Taiwan
Asia's first country with marriage equality, and easy to travel alone
The short verdict
Yes, especially for a first solo trip to Asia or if you're LGBTQ+: the UK Foreign Office calls crime extremely low, same-sex marriage has been legal since 2019, and UK visitors need no visa for up to 90 days. The risks are natural rather than human, with earthquakes and typhoons from May to November. English thins out beyond the big cities.
Solo Score
| Safety | 75 | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety for women | 86 | |
| LGBTQ+ inclusivity | 88 | |
| Trans recognition | 55 | |
| Social life | 58 | |
| Ease | – | |
| Cost for one | 81 | |
| Nightlife and events | 100 | |
| Singles demographics | – |
version v1 · How we calculate it
Taiwan is where we'd send anyone who wants to try Asia alone without starting with chaos. The UK Foreign Office calls crime extremely low, convenience stores in the cities stay open day and night, and the Taipei metro bans smoking throughout its stations. It's also the top-ranked Asian country in the 2026 Spartacus Gay Travel Index: same-sex marriage has been in force since 24 May 2019, and Taiwan sits 28th, level with Ireland and four places above the UK.
Forty-second place in the 2026 Global Peace Index looks like it contradicts all that, but the index also weighs conflict and militarisation, not just what happens on the street. For travellers, the natural risks matter more. The island is highly seismic: in March 2024 a magnitude 7.4 earthquake near Hualien killed 18 people. Typhoons arrive from May to November.
Where Taiwan is harder work: outside the big cities English is less common, and even some assistance lines answer only in Chinese. Drug laws are far stricter than in the UK, with the death penalty possible in some cases, and that applies in airport transit too.
From London there's no visa to sort out for a tourist stay of up to 90 days, just the online arrival card in the three days before you land. A pound buys about NT$43 at late-October Bank of Taiwan rates, which puts a NT$150 night-market meal at around £3.50.
Who it's for / who it's not for
- First solo trips to Asia
- LGBTQ+ travellers who want the law on their side
- Anyone who likes grazing at night markets
- Anyone who can't take humid heat and rain
- Anyone travelling May to November who doesn't want to think about typhoons
- Anyone relying on English in rural areas
Safety
General
Crime is extremely low per the UK Foreign Office; Italy's foreign ministry notes sporadic bag snatching and theft from foreigners. High seismic risk and typhoons from May to November. No photographing military installations; camping is discouraged and venomous snakes are a hazard in the hills.
Women
No warnings specific to women in the official sources we checked. The free 113 line covers domestic abuse and sexual assault.
LGBTQ+
Marriage equality since 2019; discrimination on grounds of gender and gender identity is illegal.
Trans people
Discrimination on grounds of gender identity is illegal. Needs review by a trans person.
Emergency numbers
- 110Police
- 119Ambulance and fire
- 112Emergency with poor signal
- 113Domestic abuse and sexual assault
- 0800 024 111Information for Foreigners (English)
LGBTQ+
Same-sex relationships are legalchecked on 2 November 2026
- Marriage
- legal since 2019
- Legal gender
- surgery by rule; courts case by case
- Spartacus 2026
- #28
Taiwan has recognised same-sex unions since 24 May 2019 under the Act for Implementation of J.Y. Interpretation No. 748: two adults register in writing at the household registration office, with two witnesses. The UK Foreign Office adds that discrimination on grounds of gender and gender identity is illegal. Spartacus 2026 ranks the country 28th with 8 points. Taipei's late-October Pride is Asia's largest regular LGBT+ event.
AreasZhongshan (Taipei)
Entry and documents
UK visitors can enter visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists and must complete the online Taiwan Arrival Card beforehand; the current rules are on the FCDO's Taiwan entry requirements page (checked 27 October 2026). This is not legal advice.
Official source ↗Culture and customs
Hotels and restaurants usually add a 10% service charge. Power is 110 volts at 60 Hz, so bring an adaptor; many buildings also have 220-volt sockets for air conditioning. Lunch is served 11am to 2pm and dinner 5pm to 10pm. On the metro there are zones where eating, drinking and chewing gum are banned, and smoking is prohibited in all stations.
Solo itineraries
7 days
Taipei and the north
- Taipei
- Tamsui
- Jiufen
- Taipei
Five nights in Taipei with an afternoon in riverside Tamsui and a day in Jiufen, two evenings kept for night markets. One base, no repacking.
14 days
Round the island
- Taipei
- Hualien
- Taitung
- Kaohsiung
- Tainan
- Taichung
- Taipei
Four nights in Taipei, then the east coast by train down to Taitung, the south between Kaohsiung and Tainan, and back via Taichung. Check weather and seismic alerts for the east before you set off.
Cost for one
- Low NT$1,200per day
- Mid NT$2,600per day
- High NT$5,200per day
Based on Taipei: a dorm bed (from NT$580), NT$150 cheap meals per Numbeo users and NT$20 metro rides for the low figure (about £28 or $37); a NT$1,400 private hostel room and a sit-down dinner for the mid figure (about £60 or $80). The high figure is an estimate with no verified hotel rate.
Verified on 27 October 2026
Recurring events
- Pride · OctoberTaiwan Pride, TaipeiSaturday 31 October 2026.
- Culture · October, NovemberART TAIPEI30 October to 2 November 2026.
- Sport · DecemberTaipei Marathon20 December 2026.
Cities
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Taiwan?
UK visitors can enter visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists, extendable by another 90 after arrival. Your passport needs at least six months' validity from the day you arrive, and you must fill in the online Taiwan Arrival Card no more than three days before landing.
Is Taiwan safe for solo travellers?
The UK Foreign Office says crime rates are extremely low. Taiwan is 42nd of 163 in the 2026 Global Peace Index, a figure driven more by the geopolitical picture than by street crime. The real risks are earthquakes and typhoons.
Is same-sex marriage legal in Taiwan?
Yes, since 24 May 2019, under the act implementing Constitutional Interpretation No. 748. Couples register at the household registration office with two witnesses.
When is Taiwan Pride?
Late October in Taipei. In 2026 it falls on Saturday 31 October; the 2025 parade drew around 150,000 people.
What are the emergency numbers?
Police 110, ambulance and fire 119, 112 if your signal is weak, 113 for domestic abuse and sexual assault. The English-language Information for Foreigners line is 0800 024 111.
What about drugs and medicines?
Drug laws are far stricter than in the UK: expect a severe prison sentence or, in some cases, the death penalty, even in transit, where bags are scanned.
Sources
18 sourcesContent checked against sources, waiting for an editor's sign-off. Not indexed yet.
- Act for Implementation of J.Y. Interpretation No. 748, Ministry of Justice, Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan) · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Cost of Living in Taipei (aggiornato 24 ottobre 2026), Numbeo · crowdsourced, treat with care · accessed 27 October 2026
- Exchange rates, quotazione 2026/10/28 ore 02:01 (ora di Taipei), Bank of Taiwan · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Gay Travel Index 2026 e USA-Index 2026 (PDF, valutazione del 26 febbraio 2026), Spartacus · index · accessed 27 October 2026
- Global Peace Index 2026, Institute for Economics and Peace · index · accessed 23 October 2026
- Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2026, Spartacus · index · accessed 23 October 2026
- Star Hostel Taipei Main Station, Star Hostel · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taipei Metro, Taiwan Tourism Administration · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan Pride 2025 (25 ottobre 2025), Focus Taiwan, Central News Agency · media · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, calendario e servizi, Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association (English), Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan Tourism Events, Taiwan Tourism Administration · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan travel advice: entry requirements, FCDO, GOV.UK · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan travel advice: getting help, FCDO, GOV.UK · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan travel advice: safety and security, FCDO, GOV.UK · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Taiwan, scheda paese (aggiornata 23/2/2026), Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Viaggiare Sicuri · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Useful Tips, Taiwan Tourism Administration · official source · accessed 27 October 2026
- Women, Peace and Security Index 2025/26, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security · index · accessed 23 October 2026
- Sources: 18
Photos
- The Old Street of Jiufen in northern Taiwan, November 2024: Another Believer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated on 2 November 2026