What food can I take to Taiwan?

Individuals intending to travel to Taiwan must acquaint themselves with the rules governing the importation of food items. The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) and the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) have put in place certain guidelines to ensure that imported food products are safe and of good quality.

Quantity Limits

There are strict limits by Taipei Customs on how much travelers can bring in terms of some foods into Taiwan. The following are such limits:

• The total weight of agricultural products can’t exceed 6 kg
• Milled rice, roasted or prepared peanuts, prepared garlic, dried day-lily flowers, dried mushrooms, tea: these individual items cannot be more than 1 kg each
• Dried scallops, dried abalone, edible bird’s nest, and dried shark’s fin from China shall each not be more than 1.2 kg per pack while canned products cannot be more than six cans

If you go beyond these quantity limits you will need to seek an import permit from relevant authorities before your clearance through customs can be done.

Prohibited Items

However, there are several types of foods that cannot be brought into this country. Among them include:

• Live animals and animal products
• Fresh fruits
• Meat products (including pork products from African Swine Fever infected areas)
• Fresh milk (except extended shelf life milk)
• Fresh ginseng (from Korea)
• Seed foods like lime, chia seeds, chickpeas, hemp seeds, flaxseeds
• Dried meat
• Fresh fruits/vegetables/meals served in airplanes etc.

Bringing any one of these banned goods into Taiwan may cost you fines ranging between NT$10K – NT$1M.

Allowed Items 

Even though there is a long list of things that are not allowed, you can still bring in lots of foodstuffs to Taiwan for personal use. These products encompass:

From Japan

• Banana-flavored snacks
• Konjac
• Jelly without fresh fruit
• Salmon roe
• Pollock roe

From Korea 

• Kimchi 
• Banana milk 
• Seaweed crackers 
• Seasoned nuts  

From Thailand 

• Bird’s nest 
• Honey
• Dried fruit

From the USA 

• Coffee beans 
• Nuts
• Chocolate
• Potato chips

In addition to these specific items, there are also some general guidelines for other food products that are allowed:

• Packaged foods where one item is not more than 1000 USD and it must be less than six kilograms except capsules and tablets
• No more than twelve bottles (combining boxes, cans, packs, bags) of capsule or tablet products at once at a total quantity not exceeding thirty-six bottles per shipment                                                                                         

Food Inspection

If you bring in foodstuffs exceedable the threshold limits then TFDA may require you for the food inspection. This is only if:

• Anyone kind exceeds 6 kg in volume per package
• The total value of any one kind is over $1K per package

When requesting a food inspection you have to contact TFDA before the customs clearance process.

Declaring Food Items When arriving in Taiwan, it is mandatory to declare any food items you are bringing through the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel. Even if the items are allowed, it’s crucial to declare them to avoid any potential issues.

Those with the slightest doubt or inquiries concerning what can be brought into this country should seek support from the BAPHIQ counter which is located near the baggage claim area. The second option is browsing through the TFDA searchable list of permitted food additives plus other regulations concerned.

You can thus travel to Taiwan without any trouble with the snacks and souvenirs that you like by knowing the rules and declaring your food products correctly.

Read also What can you not bring to Taiwan and Medications not allowed in Taiwan

Conclusion

This could appear as a daunting task but it is a very important step in ensuring a smooth and easy journey. By getting to know how much can be allowed, what not to bring in, and what to buy, one can prepare well for their eating out experiences while visiting Taiwan.

Even when authorized, remember that you need to declare all food items and that there is a possibility of having them inspected. All you need are some guidelines on how to behave when it comes to TFDA and BAPHIQ so that you don’t miss enjoying the tastes of Taiwan.

So whether it’s Japanese snacks or Korean delicacies or American typicals make sure you know the regulations before packing. Bon appétit! Enjoy the journey of food in Taiwan!