Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES:  While you are traveling in Taiwan, you are subject to Taiwan’s laws.  Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.  Penalties for possession of, use of, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Taiwan are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.  Taiwan law also provides for the death penalty for certain violent crimes and drug offenses.  If you break local laws in Taiwan, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws.  Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well. 

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not.  To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the American Institute in Taipei or the American Institute in Kaohsiung as soon as you are arrested or detained in Taiwan.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Special problems with dual nationality, especially relating to military service:  Taiwan law provides for compulsory military service.  If you are male between the ages of 18 and 36 and were born in Taiwan or have ever held a Taiwan passport, you should be aware that you may be subject to compulsory military service in Taiwan, even if you are a U.S. citizen and have entered Taiwan on your U.S. passport.  If you are concerned this may affect your travel to Taiwan, please contact the nearest TECO office in the United States before visiting Taiwan to determine whether you are subject to the military service requirement.

Customs’ Regulations: Taiwan customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary import or export of items such as:  firearms, antiquities, medications, currency, ivory, etc.  You should contact the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECRO) in Washington or one of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) offices in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.  Please see our information on customs regulations.

Disaster Preparedness: Taiwan is subject to strong earthquakes that can occur anywhere on the island.  Taiwan is also hit by typhoons, usually from July to October.  If you are planning a trip to Taiwan, you can obtain general information about natural disaster preparedness on the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website.  Additional information about currently active typhoons can be obtained on the University of Hawaii tropical storm page. The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan's website also provides information about typhoons and earthquakes.  In the event of an emergency or an approaching typhoon, you should tune to FM 100.7 for English-language updates for the Taipei and Kaohsiung areas. 

See also the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website.

Health Screening Process: Because of the need for early detection and prevention of communicable diseases, Taiwan requires all arriving passengers to have their body temperatures scanned with an infrared thermal apparatus.  Only passengers showing symptoms of communicable diseases are required to fill out the Communicable Disease Survey Form.  Depending on the severity of your symptoms and your travel history, if you exhibit symptoms, you may be required to give an onsite specimen and/or follow up with local health authorities.

Judicial Assistance: Authorities on Taiwan provide judicial assistance in response to letters rogatory from foreign courts in accordance with Taiwan's "Law Governing Extension of Assistance to Foreign Courts."  For further information regarding judicial assistance in Taiwan, please go to AIT's website.

We are not aware of any special currency or customs circumstances for this country.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in Taiwan.  Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Taiwan, however. According to activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, violence against LGBT persons with HIV/AIDS has been a problem, but instances of police pressure on LGBT-friendly bars and bookstores has continued to decrease during the year. The police response to violence against LGBT persons with HIV/AIDS has adequate.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Taiwan, you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013.  For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page. 

ACCESSIBILITY: Taiwan law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, and it sets minimum fines for violations.  By law, new public buildings, facilities, and transportation equipment must be accessible to persons with disabilities, and this requirement is generally being met.  For further information see Persons with Disabilities in the Human Rights Report for Taiwan (2013)