Starting October 1, 2025, Taiwan will eliminate paper arrival cards and require a digital declaration called “TWAC” for most foreign travelers.
Following in the footsteps of destinations that have already gone fully digital for their arrival cards, such as the “MDAC” in Malaysia, the “e-Arrival” in Cambodia and the “TDAC” in Thailand, Taiwan is now joining this regional trend, transforming the way travelers are welcomed to its territory starting this autumn.
The Taiwan National Immigration Agency (NIA) has announced that, as of October 1, 2025, the traditional arrival card that must be filled out by hand will be permanently replaced by a digital form called “TWAC” (for Taiwan Arrival Card).
This is a major change to the formalities for entering the island, intended to “significantly speed up immigration clearance while reducing paper usage,” according to the authorities.
Digital arrival card for Taiwan: who is affected by this new formality?
From autumn 2025, all foreign visitors without permanent or temporary resident status (Resident Visa, Alien Resident Certificates or diplomatic documents) will be required to fill out a digital arrival card “TWAC” online before setting foot on Taiwanese soil.
In other words, tourists, business travelers, and short-term visitors are directly affected by this measure.
In practical terms, the digital arrival card is completed via the official portal twac.immigration.gov.tw, which is already up and running and available in English and traditional Chinese, with multilingual instructions (Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian).
According to the National Immigration Agency (NIA), “the TWAC system has been upgraded with a more intuitive, user-friendly, and efficient interface to keep up with global trends in border management and international travel.”
Taiwan: what information do you need to provide to complete the TWAC?
The authorities advise completing this formality within three days prior to departure, but it is still possible to do so at the airport of departure using a Wi-Fi connection.
After uploading your passport online (so that the system can accurately retrieve the data), the digital form contains essentially the same fields as the old paper version:
- passport details,
- flight or ship details, arrival date,
- address and contact details during your stay,
- reason for travel.
Please note: the platform allows you to register up to 16 people on a single form, which is convenient for families and groups.
If your itinerary or accommodation changes, don’t worry: the TWAC platform has an “Update” function that allows you to correct the information you have already submitted before your arrival.
And once you land in Taiwan?
Once the form has been validated, you will receive a confirmation email with a QR code. This can be presented at immigration, but in most cases, the authorities will simply scan your passport and instantly retrieve your digital declaration.
What if you didn’t have time to complete the form before your trip? Terminals and staff are available at the airport to assist you and fill out the card online on site.
With this reform, Taiwan is joining many countries that have already taken the step of going fully digital for traveler registration. While the process is relatively simple and quick, it will nevertheless become mandatory, otherwise your passage through the border will be considerably slowed down.
