Country guide

Taiwan

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Visa-free entry, 90 days, for EU member-state passport holders.
us passport	Visa-free entry, 90 days, for US passport holders; passport only needs to be valid for the intended stay (no blanket 6-month rule applied to US passports per source checked).
uk passport	Visa-free entry, up to 90 days, extendable by a further 90 days after arrival (max 180 days total) per gov.uk.
entry or eco taxes	None identified.
digital nomad visa	Taiwan has discussed/piloted digital-nomad-style visa programs in recent years, but this was not independently confirmed against a primary government page this session — treat as unverified/null rather than assume it's active.
tax residency days	183 days in a calendar year is the commonly cited threshold for Taiwan tax residency (general knowledge, not re-verified against Taiwan's tax authority this session).
notes	The Bureau of Consular Affairs (boca.gov.tw) primary page did not expose full policy text to automated fetch this session; figures above are corroborated via gov.uk and general knowledge.

Money

currency	TWD (New Taiwan Dollar)
card acceptance	Good in cities and chain stores; smaller guesthouses/shops on outer islands like Penghu often prefer or require cash.
atm networks fees limits	7-Eleven (and other convenience-store) ATMs widely accept foreign Visa/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus cards; specific 2026 fee/limit figures not verified this session.
local instant payment	Domestic mobile-payment apps (e.g., LINE Pay, Taiwan Pay) exist but generally require a local bank account/ID — not practically usable by short-term foreign tourists.
tipping	Not customary; many restaurants add a 10% service charge automatically instead.
cash tips	Not expected; small change rounding is common but not required.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	Chunghwa Telecom (broadest coverage, generally best on outer islands like Penghu) Taiwan Mobile FarEasTone
esim options	Airport tourist SIM/eSIM counters (Chunghwa) Airalo Taiwan eSIM
id required for sim	Yes — passport required to register a prepaid SIM.
starlink status	Not confirmed available for general consumer use in Taiwan as of research date — there have been reports of government caution around Starlink for security reasons; not independently verified this session — flagged as open question.
notes	4G coverage is reported as available virtually everywhere on Penghu's main islands (Wikivoyage); smaller outlying islets may have weaker coverage.

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	Yes, typically — standard travel policies commonly exclude kitesurfing/watersports without an added sports rider.
recommended	Specialist travel insurance with a watersports/kitesurfing rider.
evacuation note	Penghu has local hospital facilities; serious cases are typically evacuated to larger hospitals in Kaohsiung or Tainan on the main island (general knowledge, not primary-sourced).

Health

vaccines	Routine vaccines up to date; Hepatitis A and B recommended for unvaccinated travelers; Japanese Encephalitis considered for stays of a month+ or high-risk rural/outdoor activity (CDC, checked 2026).
mosquito disease seasons	Dengue present in Taiwan, historically concentrated in the south during warmer/wetter months; standard mosquito-bite avoidance advised (CDC).
tap water	Not typically drunk directly by locals or advised for travelers without boiling/filtering, despite being treated — general precaution recommended.
emergency numbers	119 (ambulance/fire), 110 (police) — general knowledge, not independently re-verified this session.
hospital standard	High-quality healthcare system nationally; Penghu's own hospital is smaller-scale versus the main island.
pharmacy notes	Widely available in towns; fewer options on smaller outlying islets.

Driving

idp needed	Yes — an International Driving Permit is required to rent a scooter/car on Penghu (or a Taiwanese licence), and the IDP must include a Chinese translation of the licence details (Wikivoyage, fetched 2026-08-22). This is a commonly-missed practical trap for kite travelers renting scooters.
road safety	Scooter is the dominant way to get around Penghu; scooter accidents are a real risk factor for travelers unfamiliar with local riding conditions.
rental traps	Rental agencies may be lax about checking IDP validity/translation on the spot, but insurance/legal exposure follows the traveler if stopped or in an accident without proper documentation.
4x4 contexts	Not generally needed on Penghu's main developed islands.
police stops	Not flagged as a notable tourist-targeting issue in sources checked.

Regulation

kite rules national	No dedicated national kitesurfing law identified in sources checked.
drone rules	Taiwan operates a real-name drone registration system via the Civil Aeronautics Administration for drones above a weight threshold, with restrictions near military and sensitive installations — relevant given Penghu's military presence; not itemized in full detail this session.
protected areas	South Penghu Marine National Park exists but requires boat tour/charter access for some zones; general coastal snorkeling areas are independently accessible (Wikivoyage).

Calendar & costs

holidays moving prices	Lunar New Year (dates vary, Jan/Feb) — major domestic travel surge and price spikes, some business closures Summer peak season (Jul-Aug) — Penghu ferry/flight and accommodation prices rise with domestic tourist demand
school holidays	Taiwanese summer school holidays run roughly July to end of August.
currency	TWD
year	2026

airline: Uni Air / Mandarin Airlines (domestic routes to Penghu)
policy: Operate the main domestic routes to Penghu from Taipei/Taichung/Kaohsiung; specific sports-equipment baggage fee schedule not retrieved this session.
year: 2026
source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Penghu (fetched 2026-08-22)
airline: EVA Air / China Airlines (international)
policy: International carriers commonly used to reach Taiwan; sports-equipment baggage policy page returned 403 to automated fetch and was not confirmed this session.
year: 2026
source: https://www.evaair.com (fetch blocked, HTTP 403)

Open questions

Digital nomad visa status for Taiwan not confirmed against a primary government page.
Starlink consumer availability in Taiwan not confirmed.
Exact drone permit process/restrictions near Penghu military sites not detailed.
Cost-of-living figures not obtained — Numbeo was rate-limiting (HTTP 429) during research.