Taiwan

Specific Information

The shipment must arrive within 6 months of the shipper's arrival in Taiwan. The shipper must be in Taiwan prior to the shipment's arrival.

Upon arrival in Taiwan, the shipper must fill out a customs declaration form and declare that an incoming unaccompanied shipment is on the way. The shipper must pass through the red channel at the airport and give the declaration form to Customs. If this declaration is not made, Customs will impose full duty and tax on the shipment.

The shipper must not use the "express" channel when first arriving through airport immigration — they must have their passport stamped by the immigration officer. If they fail to get this entry stamp, they must apply for an "Entry Certificate" from the Entry and Exit Bureau. This stamp is required for customs clearance.

Each shipment is generally allowed a "reasonable" non-commercial amount of used household goods and appliances: one type of appliance per incoming family member. Any quantity above what Customs deems reasonable will be subject to import duty and tax. Some used household goods may be subject to duties of up to 10% of declared value; pianos are specifically subject to duty.

Wooden lift vans and crates loaded as FCL must be indicated on the original BL as "CY to CFS" to avoid delays at Customs inspection. Failure to do so results in an additional charge of approximately USD 300 for trailer from CY container terminal to CFS terminal warehouse, plus USD 15/CBM for CFS charge and USD 8/CBM for customs terminal fee.

Container trailers are prohibited in downtown areas. After Customs clearance, shipments are transported to the residence by truck or van.

Documents must reach the destination agent before the shipment arrives. For air shipments, advise the agent of all related information (AWB number, number of packages, weight, and contact details).

Clearance times: air shipments average 2–3 working days after arrival; sea shipments average 4–5 working days.

ISPM 15 compliance is mandatory for all wood packaging materials. Non-compliant WPM will be returned or fumigated at the shipper's expense.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

Importing a Used Personal Vehicle

Required Documents

• Copy of shipper's passport (relevant pages)
• Copy of owner's Resident ID (Taiwanese nationals)
• Copy of ARC/Residence Certificate (foreign nationals)
• Original vehicle paperwork (registration, title)
• Import permit from the Board of Foreign Trade (if vehicle value exceeds USD 20,000) — must be obtained before the vehicle is shipped

Specific Information

Vehicles must be left-hand drive and must use unleaded gasoline. All vehicles must pass an environmental test administered by the Taiwanese government; vehicles not manufactured for the Taiwan market may not pass and will be returned to origin at the owner's expense.

Import taxes and duties are significant: 17.5% customs duty applies to all vehicles; commodity tax is 25% for vehicles under 2,000 cc and 30% for vehicles over 2,001 cc. Additional charges of 5% VAT, 0.3% harbour tax, and 0.04% trade promotion tax also apply. Total estimated tax and duty burden is 52–65% of vehicle value.

One vehicle per family is permitted.

If the vehicle's value exceeds USD 20,000, an import permit from the Board of Foreign Trade must be obtained and approved by the Taiwan government agency before the vehicle is shipped — do not ship before the permit is approved, as high demurrage charges will accrue. If the vehicle value is under this threshold, an import licence from the Customs Department is required instead; application takes approximately 3–4 days.

After Customs clearance, the owner must apply for testing at the Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC) before the vehicle may be driven on Taiwanese roads.

The vehicle may be shipped in the same container as household goods but no belongings may be placed inside the vehicle.

Pets

• Import permit (must be obtained before the animal is sent to Taiwan) **From rabies-affected countries (all countries except Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland):**
• Copy of shipper's passport (photo and signature pages) **From rabies-affected countries (all countries except Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland):**
• Rabies blood test report issued by an OIE reference laboratory or a laboratory designated by Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ), confirming the animal has passed the rabies titer test — blood test must be performed 180 days before Taiwan arrival and must be less than 1 year old **From rabies-affected countries (all countries except Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland):**
• Government-issued health certificate and rabies vaccination record (using killed/inactivated vaccine) — health certificate must be issued within 10 days before departure; vaccination must have been administered more than 30 days and less than 12 months before departure **From rabies-affected countries (all countries except Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland):**
• ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip — if not implanted before travel, must be done upon arrival in Taiwan **From rabies-affected countries (all countries except Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Iceland):**
• Import permit **From rabies-free countries (Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland):**
• Government-issued health certificate **From rabies-free countries (Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland):**
• Vaccination record **From rabies-free countries (Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland):**

An import permit must be obtained from BAPHIQ before the animal is sent to Taiwan. Do not ship pets before the destination agent has obtained the import permit.

Pets from rabies-affected countries must undergo a minimum 7-day quarantine on arrival at an approved facility. No quarantine applies to pets from the five recognized rabies-free countries (Japan, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland) provided all requirements are met.

All dogs and cats imported into Taiwan must have an ISO-compliant microchip. If not already implanted, the chip will be inserted upon arrival.

Dogs and cats cannot be imported from China or Bangladesh. Avoid routing pet shipments through these countries.

Birds require a health certificate covering no Fowl Pest, no Newcastle disease, and no Psittacosis, approved by the Department of Agriculture of the country of origin. Quarantine of up to 7 days applies.

Notify the destination agent before sending any animal to Taiwan.