Before you start

An ARC or residence/stay permit valid 6+ months to convert a licence (you may apply the day after entry once you hold one); short stays can ride on a foreign licence + International Driving Permit
Your original foreign licence, still valid (not expired); for non-English licences, a Chinese translation notarised by a court/public notary or verified by your country's representative office in Taiwan

Step-by-step

1
Get an EasyCard and learn the MRT + bus + YouBike combo
Buy an EasyCard (悠遊卡) at any MRT station machine/counter or 7-Eleven/FamilyMart for NT$100 (this is the card price, issued with zero balance — top up immediately). Tap in/out on the MRT (fares NT$20 for short hops up to ~NT$65 for the longest cross-city rides), tap once on buses (NT$15 per single section). The same card unlocks YouBike, parking, and convenience stores. Transferring MRT↔bus within 1 hour earns an NT$8 discount, and frequent-rider cashback kicks in from 11 rides/month.
In personWho: You — at any MRT station or convenience store10 minutesNT$100 card + your top-up (~US$3 + credit)
2
Decide if you even need to drive — and consider TPASS or YouBike registration
Most Taipei residents never buy a car: parking is scarce and pricey, and the MRT/bus network reaches almost everywhere. If you commute daily, the TPASS monthly pass (NT$1,200) gives unlimited MRT + bus + YouBike across the Taipei/New Taipei/Keelung/Taoyuan corridors. For last-mile trips, register your EasyCard for YouBike 2.0 (in the app or at a kiosk, with a local phone number); Taipei City subsidises the first 30 minutes so short hops are effectively free, then it is NT$10 per 30 min. Ride-hailing (Uber, Taiwan Taxi/55688, LINE Taxi) is cheap and metered-fair.
Mobile appWho: YouSame dayNT$0 to register; TPASS NT$1,200/mo (~US$37) if you opt in
3
If you'll drive: get the health check and notarised translation
Book a driver's physical examination (體格檢查) at an authorised hospital or clinic — it checks vision, colour perception, hearing and basic mobility; it costs roughly NT$200-400 and takes under an hour. Bring photos. If your licence is not in English, get a Chinese translation notarised by a district court / public notary, or have the licence verified by your home country's representative office in Taiwan (US citizens use AIT's notarial service). Prepare three 1-inch colour photos with a plain background.
In personWho: You — hospital/clinic for the exam; notary or representative office for the translation1-3 daysNT$200-400 health check (~US$6-12) + ~NT$500-1,000 notarisation if needed
4
Convert your licence at a Motor Vehicles Office (監理站)
Go to a Motor Vehicles Office (e.g. the Taipei City MVO in Songshan, or a New Taipei branch) with: ARC + passport (originals and copies), your original foreign licence + copy, the notarised Chinese translation, the health certificate, your entry/exit record, and three photos. Pay the NT$200 issuance fee. If your country or US state is on the reciprocity list, you skip both tests and walk out with the licence the same day. If not reciprocal, you sit a computerised written test (~NT$200, available in English) and a road test before the licence is issued. Car (汽車) and scooter/motorcycle (機車) licences are separate.
In personWho: You — at the Motor Vehicles Office (監理站)Same day if reciprocal; longer if you must schedule testsNT$200 issuance (~US$6); +~NT$200 written test if non-reciprocal

Documents you’ll need

ARC / residence or stay permit valid 6+ months (originals and copies)
Passport (original and copy)
Original valid foreign driving licence (and copy)
Chinese translation of the licence, notarised by a court/notary or verified by your representative office (e.g. AIT for US licences) — for non-English licences
Driver's physical examination (health) certificate from an authorised hospital/clinic
Three 1-inch colour photos, plain single-colour background
Entry/exit record (proof of entry), printable from the NIA online system

Things most newcomers don’t know

The EasyCard is not just transit — it is your daily wallet. One tap pays MRT, buses, YouBike, taxis, parking meters, and purchases at 7-Eleven/FamilyMart/Hi-Life, so newcomers rarely carry cash for small spends.

Bundling everything onto one stored-value card is the single biggest quality-of-life shortcut in Taipei, and it removes the need to register multiple separate apps when you first arrive.

Source: EasyCard Corporation (easycard.com.tw) / Taipei Metro

Reciprocity is decided by YOUR licence's origin, and for the US it is state-by-state, not country-wide. Some US states convert with no test; others require the full written + road exam. Check the Directorate General of Highways reciprocity list (or AIT) for your exact state before booking anything.

People assume 'US licence = easy swap' and are blindsided at the MVO when their state is non-reciprocal and they suddenly face a road test — a wasted trip and weeks of delay.

Source: Directorate General of Highways / American Institute in Taiwan (ait.org.tw)

Scooter culture is real and the licence is separate. A foreign or international car licence will NOT let you legally ride a 機車 (scooter/motorcycle); you must hold or convert a motorcycle licence, and scooter-share services (GoShare, WeMo, iRent) check for it.

Riding a scooter on only a car licence is a common, ticketable mistake — and it voids insurance in a crash, which is the expensive part given how dense Taipei scooter traffic is.

Source: Taipei Motor Vehicles Office (監理站, tpmvo.thb.gov.tw)

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating an International Driving Permit as a permanent solution — an IDP only covers short stays; once you hold a residence permit you are expected to convert to a Taiwan licence to keep driving legally
Assuming your car licence covers scooters — 汽車 (car) and 機車 (scooter/motorcycle) licences are issued separately and are not interchangeable
Letting your foreign licence expire before converting — the original must still be valid at the time of exchange, and an expired licence forces you into the full test route
Forgetting the notarised Chinese translation for non-English licences — the MVO will turn you away without it
Buying a car for Taipei living — parking is genuinely hard and costly, and the MRT/bus/YouBike network makes a car a liability for most residents inside the city