About Taiwan

Taiwan was christened Formosa or “beautiful island”, by Portuguese marines in the 16th century. A hundred and sixty kilometers from the southeastern coast of China, located midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and the Philippines to the south, Taiwan is a natural gateway for travelers to and within Asia. Although Taiwan is a small island, its surface geology takes on a variety of formations, cultivating an abundance of peculiar landscapes and ecosystems. Coupled with its diverse cultural relics, theme parks, golf courses, and beaches, Taiwan enjoys a profuse supply of tourism resources.

To learn more about Taiwan, please visit the website of Tourism Bureau of the Republic of China.

Visa-Exempt Entry

Visitors to Taiwan require a passport that is valid for at least six months after their planned departure dates from their gateway city. Nationals of 31 countries are not required to obtain visas for the 30-day duration of stay. Countries eligible for Visa-exempt entry are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K. and U.S.A. For more details of visitor visa application, please contact the embassies or consulates and representative office aboard as well as visit http://www.boca.gov.tw/mp?mp=2

Note : If should you require a letter of invitation to apply for a visa to Taiwan please contact ISMAR2007 Conference Secretariat.

Currency and Credit Cards

Taiwan's unit of currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$), which has five denominations in paper money and four in coins. Paper money comes in NT$2000, NT$1000, NT$500, NT$200 and NT$100 denominations. Coins come in NT$50, NT$10, NT$5 and NT$1 denominations.
The exchange rate is approximately NT$33 to US$1 (April 2007). For other currencies, please visit the Currency Converter at http://www.xe.net/ucc checking your currency vs. NTD. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at the airport, government- designated banks and hotels.
Major credit cards are accepted throughout Taiwan. Traveler’s checks may be cashed at foreign-exchange banks, some tourist-oriented businesses, and international tourist hotels.

Banking Hours

Monday - Friday: 9.00am – 3:30pm
Automatic teller machines (ATMs): 24 hours in the city and suburbs.
Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)
The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) has been introduced in Taiwan since 2003. The TRS enables travellers departing CKS airport to claim a refund of the sales tax paid on goods bought in the territory. Travellers purchasing goods for more than NT3, 000 at a single TRS store with passports are eligible to claim refund after clearing immigration at the airport on departure within 30 days.

Time

Climate

Taiwan's climate is subtropical, with an average annual temperature of 22^oC (72^oF) in the north and 24^oC (75^oF) in the south. The average temperature in late October is around 28^oC (82.4^oF) in Taipei with an average of 80 millimetres rainfall.

Electricity and Water

Taiwan uses an electric current of 110 volts at 60 cycles. Drinking tap water is not recommended. Most hotels provide boiled drinking water and bottled water.

Tipping

Health cares

Useful tips

Useful words

Useful phone numbers

Links

• Academia Sinica
• Meet Taiwan
• Mainland Affairs Council
• Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Republic of China(Taiwan)
• National Science Council
• Welcome to Taiwan
• Ministry Of Transportation And Communications