🛬 Arrival | Can I visit Taipei during a layover?

Travel Taiwan Travel
1

So I’m gonna have a flight from Hanoi to Amsterdam, transit in Taipei for 7 hours.
I booked Economy Lite, Class R ticket of China Airlines.
I already have a e-visa for Taiwan so I want to enter Taipei for a short visit during this 7 hour layover.
However, a representative from China Airlines told me that I can’t because I book a Class R ticket so I’m not allowed to leave the airport and have to wait to transit inside even though I have a visa for Taiwan. I need to upgrade for another higher class and pay for 100usd stopover fee for customs at Taoyuan airport.

That sounds ridiculous to me. Is there anyone who has ever been to a similar situation before?
Is it true that if I book a certain class ticket, I can’t enter Taiwan during a long transit at Taoyuan even though I have visa already?

Thanks in advance!

2

It’s nonsense. You can enter the country during a layover as long as you have the proper visa. It has nothing to do with the airline.

3

You will, of course, need to have your boarding pass for the TPE-AMS flight in hand before you head out of the airport . . .

Guy

4

Yes, just make sure that you have your onward Boarding Pass (and Passport of course).

Once you get off the Aircraft in Taoyuan, you have two choices, follow the signs to Immigration/Customs (which is the one for you), or to Transit. There is no ticket check inbound to force you to go one way or the other.

When you have had your visit, bypass the Checkin counters and head straight to Outward Security/Immigration.

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5

I’m not sure just having the boarding pass is enough in all cases. This may be an instance where certain fees aren’t collected due to the transit nature of your ticketing. When they scan your boarding pass at security, they may send you back to the ticket counter to get that sorted. I would tend to trust the airline reps (they have no reason to make up a story to keep you in the airport). I’d at least call back and see if you get the same explanation from another rep.

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6

Looking at your username, with all due respect we would prefer if you don’t visit Taipei (or Taiwan for that matter).

7

Well, you have to look at the time available. 7 hours. If the plane is on time, you don’t have to claim baggage… but you’ll need about 50 minutes to get out of the airport. To go to Taipei by train, you’ll need an hour and an hour back. So that cuts your 7 hours to 4 hours. Now you have to be back at the airport at least one~2 hour2 before. You already have your ticket…so you just walk to departures and go through immigration. So that’s only 2 hours in Taipei. That’s optimal. It’s enough to get a cup of coffee, a meal and wander about a bit. But you don’t have much of a safety margin if you hit problems, like getting lost, delays or issues with your ticket or baggage. I personally wouldn’t but T1 isn’t the most wonderful airport to be stuck at.