Ireland licence 
TaiwanCan you drive in Taiwan with an Ireland license?
Short answer: to drive in Taiwan with an Ireland license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva format, carried together with your Ireland license.
Yes — to drive in Taiwan on an Ireland licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your Ireland licence. Taiwan expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
Irish drivers should carry an International Driving Permit with their licence when driving outside the EU and EEA. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1949 Geneva format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Taiwan is like
The Central Cross-Island Highway up to Hehuanshan and the cliffside Suhua Highway/Taroroko Gorge route are Taiwan's signature scenic drives. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 110 km/h freeways. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your Ireland licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Taiwan can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to Ireland licence holders in Taiwan
| Ireland licence in Taiwan | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | Yes — carry one alongside your licence |
| IDP format required | 1949 Geneva |
| Your Ireland licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| Ireland is party to | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna |
| Drives on the | Right-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 110 (police), 119 (ambulance) |
| Top speed limit | 110 km/h freeways |
| Currency | TWD |
Driving rules in Taiwan you should know
- Drive on the right.
- Scooters are everywhere — watch waiting zones at lights.
- 0.03% alcohol limit.
- Electronic (eTag) freeway tolls.
Local driving facts in Taiwan
Emergency number: 110 (police), 119 (ambulance) (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 110 km/h freeways. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Taiwan
National Freeways 1, 3, 3A and 5 use distance-based eTag electronic tolling (ETC) with no cash booths; rental cars carry an eTag and the toll (first 20 km free per day, then about TWD 1.2/km) is settled and billed by the rental company.
Parking in Taiwan
City parking uses metered/coupon street bays and attendants who issue paper tickets you pay later (or via apps), plus paid lots; red-line curbs mean no parking/stopping and yellow lines restrict it, with towing and fines for violations.
Penalties & enforcement in Taiwan
Speed, red-light and lane cameras issue tickets passed to the rental firm and on to the hirer; fines apply for speeding, no seatbelt and handheld phone use, and Taiwan enforces strict drink-driving limits with heavy penalties.
If you have an accident in Taiwan
Stop, photograph the vehicles and scene, and call 110 for police (or 119 for fire/ambulance if injuries); obtain the police accident report and notify the rental agency, as the report is required for insurance.
City driving in Taiwan
Taipei's dense scooter traffic and dedicated scooter waiting zones (and two-stage left-turn boxes) at intersections are the main hazard for visiting drivers; the city ring of elevated expressways and tunnels also has tolled freeway connections.
Winter driving in Taiwan
Snow chains are mandatory on the high alpine Hehuanshan/Provincial Highway 14甲 section (between Wuling and Songsyue) when snow falls, with police checks and possible road closures; lowland Taiwan has no winter-tyre requirement.
Fuel in Taiwan
CPC and Formosa stations sell 92, 95 and 98 unleaded petrol and diesel, are typically full-service attended, and accept cards; petrol runs roughly TWD 28-32 per litre.
Sources: ait.org.tw, internationaldriversassociation.com, en.wikipedia.org, taiwannews.com.tw