South Africa passport → Taiwan

Taiwan visa for South African citizens

Visa required

Visa required

South African citizens need a visa for Taiwan, arranged before the trip. Since 1 October 2025 paper arrival cards are gone: visitors file the free online Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) within 3 days before arrival, or entry cannot be processed. Visa-exempt stays are not extendable in most cases.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
Visa required
Max stay
Not fixed in our data
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

Apply well before the trip: visa processing for Taiwan depends on the embassy or consulate handling your application. The length of stay is the one printed on your visa.

How Taiwan counts your stay: Visa-exempt stay counts from the day after arrival: 90, 30 or 14 days depending on nationality.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • ROC visitor visa — Cost: Set by the mission; Processing: Varies by mission; Validity: As issued; Stay: As issued. Apply on the official site
  • Online Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) — Within 3 days before arrival, and before immigration clearance; Free. Required for foreigners entering visa-exempt or with a visitor visa, Hong Kong/Macao residents with multiple-entry permits, mainland Chinese with multiple-entry tourist permits, and unregistered nationals without a Resident Certificate. Without it, entry processing cannot proceed. Use only twac.immigration.gov.tw. Official site
  • ROC (Taiwan) visa or eVisa — Well before travel; Set by the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Nationals not on the visa-exempt list apply for a visitor visa at a Taiwan overseas mission, or for an eVisa on the Bureau of Consular Affairs portal if eligible. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport valid at least 6 months from the date of entry (visa-exempt entry)
  • TWAC submitted online
  • Confirmed return or onward ticket

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Extend before you run out. Visa-exempt stays generally cannot be extended or converted, except in emergencies such as serious illness or natural disaster. British and Canadian passport holders may apply to extend their 90 days up to 180 days.
  • Penalties. Our data does not list the overstay penalty for Taiwan. Ask the immigration authority before you risk it: fines, deportation and entry bans are common elsewhere.

Staying longer

Visa-free days are for visits. For months or years in Taiwan, these are the long-stay routes in Bordr's guide (checked against official sources):

Official details are shown in English.

Costs, income thresholds and how to apply are in the Bordr guide.

Questions

Do South African citizens need a visa for Taiwan?

South African citizens need a visa for Taiwan, arranged before the trip.

Can I extend my stay in Taiwan?

Visa-exempt stays generally cannot be extended or converted, except in emergencies such as serious illness or natural disaster. British and Canadian passport holders may apply to extend their 90 days up to 180 days.

What do I need at the border in Taiwan?

Passport valid at least 6 months from the date of entry (visa-exempt entry); TWAC submitted online; Confirmed return or onward ticket.

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Taiwan against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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