Scooters are everywhere in Taipei, and it is easy to see why locals love them. For a visitor, though, the honest answer is that you probably don't need one. The MRT reaches almost everything, buses fill the gaps, YouBike covers the last stretch, and taxis and Uber handle late nights. If you still want to ride, the deciding question is your licence.
- You need a licence Taiwan accepts: usually an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles
- For how long Up to 30 days after you arrive; longer stays need the permit registered at a motor vehicles office
- Helmets Required for rider and passenger
- Riding without a valid licence NT$18,000 to NT$36,000 fine, and the scooter is impounded
The licence you need
An International Driving Permit
Taiwan accepts International Driving Permits (國際駕照) issued by countries on its reciprocity list. With one, you can ride without further paperwork for up to 30 days after arriving. If you stay longer, the permit has to be endorsed by a motor vehicles office (監理所), for up to a year. The same rules cover cars and scooters.
- Check that your country is on the list. Taiwan's Highway Bureau publishes it: reciprocity countries for international driving permits. If your country isn't on it, your permit isn't valid here.
- Make sure the permit covers motorcycles. WeMo, for example, asks for the motorcycle (A) class. A car-only permit won't do.
- Carry it with your home licence and passport. The passport shows your entry date, which starts the 30 days.
Japanese licence holders
Japan has its own arrangement: no international permit. Carry your Japanese licence, an official Chinese translation of it from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association or JAF, and your passport. You can drive for a year from each entry, in the class matching your Japanese licence. → Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association: driving in Taiwan
Scooter sizes
Taiwan sorts scooters by engine: light (輕型, 50cc or less, or small electric) and ordinary heavy (普通重型, over 50cc up to 250cc). Electric scooters use the same classes, so there is no separate electric licence.
Scooter share apps
Two apps put scooters on Taipei's streets that you unlock with your phone, ride, and leave in a parking space within the service area. Both take a foreign passport with a valid licence.
| App | What visitors need | Price |
|---|---|---|
| WeMo Scooter | Passport, plus a Taiwan licence or an International Driving Permit with the motorcycle (A) class. Age 18 and over. | NT$3 a minute, plus a starting fee. Card, LINE Pay or Apple Pay. |
| GoShare (Gogoro) | Passport, plus a Taiwan licence or an International Driving Permit. Age 18 and over. | NT$30 for the first 6 minutes, then NT$3 a minute (standard scooters). Card or LINE Pay. |
Both include basic insurance, with limits set out in their terms. Prices change, so check the app before you ride.
Good to know: a rental shop or app that lets you ride without the right licence isn't doing you a favour. The fine for riding without one is NT$18,000 to NT$36,000, the scooter is impounded, and an app's insurance may not apply if you break its terms.
Rules that catch newcomers
- Helmets for rider and passenger, always.
- Two-stage left turns (兩段式左轉). On many bigger roads, scooters can't turn left directly. You go straight through the junction, stop in the painted waiting box on the far side (待轉區), turn to face your new direction and go when that light turns green. Signs and painted boxes show where it applies, so watch for them.
- Stay out of the inner lanes marked no motorcycles (禁行機車). Without signs, scooters use the two outer lanes.
- No freeways or expressways. Scooters (apart from large motorcycles) aren't allowed on them.
- No sidewalk riding.
- No phone in your hand while riding: NT$1,200.
- Drink driving: the limit is a breath reading of 0.15 mg/L, the same as for cars. Don't ride after drinking.
Other options
| Option | Good for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| MRT and buses | Almost everything in the city | The easy default. → The MRT · Buses |
| YouBike | Short hops, the riverside paths | Rent with a credit card in the app. → YouBike · Where to ride |
| Taxis and Uber | Late nights, luggage, groups | → Taxis and Uber |
| Rental car (such as iRent) | Trips out of the city, not Taipei itself | Passport with entry stamp, an International Driving Permit from a reciprocal country (and your home licence where required), and a credit card. |
| Electric kick scooters | Not allowed | Banned on Taipei roads and sidewalks and in parks, riverside parks and plazas. Fine NT$1,200 to NT$3,600. |
→ Getting around Taipei · → Day trips from Taipei
Sources: Road Traffic Safety Rules, Article 55 (international permits), Article 3 (scooter classes), Article 99 (lanes and left turns) and Article 114 (alcohol); Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act Article 21 (no licence), 31 (helmets) and 31-1 (phones); freeway and expressway rules, Article 19; National Immigration Agency on international permits; Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association; WeMo help centre; GoShare terms and fares; iRent rental notice; Taipei Department of Transportation on electric kick scooters. Checked October 2026. This is a practical guide, not legal advice: confirm the licence rules for your country before you ride.