Taiwan expands TWAC submission window to 7 days before arrival

Taiwan stretches the TWAC submission window to a full week

Taiwan's National Immigration Agency now lets foreign travelers file the mandatory Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) up to 7 days before arrival, including the day of arrival itself, replacing the previous 72-hour limit. The updated guidance appears in the official TWAC FAQ and applies to all qualifying entrants under the digital-only arrival card system that took effect Oct. 1, 2025.

The form remains free, replaces the old paper arrival card entirely and pulls automatically into immigration officers' screens when they scan a passport. One submitter can file for up to 16 travelers in a single batch and an online update function lets travelers amend flight or accommodation details without restarting the form.

Who has to file and who skips it

TWAC is required for most non-resident foreign entrants, including:

• Foreign nationals arriving on a visitor visa or under visa exemption
• Hong Kong and Macao residents with a multiple-entry permit
• Mainland Chinese residents with a multiple-entry tourist permit
• Taiwanese nationals without household registration and without a Resident Certificate

Holders of resident visas, Alien Resident Certificates and diplomatic ID cards are exempt. That means most long-term expats already settled in Taiwan can ignore the form, but digital nomads doing visa runs, exploratory trips or short remote-work stints must file a fresh TWAC for every qualifying entry.

Filing the form before your flight

The TWAC sits on the National Immigration Agency portal and takes a few minutes to complete. Travelers verify an email address, enter or upload passport details, then add the arrival flight number, arrival and departure dates, purpose of visit, occupation and the address of their first accommodation in Taiwan.

A confirmation email follows submission, though it doesn't need to be shown at the border. Each TWAC covers a single entry, so frequent travelers need a new submission for every trip. The NIA warns against third-party sites charging fees for "TWAC processing" and directs travelers to the official government portal only.

Practical advice from the agency: file once flight and first-night accommodation are locked in, ideally 24 to 72 hours before departure, to leave room for last-minute itinerary edits through the online update tool.

Read our full Taiwan guide for the complete picture.