Do Taiwanese passport holders need a visa for the United States?

By Arun Singh · Destinations Writer, Tripmojo · Updated August 24, 2026 · Reviewed by Simran Raheja

No visa, but you do need an approved ESTA before you fly. Taiwan is in the Visa Waiver Program, so a Taiwanese passport holder can visit the United States for tourism, business or transit for up to 90 days without a visa. Two conditions are specific to Taiwan: the passport must be a biometric e-passport issued on or after 29 December 2008, and it must show your National ID number. A Taiwan passport without that number is not eligible for the programme at all.

Quick facts

Travel authorisation

Visa required: No, but an approved ESTA is mandatory
Maximum stay: 90 days per visit, not extendable
ESTA fee: 40 US dollars, up from 21 on 30 September 2025
Passport: Biometric e-passport issued on or after 29 December 2008
Taiwan-specific condition: The passport must show your National ID number
Purpose covered: Tourism, business, transit
Where to get help: AIT, which acts in place of a US embassy

Entry requirements

A Taiwan biometric e-passport issued on or after 29 December 2008 that displays your National ID number. Passports issued without that number, which includes those held by some Taiwanese without household registration, do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program.
An approved ESTA, obtained before you board. It is applied for online and paid for; it is not issued at the airport and an airline will not let you fly without one.
A return or onward ticket. Travelling on a one-way ticket under the programme is a common reason to be refused boarding.
No disqualifying travel history. Presence in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, or in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, removes your eligibility and means applying for a B1/B2 visa instead.

How to apply for an ESTA from Taiwan

Check the passport first, before anything else. Look for the biometric chip symbol on the cover and for your National ID number printed on the data page. If the number is absent the application will not succeed, and the fix is a new passport rather than a different form.

Apply on the official CBP site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov. The fee is 40 US dollars, raised from 21 on 30 September 2025 under H.R.1, which also allows the figure to be adjusted annually for inflation, so confirm the amount on the official site rather than trusting a figure quoted elsewhere. Third-party sites charge a markup for the same authorisation.

The ESTA form asks for both a Personal Identification Number and a National Identification Number. Taiwan applicants enter their Taiwan ID number for both. Most approvals come back within minutes, but apply at least 72 hours before departure because some are referred for review.

An approved ESTA is normally valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and covers multiple trips within that period. Get a new passport and you need a new ESTA.

Good to know

The National ID number condition is unique to Taiwan and it is the single most common reason a Taiwanese traveller is turned away from the programme. Taiwan is in the Visa Waiver Program as a passport-issuing authority rather than in the way other participants are, and the National ID number on the data page is what ties the document to household registration in Taiwan. Passports issued to Taiwanese nationals without household registration carry no such number, look otherwise identical, and are not eligible. Those holders need a B1/B2 visa.
There is no US embassy in Taiwan and that changes where you go for help. Consular services are provided by the American Institute in Taiwan, which performs the functions an embassy would elsewhere. Advice that tells you to book an appointment at the US embassy does not translate here, and if you fall outside the programme it is AIT that handles the visa interview.
The fee moved sharply and is set to keep moving. ESTA cost 21 US dollars until 30 September 2025 and 40 from that date, and the same legislation authorises annual inflation adjustments. Any page quoting 14 or 21 dollars is out of date, and even 40 should be checked against the official site rather than assumed for a future trip.
Ninety days means ninety days. The period cannot be extended and you cannot switch to another status from inside the United States while travelling on an ESTA. If there is any chance the trip runs longer, or that it turns into study or work, apply for the appropriate visa through AIT before you leave rather than trying to fix it after you arrive.

Frequently asked questions

Do Taiwanese citizens need a visa for the United States?

Not for visits of 90 days or less. Taiwan is in the Visa Waiver Program, so an approved ESTA replaces the visa, provided your passport is a biometric e-passport showing your National ID number.

How much does an ESTA cost for a Taiwan passport?

Forty US dollars, applied for at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. It rose from 21 dollars on 30 September 2025 and can be adjusted annually for inflation, so check the official site before paying.

Why was my ESTA refused with a Taiwan passport?

The most common Taiwan-specific reason is a passport that does not show a National ID number, which is a requirement of the programme. Disqualifying travel history is the other frequent cause. Either way, the route is a B1/B2 visa through AIT.

Can Taiwanese travellers use the VWP after visiting mainland China?

Yes. Travel to mainland China is not among the countries that disqualify a traveller. The restricted list is North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from 1 March 2011, and Cuba from 12 January 2021.

How long is an ESTA valid for?

Usually two years, or until your passport expires if that comes first, and it covers multiple trips. A new passport means a new ESTA.

Other passports for the United States

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 24 August 2026.

American Institute in Taiwan — Visa Waiver Program: biometric e-passport issued on or after 29 December 2008 containing a National ID number (ait.org.tw)
US Customs and Border Protection — CBP Announces ESTA Fee Change: 40 US dollars from 30 September 2025, previously 21 (cbp.gov)
Fragomen — DHS implementation of new ESTA/EVUS/I-94 fees from 30 September 2025, noting H.R.1 authorises annual inflation adjustments (fragomen.com)
US Customs and Border Protection — Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act FAQ: travel-history disqualifications from 1 March 2011 and Cuba from 12 January 2021 (cbp.gov)

Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.

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