Taipei

Mongolian citizens are not on Taiwan's visa-exempt list. Apply for a visitor visa through the Taipei Trade and Economic Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar; the BOCA fee for a single-entry visa applied for abroad is $50, multiple entry $100. The permitted stay is stated on the visa. Confirm documents and timing by phone.

Tip: Prepare a passport valid 6+ months, a return ticket, hotel booking and a bank statement.

Connecting via Beijing or Shanghai, China's transit visa exemptions don't apply to Mongolians — only a 24-hour airside transit is usually visa-free; confirm with the airline. Hong Kong needs no transit visa and is the easiest; Seoul also works.

Tip: Check in UB that your bags are tagged through to Taipei — collecting them in Beijing would raise a visa issue.

Taiwan's immigration agency lets you fill in the arrival card online in advance (free) — have your flight number and hotel address ready. If you skip it, a paper card is handed out on the plane or at the border. Fingerprints and a photo are taken at immigration.

March–April and October–December are the most pleasant; May–June is the rainy season (meiyu), July–September very hot and humid with typhoon risk; January–February cool, damp and rainy — light jacket and umbrella. Earthquakes are possible. Hospitals are excellent and cheaper than Japan or Singapore, but insurance is a must.

Tip: For the hot springs (Beitou) bring a swimsuit — mandatory in the public pools.

The Taipei 101 observatory and the National Palace Museum sell queue-free, sometimes cheaper online tickets; day trips to Jiufen and Shifen and the Maokong Gondola are packed at weekends. Around Chinese New Year (January–February) many places close and fares rise.

Two terminals, same immigration and customs. Passport, visa, arrival card (online or paper), fingerprints. Customs strictly bans meat and meat products (Mongolian borts and sausages!) because of African swine fever — heavy fines.

Tip: Both arrivals halls have banks, ATMs, SIM counters and EasyCard sales points.

The Taoyuan Airport MRT has stations under both terminals; the purple 'Express' reaches Taipei Main Station (A1) in a little over half an hour, the blue 'Commuter' stops everywhere. Buy a single ticket from the machines or counter, or buy an EasyCard and tap straight through.

An official taxi rank outside the terminal, metered plus an airport surcharge, about an hour to the centre depending on traffic. Uber works at Taoyuan with the fare shown up front. Arriving at night the MRT may have stopped — buses (such as Kuo-Kuang 1819) run 24 hours.

Taiwan's largest operator, Chunghwa Telecom, has counters in both arrivals halls: prepaid SIMs with unlimited data by number of days, some with calls and Wi-Fi. They may ask for your passport plus a second ID (such as a driving licence) — Taiwan's 'two documents' rule. You can pre-order online.

Tip: Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone counters are next door at similar prices — pick the shortest queue.

Chunghwa and international platforms sell eSIMs; if your phone supports one, install it before you fly and you're connected on landing. A Mongolian operator's roaming package is fine for a short trip. Google, WhatsApp and Facebook all work without restriction in Taiwan.

The government's free iTaiwan Wi-Fi covers metro stations, museums and the airport; 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and cafés have it too. Coverage is good even inside metro carriages. Cloud maps and translation use little data.

EasyCard (悠遊卡) works on the metro, buses, trains, the Maokong Gondola, YouBike, 7-Eleven, cafés and some taxis. Buy it at the airport, metro information counters or any 7-Eleven/FamilyMart — the card itself costs a small fee and comes empty, so top up on the spot. The metro gives a card discount, and bus–metro transfers within an hour are discounted too.

Tip: A separate card for each child; refunds aren't convenient — spend the balance or keep it for next time.

Fares depend on distance and are cheap within the centre. Inside the gates (paid area) eating, drinking and chewing gum are banned — water included — and fined. Stand right on escalators; leave the dark-blue priority seats for the elderly and pregnant; queue on the floor markings. Last trains around midnight.

A return Airport MRT ticket plus a 48-hour Taipei Metro pass costs NT$520, with a 72-hour pass NT$600 — from the Airport MRT counters at Taipei Main Station, T1 and T2. Worth it if you ride the metro a lot over two or three days; the Taipei Fun Pass (with attractions) also exists.

The currency is the New Taiwan dollar (NT$). Night markets, small eateries and some taxis take cash only; big shops, hotels and chain restaurants take cards. TWD isn't available in Mongolia — bring US dollars and change them at the airport banks (good rate, low fee) or use an ATM.

Tip: The Bank of Taiwan/Mega Bank counters at the airport give the same rate as city banks — change a little there.

Every 7-Eleven and FamilyMart has an ATM taking foreign cards (Plus/Cirrus); only your own bank's fee applies. Visa/Mastercard are common in central shops; Apple/Google Pay in many places. EasyCard is topped up in cash (shops, stations) — card top-ups are rare.

Taiwan doesn't tip; a restaurant service charge is printed on the bill. Every receipt (發票) carries a lottery number — locals keep them, and you can check yours too. Prices aren't haggled, barely even at markets.

Food, transport and museums are noticeably cheaper than Japan; hotels mid-range. A night-market dinner, a 7-Eleven breakfast and a metro day are cheap; the pricey items are the Taipei 101 observatory, some hot springs and a car for day trips.

Shilin (biggest), Raohe (prettiest), Ningxia (food-focused): giant fried chicken, stinky tofu (chou doufu), oyster omelette, flat noodles, bubble tea, papaya milk. For Mongolians, beef noodle soup (niu rou mian) is the city's pride. Share dishes and try many stalls.

Tip: A long queue means the locals' choice; pick stalls where you can see the food being made.

Din Tai Fung's xiaolongbao (long queue, take a number), 'bian dang' (lunchbox) eateries, teahouses (Jiufen, Maokong). Many menus have pictures or QR ordering; to say 'not spicy' — 不辣 (bu la). High chairs and kids' seats are normal.

Tap water is best boiled; hotels, metro stations and museums have free drinking fountains and bottled water is cheap. At bubble-tea shops you choose the sugar level (無糖 — no sugar, 半糖 — half). 7-Eleven and FamilyMart are everywhere and open 24 hours: hot food, coffee, ATMs, tickets.

Taiwan's food hygiene is high and street food is considered safe. Seafood is fresh; stinky tofu only smells bad, the taste is mild. Food is slightly sweet and low in oil — easy on a Mongolian stomach. Bins are hard to find — carry your rubbish.

July–October is typhoon season: on a Central Weather Administration warning the city declares a 'typhoon day' and shops and transport stop — stay in the hotel and change your plans. Earthquakes are common: if you feel shaking, get under a table and avoid lifts; government alerts arrive automatically on your phone.

The main risk is traffic: scooters ride onto pavements and right-turning cars don't stop at crossings — be careful even at signalled crossings. Summer sun and humidity are strong: water, hats, museums and malls at midday. On mountain trails (Elephant Mountain, Yangmingshan) expect sudden rain and insects — long trousers.

Tip: Renting a scooter requires an international driving permit with a motorcycle category.

One of Asia's best health systems: National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei Veterans General, Mackay — with English-speaking departments for foreigners. Cheaper than Japan or Singapore, but get insurance. Pharmacies (Watsons, Cosmed) are plentiful and pharmacists speak English. The 1990 hotline helps foreigners 24 hours.

Temples such as Lungshan and Xingtian are active, open and free. No strict dress code, but covered shoulders and knees are appropriate. Don't use the central door — enter by the right-hand door and leave by the left (the middle is for the gods); copy locals for incense and the 'moon blocks', and don't photograph people praying.

Queuing is strict — metro, buses, escalators, counters. Loud talking or playing sound on your phone in public is rare; people carry their rubbish (few bins, waste is sorted). Stand right on escalators. Don't eat while walking — eat outside the shop, then go.

Tip: Locals are very friendly: if you're lost, ask a young person — they'll try to answer in English.

In Beitou's public hot springs a swimsuit and cap are required and you wash fully before entering; in private (nude, sex-separated) baths you also wash first. Tattoos are generally no problem in Taiwan. Smoking only in marked zones; fines in public places and near metro entrances.

Taiwanese stress that they are distinct from China — don't call the place 'China', and discuss politics only if locals raise it. There's real interest in Mongolia; Taipei used to have a 'Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission', so people know Mongolians. Give gifts with both hands; never clocks or white flowers.

In Taiwan, Google Maps shows metro, bus, train and walking with live times — you hardly need another app. Every bus stop's routes and arrival minutes appear. Save your routes to Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu in advance.

Uber works in Taipei (Uber, Uber Taxi) — pay with a foreign card, no language barrier. Enter your EasyCard number in the EasyWallet app to see balance and transactions. Book train tickets (TRA, HSR) in English on the official sites and collect them with your passport.

Google Translate — camera translation of traditional characters (Taiwan doesn't use simplified) works well on menus and signs. LINE is Taiwan's main messenger: hotels, guides and some restaurants take bookings on LINE. The Taiwan Tax Refund app handles VAT refunds.

From Taipei Main Station the Airport MRT 'Express' takes a little over half an hour; at station A1 some airlines (China Airlines, EVA and others) offer In-Town Check-In for bags before you leave the city. By taxi about an hour depending on traffic. Keep to the usual international advice on timing.

In shops marked 'Taiwan Tax Refund', spending over NT$2,000 (VAT included) in one shop on one day lets you reclaim the 5% VAT, minus the operator's 20% service fee. Get the form with your passport on the day of purchase; within 90 days, at the airport before immigration, use an E-VAT kiosk or counter; small amounts can be refunded in the shop itself.

Tip: No refund is possible after exit — do it before checking in luggage, with the goods ready to show.

There is no separate departure tax — it's in the ticket. Check Mongolia's customs limits for meat, dried meat, some medicines, tobacco and alcohol; Taiwan's classic gifts — pineapple cakes, bubble-tea kits, tea — are fine. Spend your EasyCard balance on food at the airport 7-Eleven.