About ASIAA > Visitor Guide > Information for Foreign Visitors

Information for Foreign Visitors

Information for International Visitors (by Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica)
Information for Foreigners in Taiwan (provided by National Immigration Agency)
Travel Guide (provided by Taiwan Tourism Bureau)

Visa:: Foreign nationals may obtain visitor visas if they hold foreign passports or travel documents valid for more than six months. For any further information, please visit the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
30-day visa-free privileges are afforded to citizens of more than 30 countries. Please visit Regulation of Visa-Exempt Entry and Landing Visas for Foreigners.
Foreign nationals who are planning to work in Academia Sinica are advised to apply for a "Resident Visa" or "Visitor Visa" before arriving Taiwan. The Institute administrator will help with the documents necessary to apply for a "Resident Visa" when the foreign national starts working at Academia Sinica.
Entry Permit for PRC Passport Holders:: The Institute will help to apply for the Taiwan Entry Permit for PRC residents. For regulations, please visit the website of National Immigration Agency. ASIAA will provide assistance to apply for the Taiwan Entry Permit for PRC residents. Please follow the instructions to apply for Travel Permit (Chinese).
International Airports:: Most international flights land in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (Airport Code: TPE) which is situated 40km (24.8 miles) southwest of Taipei. The airport website provides detailed information such as Procedures & Regulations for Arrival, Prohibited & Restricted Items.; Taipei Songshan Airport (Airport code: TSA), in Taipei downtown, serves domestic flights, chartered flights, most of which are to and from mainland China , and some international flights to Japan-Haneda Airport/Korea-Gimpo International Airport.; How to get to ASIAA from the airport
Climate:: Taiwan's climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south. The island is surrounded by oceans and the ocean breezes are the reason for Taiwan's humid weather. The annual average temperature is a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius with lowest temperatures ranging from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius (54-63 Fahrenheit). Summer, from May until September, is usually humid and intensely hot. Average temperature of summer is 29°C (84°F). For daily weather forecast, please visit the website of Central Weather Bureau.
Currency:: The New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) is the currency used in Taiwan. Foreign currency exchange is available at banks and international hotels. Some banks at the International Airport operate 24 hours. Please visit the airport website. The exchange rate changes everyday, please consult the services in the Bank of Taiwan to get the detailed exchange rate.
Electrical Power: 110V AC, 60Hz (USA plug type).
Public Phones:: Public phone in Taiwan can be operated either by coins or a IC card which are available at all convenience stores. International calls can be made with public phone marked “International”. Only IC cards can be used for international calls. The standard international access code is 002 or 009, though some other companies may use alternative prefixes at lower rates. For operator-assisted international calls, please dial 100. For calls to Taiwan, the country code for Taiwan is 886. Note: The discount rate time for long distance and international calls is from 11 pm to 8 am the next day. More details on calling internationally from Taiwan.
Asking Directions:: It might be helpful to print out the bilingual instructions for taxi drivers/asking directions etc.