Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC): The 3-Minute Cheat Sheet & 8 Mistakes That Delay You at Immigration

Your flight lands at Taipei Taoyuan (or Kaohsiung, or Taichung), the seatbelt sign pings off, and everyone reaches for their phones. Half of them are texting family that they landed. The other half are staring at a form they should have filled out three days ago. Since October 1, 2025, the little paper arrival card Taiwan handed out on every incoming flight is officially retired. In its place: the Taiwan Arrival Card, or TWAC — an online form you fill out before you fly.

Good news: it really does take three minutes if you know what you’re looking at. Bad news: half the questions have a “gotcha” that will bounce you into secondary at immigration if you fumble them. This guide walks you through every field, flags the mistakes that get travelers pulled aside, and gets you from jet bridge to Uber Green in under twenty minutes.

What Is the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC), and Why the Paper Slip Is Gone

The Taiwan Arrival Card — officially the Taiwan Online Arrival Card, TWAC for short — is a mandatory online immigration form that every non-Taiwanese visitor now fills out before landing. It replaced the traditional paper arrival card on October 1, 2025, when Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) migrated the whole process to the web at twac.immigration.gov.tw.

Why the switch? Two reasons, and neither of them is bureaucratic vanity. First: paper cards created a bottleneck at arrival. Every flight from Bangkok or Tokyo would deposit 300 tired travelers who all needed a pen, a flat surface, and about ten minutes to fill out a duplicate of information the airline already had. Immigration officers spent as much time squinting at handwriting as they did stamping passports. Second: Taiwan’s tourism numbers are climbing back toward pre-2020 highs, and NIA needed a system that scaled without opening more counters.

The TWAC isn’t a visa. It doesn’t replace visa-free entry. It doesn’t cost anything (any site charging you a “processing fee” is a scam). It’s just Taiwan’s way of asking, digitally, the same three questions the paper card used to ask: Who are you? Where are you going? When are you leaving?

Here’s what genuinely changed for travelers:

• You fill it out at home, on your phone or laptop, up to three days before you fly.
• You get an emailed confirmation with a document number — save it.
• At immigration, you show your passport and (occasionally) the confirmation. That’s it.
• No pen, no paper, no cramped tray-table origami.

Who Needs a Taiwan Arrival Card (and the Handful of People Who Don’t)

Short answer: almost every non-Taiwanese person entering Taiwan needs to submit a TWAC before their trip. The full policy is more nuanced, though, and it’s worth knowing where you sit.

You DO need to submit a TWAC if you’re:

• A US, Canadian, UK, Australian, or EU passport holder entering visa-free for tourism, business, or family visits
• A visa holder (tourist visa, resident visa, working holiday) on any incoming flight
• A first-time visitor OR a repeat visitor (yes, even if you were just there last month)
• A cruise passenger disembarking at a Taiwan port

You DON’T need to submit a TWAC if you’re:

• A Taiwan citizen with a Taiwan passport
• A Taiwan resident with an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) — you’re processed as a resident, not an arrival
• Transiting through Taoyuan without clearing immigration (staying airside)

One trap that catches families: every traveler needs their own TWAC. Kids, infants, grandparents — each person on the reservation submits a separate form under their own passport. There’s no group filing, no “one form for a family of four.” Fill one out per human, and make sure the kids’ data is entered from THEIR passports (parents’ details won’t fly).

Frequency is another common miss. The TWAC covers exactly one arrival. If you leave and come back next month for a return visit, or if you booked a Taiwan-Japan-Taiwan itinerary and Taiwan is both the middle and end stop — you file a new TWAC for each entry into Taiwan. If you’re on the fence about visa-free eligibility, our Taipei Airports guide covers passport rules for the most common inbound nationalities.

The 3-Minute TWAC Walkthrough: Every Field, Line by Line

The reason people give up on the TWAC and pay some sketchy third party twenty bucks is that the government form starts with a wall of Chinese-language text, an ominous “Notice” screen, and buttons labeled things like “Notice of Personal Data Collection Statement.” Ignore all of it — the actual form is short, English-friendly, and structured exactly the same as the old paper card.

Head to twac.immigration.gov.tw. That URL — nothing else. If a site charges a fee, close it. The official one is free and always will be.

Step 1: The Landing Page

Click “Submit Arrival Card.” A pop-up appears reminding you that personal data is handled by NIA. Accept, then click “Start.”

Step 2: Verify Your Email

Type in the email you actually check on your phone. The system fires a six-digit code that expires in five minutes. Miss the window and you start over. Pro tip: if you’re using a work email or a burner address, make sure you can retrieve mail from your phone while abroad — that email is where your confirmation and any future edit links land.

Step 3: Personal Info

You can type your passport details manually, OR — the underrated shortcut — upload a photo of your passport’s data page and let the system auto-fill. The OCR works surprisingly well for machine-readable US, Canadian, UK, EU, and Australian passports. Double-check every field anyway, especially:

• Name EXACTLY as it appears on your passport (including middle names)
• Passport number
• Passport expiration date (must have at least 6 months of validity for smooth entry)
• Nationality
• Occupation — if you pick “Other,” you’ll be asked for a specific job title

For US, Canadian, and UK passport holders, choose “Visa-Exempt” as your visa type. There’s no visa number to enter.

Step 4: Travel Details

This is where most gotchas hide.

• Flight number: match your ticket exactly (e.g., “BR15” not “BR-15” and not “EVA 15”)
• Expected arrival date: the date you LAND in Taiwan (your local calendar in Taipei), not the day you departed home
• Purpose of visit: pick “Tourism,” “Business,” “Visit Relatives,” etc.
• Accommodation: hotel name and full address, OR residential address if staying with someone. Must match your booking exactly — no “Hilton Taipei” if the actual name is “Hilton Taipei Sinban.”
• Length of stay: how many nights, roughly

If you’re visiting a Taiwan-based relative or friend, you’ll need their full name and a working Taiwan phone number. Don’t guess.

Step 5: Review, Confirm, Submit

The system shows you a summary. Anything wrong? Hit “Edit” and fix it before submitting. Once you tick the declaration box and hit “Submit,” the form is locked and edits require going through the amendment flow (with the original document number attached).

Step 6: Save the Confirmation

You get a success screen on the browser AND an email with your Reference Document Number. Screenshot the browser confirmation, star the email, or save the PDF attachment to your phone’s Files app. If you ever need to edit or reference the submission, that number is what NIA uses to look you up.

That’s it. Total time if you have your passport and hotel booking in front of you: two to three minutes. Add a minute if you’re uploading the passport photo for auto-fill.

8 Mistakes That Get You Pulled Aside at Immigration

This is where the “cheat sheet” earns its name. All of these are real, all of them will slow you down, and most of them are one-click fixes if you know to look for them.

Speaking of flying in — if you’re on EVA Air (Taiwan’s flag carrier and the flight most Americans book to Taipei), your BR flight number is on your boarding pass in the top-right corner. Make sure it matches what you typed. And if you’re already in Taiwan mood, our EVA Air Vintage Logo Tee is a nod to the airline that’s been flying Americans to Taipei since 1989.

Mistake 1: Filing from a Scam Site

Search “taiwan arrival card” and Google will surface twac.immigration.gov.tw first (legit) — but also a dozen ad-supported “assistance” sites offering to file it for you for $19.99, $29.99, whatever. They’re not government-authorized, the form on their site is a copy-paste of the real one, and half the time they just abandon your submission after taking the money. The real TWAC is free. If you’re not on twac.immigration.gov.tw, close the tab.

Mistake 2: Passport Under 6 Months of Validity

Taiwan technically accepts passports valid through your stay, but border officers are trained to flag anything under 6 months of remaining validity for extra scrutiny. If yours expires in five months, expect a longer conversation, a supervisor callover, and potentially a refused entry. Renew before you fly.

Mistake 3: Wrong Flight Number

Airlines list flights two ways: with a code (BR15) and with a space (BR 15). Some booking sites even show “EVA 15.” The TWAC wants exactly what’s on the boarding pass — no spaces, no dashes, no airline name. Enter it as “BR15” (or your equivalent) and you’re fine.

Mistake 4: Name Doesn’t Match Passport

Middle names, hyphenated names, “Jr.” — enter them EXACTLY the way they appear on the passport’s Machine Readable Zone (the two chunky text lines at the bottom of your data page). If your passport says “SMITH JR” the TWAC needs “SMITH JR” — not “Smith, Jr.” not “Smith Jr.” — and definitely not skipping the “JR” because you never use it.

Mistake 5: Vague or Wrong Hotel Address

“Airbnb in Taipei” won’t cut it. Immigration wants a specific address they could put in a maps app. If you’re staying at a hotel, use the exact registered name and street number. If you’re at an Airbnb or with a friend, put the residential address. If you honestly don’t know your address yet (e.g., you booked “day of”), pick a well-reviewed budget hotel near your first-night neighborhood, put THAT address in, and be prepared to explain if asked.

Mistake 6: Missing Onward Ticket

Not a TWAC field per se — but at immigration itself, US and other visa-free arrivals sometimes get asked for proof of onward travel. Have a screenshot of your outbound flight (from Taiwan, within your 90-day window) on your phone. If you’re bussing on to a ferry to Kinmen or a flight to Okinawa, that counts.

Mistake 7: Filing Too Early

The TWAC has a submission window — you can file up to three days before your arrival. Try to file two weeks out and the form will reject you with a date error. Wait until you’re within the window (roughly 72 hours before landing) and it goes through smoothly.

Mistake 8: Not Filing a New One for the Return

This is the biggest miss for anyone doing a Taiwan-Japan-Taiwan or Taiwan-Hong-Kong-Taiwan itinerary. Every entry into Taiwan is a separate arrival. Your TWAC for the first leg does NOT cover the second entry. File a new form before your second Taiwan flight and save yourself the “did you know…” conversation at the counter.

When Something Goes Wrong: Editing, Resubmitting, and Wrong-Flight Fixes

Things go sideways. Your flight gets bumped to the next day. Your name auto-filled with a typo. Your friend’s Taipei address turned out to be wrong. The TWAC system is more forgiving than it looks — you just need to know which lever to pull.

Simple edits (typos, wrong hotel, wrong flight): head back to twac.immigration.gov.tw, click “Query / Amend” instead of “Submit,” and enter your document number + email + passport number. You can update almost every field until the moment you enter Taiwan.

New flight, new arrival date: submit a whole new TWAC. Reference your old one via the document number if you want to be tidy, but a fresh submission always wins. The old one will simply expire unused.

Lost the confirmation email: you can still amend by going to “Query / Amend” and entering just your passport number + email — the system finds your submission if it exists.

At the airport with no confirmation on your phone: don’t panic. Immigration has your submission in their database as soon as you hit “Submit.” Show your passport, mention you filed a TWAC, and they’ll look it up. You’ll get a slightly longer chat but you’re not being refused.

Traveling and your phone is dead: if you can’t fill it out en route, there ARE TWAC kiosks at Taoyuan Airport in the immigration hall — you file it right there before the passport counter. It adds five to ten minutes to your entry but it’s not the end of the world.

For a full pre-arrival checklist beyond just the TWAC, our Taiwan Trip Planner 2026 walks through everything from currency to eSIMs to first-day itinerary logic.

Taiwan Arrival Card FAQ (The Rapid-Fire Version)

Is the TWAC really free?

Yes. 100%. The only official site is twac.immigration.gov.tw. Anyone charging is not the government.

How far in advance can I file?

Up to three days (72 hours) before your arrival date. File earlier and the form will refuse to submit.

Can I fill it out on my phone?

Yes — the form is mobile-responsive. Most travelers do exactly this on the seatback tray table.

What if I don’t have a hotel booked?

Enter the address of a well-reviewed budget hotel in your first-night neighborhood. You can amend later once you actually book.

Do children need their own TWAC?

Yes. Every traveler files under their own passport. Parents cannot file on behalf of adult children over 20.

What if I’m just transiting?

If you never clear immigration (stay airside), no TWAC needed. If you do a layover long enough to leave the airport, YES you need one.

What happens if I forget?

You can file at a Taoyuan kiosk on arrival. It adds 5-10 minutes to your entry but doesn’t get you refused.

Does the TWAC replace my visa?

No. If you need a Taiwan visa (some passport nationalities do), get that first. The TWAC is an ADDITIONAL step for everyone.

How long is the TWAC valid?

For one arrival only. Every entry into Taiwan needs a fresh submission.

Can I edit after submitting?

Yes, up until you actually enter Taiwan. Use “Query / Amend” on the official site with your document number.

Final Thoughts: Your Landing-Day Playbook

Here’s the whole thing in one paragraph so you can screenshot it for your flight: three days before you land, file your TWAC at twac.immigration.gov.tw. Save the confirmation email. On the flight, have your passport (6+ months validity), a screenshot of your onward ticket, and your hotel address ready on your phone. At Taoyuan, walk to any Foreign Passport counter. Passport goes on the scanner. Officer sees your TWAC on their screen automatically. You get a stamp. You’re through in three minutes.

Once you’re through immigration, the next practical decisions all come from the airport arrivals hall — pick up an eSIM, grab an EasyCard for the MRT, and start looking up whether the Taoyuan MRT to Taipei Main Station or an airport bus fits your first day better.

Welcome to Taiwan. The hard part is over.