Trip readiness checklist for Taiwan
Taiwan is Japan-tidy with night-market energy — and garbage trucks that play Beethoven. Here's the trip-readiness checklist for Taiwan: what to pack, when to go, entry rules for your passport, and the official sources to confirm before you fly.
Build my free Taiwan checklistEntry rules for a US passport
Visa-free up to 90 days
Source: U.S. Department of State, checked September 14, 2026. Other passports get their own answer in the app. Confirm at the official source before you book.
What to pack
Taiwan is night markets, mountains, and superb public transport. Pack light, quick-dry clothes, a compact umbrella, and comfortable shoes — and an appetite for the food.
Light, quick-dry clothing
Hot and humid much of the year; the south is tropical.
A compact umbrella or rain jacket
Sudden showers are common; typhoon season (summer–autumn) brings heavy rain.
Comfortable walking shoes
Cities are walkable and the MRT is excellent; mountains beg for hikes.
An EasyCard for transit
Tap an EasyCard for metro, buses, and convenience stores everywhere.
When to go
Autumn (Oct–Nov) and spring are the most comfortable. Summer is hot, humid, and typhoon-prone; winter is mild in the south. Avoid Lunar New Year (Jan/Feb) for travel chaos and closures.
Money & getting around
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan dollar (TWD). Cash is still important for night markets and small shops, though cards and mobile pay work in cities. Grab an EasyCard for transit and convenience stores. Tipping isn't customary.
Local quirks worth knowing
Taiwan is Japan-tidy with night-market energy — and garbage trucks that play Beethoven. The convenience store will solve most of your problems.
No eating or drinking on the MRT
Not even water, and it's a real fine. The metro is spotless because everyone actually follows this.
The musical trucks are the trash system
Public bins are rare; garbage trucks announce themselves with Für Elise and residents run out with bags. Carry your trash back like a local.
Night markets have a strategy
The longest queue is the famous stall (worth it), small bills speed everything, and grazing beats committing to one dinner.
7-Eleven is a public utility
Pay bills, buy train tickets, ship luggage, print, get coffee — locals live at the convenience store, and you can too.
A week in Taiwan, the list starts here
Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once the app has your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.
- Passport & travel documents1
- Phone charger & adapter1
- Wallet, cards & some local cash1
- Toiletries bag1
- Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
- Underwear7
- Socks7
- T-shirts / tops5
What am I forgetting?
A real answer from TripHappens for a sample week in Taiwan, departing in five weeks with a checked bag and nothing packed yet. Yours is built from your own trip.
Five weeks out, a week in Taipei. Three gaps.
- 1.
Your entry rules, confirmed
You're travelling on a US passport and the trip's entry guide hasn't been pulled up yet. Open the entry card and read what the official source says for Taiwan, then check your passport's expiry date yourself — we can't see it.
- 2.
Cash and an EasyCard
Night markets and small shops still run on New Taiwan dollars, and cards won't save you at a stall. Plan for some cash on arrival and an EasyCard for transit and convenience stores.
- 3.
A compact umbrella
Late October in Taipei is the comfortable season, but it is still a wet, humid island and nothing is packed yet. Put a small umbrella and quick-dry layers in the bag before the checked bag gets filled with jeans.
Entry, advisories & health
Safety-critical — always confirm live at the official source before you book.
Entry and visa requirements depend on your nationality. Confirm the current rules for Taiwan with the official source below before you book.
U.S. State Department travel advisory for Taiwan — check the current level and any alerts before you go.
CDC traveler health page for Taiwan — recommended vaccines, health notices, and a packing checklist.
Get the full Taiwan checklist
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