Taiwan - basics - Countries Guide

Time: Local time is GMT +8.

Electricity: Electrical current is 110 volts AC, 60Hz. Two-pin flat blade plugs and one with a third grounding pin is used.

Language: Mandarin is the official language of Taiwan, but Taiwanese is often spoken and English is generally understood.

Health: Vaccination certificates for yellow fever are required for entry to Taiwan from travellers arriving from infected areas. Travellers are advised to have up-to-date jabs for hepatitis A and typhoid, and it is advisable for most long-term travellers to be inoculated against Japanese encephalitis. Due to recent outbreaks of dengue fever, insect repellents and other measures to prevent mosquito bites are recommended for those travelling to the southern part of the island. Visitors should only drink bottled water and should be wary of potential food poisoning. Taiwan's medical facilities are first-class, but health insurance is recommended for travellers.

Tipping: Tipping is not customary, although if offered it will be accepted. Baggage handlers at hotels and the airport will be pleased with some loose change. Hotels and restaurants will usually add a 10% service charge to the bill.

Safety: Most visits to Taiwan are trouble-free. The country has only a low incidence of petty crime, and is considered safe. The only threats are natural ones, because the island is prone to typhoons and tropical storms, usually between May and November, as well as earthquakes and tremors. These are seldom severe.

Customs:

Communications: Taiwan's international country code is +886 and the outgoing code is 002 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 00244 for the UK). City/area codes are in use, e.g. 2 for Taipei. Six network operators provide mobile telephone services in various regions using either GSM 900 or 1800 networks. Internet cafes can be found in Taiwan's cities and towns, and most hotels in Taipei have Internet access in their guestrooms.

Duty Free: Travellers aged over 20 may enter Taiwan with the following goods without paying customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 454g tobacco; 1 bottle of alcohol (maximum 1 litre); and a reasonable amount of perfume. Travellers are also permitted to bring personal goods valued up to NT$20,000 duty free (or NT$10,000 for those under 20 years). Guns, narcotics, fresh meat and fruit are prohibited.

Climate: Taiwan is sub-tropical but the climate varies from hot and humid in the south tempering to cooler in the north and inland mountainous region. All over the country sudden rain showers frequently occur, making rainwear an essential part of a visitor's luggage. The driest time of year is autumn (September and October), which is followed by a short generally damp and chilly winter with snow on the island's mountain peaks. Summer temperatures can reach 90ºF (35ºC) at the coast. Summer is also typhoon season.
Cities & Regions: Taipei