Just Landed in Taiwan? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage and public Wi-Fi are excellent nationwide, including on the MRT, in convenience stores and on the High Speed Rail. Prepaid tourist SIMs are easy to buy on arrival with just a passport, but a proper post-paid plan requires your ARC and a local address, so most people run a tourist SIM for the first week or two.

Typical cost: A tourist prepaid SIM costs roughly NT$300-1,000 for 5-30 days of unlimited data. Post-paid unlimited plans run around NT$500-1,000 per month once you have an ARC, and Chunghwa Telecom has the widest rural coverage while Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone are competitive in cities. Free public Wi-Fi (iTaiwan) is available at many government sites and stations.

The New Taiwan Dollar is cash-heavy for daily life, though EasyCard and mobile payments such as LINE Pay and JKO Pay are increasingly accepted in chains. Foreign credit cards work fine in department stores, supermarkets and hotels, but are often refused in small eateries, traditional shops and night markets, so always keep notes on you.

Opening an account: You generally need your ARC and a local phone number to open a full account. Foreigner-friendly banks include CTBC, E.SUN, Taishin and Cathay United, all of which have some English-speaking branches; a Chunghwa Post (postal) account is simple, widely accepted and useful for receiving salary. Bring your passport, ARC and a small opening deposit, and expect the process to be conducted mostly in Chinese.

Cash: Carry cash at all times. Night markets, small restaurants, traditional wet markets, many clinics, laundrettes and some landlords are cash-only. Convenience-store ATMs from 7-Eleven and FamilyMart are on nearly every block for topping up, and you can also pay utility bills, fines and online-shopping invoices in cash at the store counter.

Tipping: Tipping is not customary and is not expected in Taiwan. Mid-range and upscale restaurants add a 10 percent service charge automatically, but there is no need to tip taxi drivers, cafe staff, hairdressers or delivery riders. Rounding up is a friendly gesture but never an obligation.

Foreign nationals staying long-term must obtain an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) from the National Immigration Agency (NIA). The ARC records your residential address and serves as your de facto national ID card for banking, National Health Insurance, mobile contracts, tenancy and many everyday transactions. Any change of your registered address must be reported to the NIA, and losing the card or letting it expire creates knock-on problems with your bank and health cover, so treat it as your most important document.

Deadline: Apply within 15 days of entry (or of your resident visa being issued) and report any change of address to the NIA within 30 days of moving. Renew the ARC before it expires, as your NHI and bank access are tied to it.

Where: Your local National Immigration Agency (NIA) service centre in the city or county where you live; larger centres in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung offer some English-language assistance.

Public transport is fast, clean, punctual and cheap. Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung have metro (MRT) systems, buses reach almost everywhere, and the High Speed Rail (HSR) links the entire west coast from Taipei to Kaohsiung in under two hours. YouBike public bicycles sit at docking stations across most cities and are paid for with your EasyCard, making short hops effortless.

From the airport: From Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), the Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in about 35-40 minutes for roughly NT$150, with express and commuter services running frequently. Kuo-Kuang and Ubus express coaches run 24 hours to central Taipei for NT$90-160, and metered taxis into the city cost around NT$1,000-1,300. Songshan Airport (TSA) sits inside Taipei and connects directly to the MRT.

Most newcomers rent unfurnished or semi-furnished flats found via 591.com.tw (the dominant listings site), local estate agents or city-specific Facebook groups and expat forums such as Forumosa. Contracts usually run one year, many landlords prefer cash or bank transfer, and some are hesitant to rent to foreigners without an ARC, so having a Chinese-speaking friend or agent smooths viewings and negotiations considerably.

Typical rent: A studio or one-bedroom flat in central Taipei runs roughly NT$18,000-32,000 per month, dropping to NT$12,000-22,000 in outer districts of New Taipei. Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung are markedly cheaper at around NT$8,000-18,000 per month for a comparable place, and shared 'tao fang' rooms cut costs further.

Deposit norm: The deposit is typically one to two months' rent, paid upfront alongside the first month. Landlords should return it at the end of the lease minus documented damages, so photograph the flat's condition on move-in day and keep the signed contract safe.

Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) is excellent, universal and remarkably affordable, covering hospital visits, clinics, dental and prescriptions with low co-pays. Private clinics are plentiful, walk-ins are the norm, and even without an appointment you can usually see a doctor the same day. Pharmacies are widespread and many doctors and hospital staff in cities speak some English.

How to access it: Once enrolled you receive an NHI card; show it at any clinic or hospital and pay a small co-payment, often NT$150-400, plus a modest prescription fee. For emergencies, go to a hospital ER or call 119 for an ambulance. Major teaching hospitals such as National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei have international patient sections.

Insurance: ARC holders must join NHI: employees are enrolled by their employer almost immediately, while others generally qualify after six consecutive months of legal residence. Buy private travel or expat medical insurance to cover the initial waiting period before NHI begins, since a serious accident in that gap would otherwise be paid out of pocket.

• Queue calmly and stand on the right on MRT escalators; eating and drinking are banned on the metro and the rule is strictly and voluntarily observed.
• Remove your shoes when entering homes, many guesthouses, some clinics and traditional restaurants with tatami or raised floors.
• Use both hands to give and receive business cards, gifts and money as a sign of respect, and take a moment to read a card before putting it away.
• Keep your voice down on public transport and avoid loud phone calls, as public spaces are notably quiet and orderly.
• Give up priority (dark blue) seats on the MRT to elderly, pregnant or disabled passengers even when the carriage is busy; locals are strict about this.
• Accept and offer food or drink with a small polite refusal-then-acceptance dance in social settings; a gentle initial decline is normal courtesy.
• Learn a few Mandarin phrases such as 'xie xie' (thank you) and 'ni hao' (hello); effort is warmly appreciated even where English is limited.

• Do not stick chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, as it resembles incense burned for the dead at funerals.
• The number 4 sounds like the word for 'death' and is often skipped on building floors and in gifts; avoid giving clocks, umbrellas or sharp objects as presents.
• Public confrontation and causing someone to 'lose face' are taken seriously, so stay calm, avoid raising your voice and resolve disputes quietly and politely.
• Avoid discussing cross-strait politics or Taiwan's international status casually until you know your company; it is a sensitive subject with strong personal feelings.
• During Ghost Month (the seventh lunar month) many people avoid moving house, swimming or major purchases; be aware that some services and moods shift accordingly.