a visitor visa for further visits.
| Item | Travel Authorization Certificate | Regular visitor visa |
|---|---|---|
| Stay per visit | Up to 14 days | Up to 60 days |
| Counted from | Day after arrival | Day after arrival |
| Validity | 90 days | 1 to 3 months single, longer multiple |
| Entries | Multiple within validity | Single or multiple |
| Yearly limit | 6 times a year | Per visa terms |
| Extension | Not extendable | Sometimes, up to 120 days |
Source: Taipei Economic and Cultural Center and the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Taiwan (roc-taiwan.org, boca.gov.tw), current for 2026. The certificate is valid 90 days with a 14-day stay from the day after arrival and up to six entries per calendar year and cannot be extended, while a visitor visa commonly allows up to a 60-day stay that may sometimes be extended to 120 days where no no-extension remark applies. Rules can change, so confirm current details before you rely on them.
Fees and what you need
The certificate is free. The visitor visa carries a fee, paid by demand draft at a TECC office. This table sets out the typical costs and the documents.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate fee | Free | Official online site only |
| Single-entry visa | About 4,200 rupees | About 50 US dollars |
| Multiple-entry visa | About 8,400 rupees | About 100 US dollars |
| Express service | Extra charge | Faster processing |
| Passport | Valid 6 months | Plus blank pages |
| Photos and form | White-background photos | Online form, printed and signed |
| Travel proof | Onward or return ticket | Plus funds and accommodation |
Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center, Taiwan (boca.gov.tw, roc-taiwan.org), current for 2026. The Travel Authorization Certificate is free, while a single-entry visitor visa is about fifty US dollars and a multiple-entry visa about one hundred US dollars, with an express surcharge, paid by demand draft at a TECC office. Rupee figures are approximate and depend on the exchange rate. Visa fees and rules can change, so confirm the current figures before you apply.
Want a clear cost and document plan?
Get a free assessment and we will set out the right route, fees, and documents for your Taiwan trip.
Do this, avoid that
Most Taiwan entry problems come from small, avoidable errors. These pointers keep your trip on track, whichever route you use.
Do
- Apply for the certificate only on the official site, since it is free.
- Check your qualifying document is valid or expired under ten years.
- Answer every question on the form fully and correctly.
- Print the certificate and carry your qualifying document.
- Complete the arrival card within three days before arrival.
- Apply early, and keep onward tickets and funds ready.
Avoid
- Do not pay a third-party site for the certificate or arrival card.
- Do not assume the eVisa applies to independent tourists.
- Do not assume a China visa covers Taiwan.
- Do not work or study on a visit.
- Do not exceed six certificate entries in a calendar year.
Source: National Immigration Agency and Bureau of Consular Affairs, Taiwan (immigration.gov.tw, boca.gov.tw), current for 2026. The certificate and the arrival card are free on the official sites, the certificate is conditional on a qualifying document, and the certificate allows up to six entries a calendar year. A visit does not allow work or study, and a China visa does not cover Taiwan. Rules can change, so confirm current details before you rely on them.
What you can and cannot do
A visit lets you do plenty as a tourist, within clear limits. Here is what is and is not allowed.
You can
- Explore Taipei, the night markets, and Taipei 101.
- Visit Taroko Gorge and the east-coast scenery.
- See Sun Moon Lake and the central tea hills.
- Attend short business meetings as a visitor.
- Make multiple entries while your route is valid.
- Visit friends and family during your trip.
You cannot
- Take up employment on a visit.
- Study a long programme on a visit.
- Stay beyond the days granted for your route.
- Use the certificate more than six times a year.
- Assume the visit covers residence or work rights.
For work, study, or a longer stay, you need the correct visa, such as a resident visa, applied for in advance with the right documents. We explain the rules and the right path for your plans.
Source: Bureau of Consular Affairs and the National Immigration Agency, Taiwan (boca.gov.tw, immigration.gov.tw), current for 2026. The certificate and visitor visa are for tourism, business visits, and short personal visits only, and do not allow employment or long study, which need the correct visa in advance. The certificate is capped at six entries a calendar year. Rules can change, so confirm current details before you rely on them.
What officers look for, and refusal reasons
A smooth Taiwan arrival comes from a valid route, a clear visit purpose, steady funds, and the right documents in hand. Knowing what is checked helps you prepare.
Common reasons for a problem include applying for the certificate without a genuinely qualifying document, mistakes or incomplete answers on the form, not carrying the qualifying document you applied with, an unclear visit purpose, weak proof of funds, no onward or return ticket, or forgetting the separate arrival card. For the visitor visa, an incomplete file or weak ties to India are frequent causes. Many cases can be improved with a corrected, stronger application.
Indian travellers need a visa or an entry authorization for Taiwan. If you hold a qualifying visa or residence card from a listed country, you can use the free Travel Authorization Certificate, valid 90 days with a 14-day stay and up to six entries a year. If not, you apply for a visitor visa at a TECC office, with a fee and up to a 60-day stay. Everyone also completes the free online arrival card before arrival, and the officer at the airport still decides entry.
Factual overview, verified against the National Immigration Agency, the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center, Taiwan (immigration.gov.tw, boca.gov.tw, roc-taiwan.org), current as of June 2026. Eligibility, fees, validity, stay, entries, and the arrival-card rule are set by the Taiwan authorities and can change at any time. A certificate or visa does not guarantee entry.
Meeting the requirements improves your chances, but the final decision rests with the Taiwan immigration officer at the airport. We give you a realistic view and help you build the strongest possible case.
Speak with BestMigrationConsultant.com about your Taiwan trip
Our immigration experts guide Indian travellers through all three Taiwan routes, from checking whether you qualify for the free Travel Authorization Certificate to the visitor visa, the arrival card, the fees, and the documents. Call +91-7670800002 or visit BestMigrationConsultant.com, and start with a free assessment today.