Taiwan is open to international tourism
Taiwan lifted all its entry restrictions in October 2022. International tourists, regardless of their vaccination status, now have unfettered access to the island after more than 2.5 years of strict border controls. Visitors are no longer required to quarantine upon entry or take PCR tests.
International transits at Taiwan’s airports are permitted. You should contact your airline for further information.
Practical tips
- If you are flying to Taiwan from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport—Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
TPElocated near the city of Taoyuan (~50km southwest of Taipei), and Kaohsiung International AirportKHHserving the country’s second-largest city of Kaohsiung.
TPE and Taipei Songshan Airport TSA in Taipei, Kaohsiung International Airport KHH in Kaohsiung, and Taichung International Airport RMQ in Taichung.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirAsia, Bamboo Airways, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific, FlyDubai, SunExpress, VietJet Air, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
Flights to Taiwan
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Taiwan. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Taiwan, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. There are several direct flights to Taiwan from North America. From the US, non-stop flights leave from Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Ontario, Seattle and San Francisco with China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, EVA Air, and United Airlines serving these routes. Non-stop flights from Canada to Taipei depart from Toronto and Vancouver with Air Canada, China Airlines, and EVA Air. Average return fares are between 900 USD and 1200 USD (1250-1600 CAD / 1450-2000 AUD), depending on the time of year.
- Taiwan is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Taiwan with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. - The best airlines to fly to Taiwan from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, American Airlines, Air China, ANA, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.
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What is the best time to book flights to Taiwan?
The best time to book flights to Taiwan is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for Taiwan flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for Taiwan flights fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. The airlines use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales.
Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Most airlines start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – airlines typically start by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by airlines for dates they expect to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays including holidays in Taiwan. If you must travel during peak times, book your flight well in advance.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights to Taiwan less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as airlines are taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to Taiwan, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. This is the “Prime Booking Window.” After some seats have already been sold, airlines start dropping prices to stimulate demand. They may also offer promotions and sales. This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. Airlines charge higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
To save on airfare, select a late night or early morning (1–5 a.m.) flight. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand—most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Flights to Taiwan from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Taiwan — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. Direct flights from Europe to Taiwan are about 12-14 hours long, however the options are limited. Only China Airlines, EVA Air and KLM operate non-stop flights from a few biggest European cities (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna) to the capital of Taiwan - Taipei. Average return fares are between 1000 and 1400 Euro (950-1350 USD), depending on the time of year.
- Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Taiwan include Air China, ANA, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, and Singapore Airlines, KLM and Lufthansa.
- Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Taiwan from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
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The cheapest time to fly to Taiwan
With its subtropical climate, Taiwan is a year-round travel destination. However, the best time to find the cheapest flights to Taiwan tends to be during the low tourist season – December to March. These are the best months to visit the country if you travel on a budget, as there will be great discounts all over the country, including airfares.
Try to avoid Taiwan’s public holidays and festivals. Prices skyrocket during popular holidays such as the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival (January – February), Dragon Boat Festival (June), and the Chinese Moon Festival (September – October). If you really have to travel to Taiwan during these peak periods it’s wise to book the flights well in advance.
Flying from Taiwan to China
After the Chinese Civil War, no direct flights were allowed between Taiwan and Mainland China due to mistrust and security concerns. In 2008 the Three Links agreement has been established with direct flights being fully restored between the two countries.
Currently, travelers can enjoy numerous flight options between Taiwan and China. However, as foreign-registered aircraft are prohibited from operating directly between China and Taiwan, only Chinese and Taiwanese airlines offer non-stop flights from Taipei to the biggest cities in China: Air China, China Airlines, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, and Hong Kong Airlines. Non-stop flights from Taipei to Beijing (3hr 20min) cost around US$300 one-way, to Shanghai (1hr 50min) – US$200, to Guangzhou (2hr) – US$250, and to Chengdu (3h 30min) – US$300.
If you travel to China from Taiwan, try to arrange your Chinese visa in advance – in Hong Kong or in your own country; it’s much more difficult to get one in Taiwan, as there are no Chinese consulates.
Know your time zone
Taiwan has only one official time zone – National Standard Time (also known as Taipei Time or Taiwan Time) defined as a UTC offset of +08:00. As a result, clocks in Taiwan are 6 hours ahead of Europe (Central European Time), and 12 hours ahead of New York. Taiwan shares the same time zone with China and Hong Kong and does not have an associated daylight saving time.
Make sure you know your time zone when checking flights and airport transfer times. The departure time on your plane ticket is always listed based on the time zone of the departure airport. We suggest resetting your watch during the flight – it will help your brain adjust to the new time zone and to deal with jet lag.
Duty-free rules
Taiwan is serious about the duty-free concession. There is a limit for bringing in certain items. As of [current_date format=”F Y”], alcoholic beverages for personal consumption – such as wine or spirits – cannot exceed 1 liter per person, and you can carry only 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars, or 1 pound (454g) of tobacco. You are also allowed to bring goods for personal use up to the total value of NT$ 20,000 (~ USD 625) per person.
Anything above those limits must be declared at the airport.
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Garuda Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and others).
When it comes to Twitter there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@EVAAirUS” for EVA Air). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Avoid currency exchange kiosks at airports
Airports are infamous for making an exuberant amount of money from their currency exchanges due to the extremely high margins, and Taiwanese airports are no exception. Airport kiosks usually charge higher fees which are sometimes hidden within the poorer exchange rates they offer – their business is based on charging extra for being a convenient, last-minute option.
It is always a good idea to bring some cash with you to Taiwan. Plan ahead and exchange some money for the New Taiwan dollar (NT$) at home, or use one of the many ATMs located at the airport and in almost every city.
Airlines of Taiwan
Taiwan has two full-service carriers: China Airlines and EVA Air. Together, they handle most of the international air traffic to and from Taiwan. While China Airlines has a strong Australia and New Zealand presence, EVA Air offers far better options to North America, with numerous routes to the US and Canada, including direct flights. Interestingly, EVA Air was the first carrier in the world to introduce the premium economy class in 1992. Both airlines are members of airline alliances to enable codesharing, networking, and sharing of operational facilities with other member airlines: EVA Air is part of the Star Alliance, and China Airlines is a member of SkyTeam.
Most short-haul and medium-haul routes from/to Taiwan are operated by its smaller airlines such as Tigerair Taiwan, Uni Air, Mandarin Airlines, Starlux Airlines, and Daily Air. These budget carriers (AKA no-frills airlines) offer flights at much lower prices in comparison to full-service airlines China Airlines or EVA Air. However, because they manage affordable tickets by cutting down on their operation costs, they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight refreshments and meals, or Wi-Fi and onboard entertainment. In most cases, their tickets are fixed and non-refundable in case of no show-up or cancellation.
Flights to Taiwan
from Australia and New Zealand
- Australia and New Zealand offer robust flight networks to key APAC locations, Taiwan included. While domestic carriers like Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand provide solid options, several major international airlines also serve these routes. These include ANA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways — expanding your choices for travel between Australasia and Asia.
There are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Taiwan. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia. - Airlines have different pricing strategies for different routes. Depending on airline partnerships, demand, and even the time of year, a flight to Taiwan could be significantly cheaper from Sydney than from Melbourne.
Compare fares from main international airports in Australia: SydneySYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, PerthPER, AdelaideADL, CairnsCNS, Gold CoastOOL, CanberraCBR, DarwinDRW, and in New Zealand: AucklandAKL, WellingtonWLG, ChristchurchCHC, and QueenstownZQN. - If you’re looking to save, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a primary Asian hub, then catch a connecting flight to Taiwan with a regional budget airline such as AirAsia, Bamboo Airways, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific, FlyDubai, SunExpress, VietJet Air, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
For the initial leg of your trip, full-service airlines such as Qantas or Virgin Atlantic offer premium comfort and exceptional service, albeit at a premium price. However, many Asian airlines, including budget carriers, operate out of Australia and frequently feature sales and promotions. For instance, AirAsia runs deals to Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore; Cebu Pacific to Manila; Scoot to Singapore; VietJet Air to Ho Chi Minh City; Jetstar to Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo; Bamboo Airways to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing; Batik Air to Jakarta and Singapore.
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Flights to Taiwan
from major hubs in Asia
- Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Taiwan look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
- Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Taiwan will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
- Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Taiwan and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
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Flights to Taiwan dataset
