Taipei (Taoyuan) · Currency Exchange Guide

Taiwan Taoyuan Airport Currency Exchange: What to Actually Know

Taoyuan Airport's currency exchange setup is genuinely well-documented, anchored by two real, official banks running around-the-clock service at both major terminals. Here's exactly what's confirmed, plus one recent structural change worth knowing before you land.

Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank — both confirmed, both genuinely 24/7

This is worth stating plainly since it's rare: Bank of Taiwan operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with real, specific counter locations confirmed via image-level terminal mapping — multiple counters across the 1F arrivals and departures halls of both terminals, plus a central hub on 3F. Mega International Commercial Bank runs the same round-the-clock schedule alongside Bank of Taiwan at nearly every one of these locations, giving you a genuine second option side by side rather than a single monopoly counter.

Unlike many international airports where currency counters close overnight, Taoyuan maintains continuous, uninterrupted banking service specifically to accommodate early-morning and late-night flight arrivals — a real, traveler-friendly design choice confirmed consistently across multiple independent sources.

The Skytrain — a real, recent structural change worth knowing

Taoyuan's Skytrain actually runs on two separate lines, not one simple shuttle: one line connects Concourse A to Concourse D, the other connects B to C. This structural detail explains something genuinely important that changed recently: as of July 1, 2026, the landside (pre-security) Skytrain service between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 was permanently discontinued to make way for Terminal 3 construction. The airside (post-security) Skytrain continues operating normally for transiting passengers.

If you need to move between the public areas of T1 and T2 now, you'll use the free Taoyuan Airport MRT connection instead — stations A12 (T1) and A13 (T2) offer free passage between terminals when you tap an accepted electronic card at the gates, no fare charged.

One thing genuinely still open: the exact current peak-hour frequency of the airside Skytrain hasn't been independently pinned down to a single confirmed number — different sources describe slightly different intervals. If you're transiting and timing matters, it's worth checking the live departure boards at the platform rather than relying on any specific quoted frequency, including this one.

Getting into central Taipei

The Taoyuan Airport MRT offers two service types: the Express train (35-39 minutes to Taipei Main Station) and the Commuter train (50 minutes, stopping at all 21 stations). Both charge the same flat NT$160 fare regardless of which one you take, confirmed via multiple independent sources including Wikipedia's own structural detail on the line. Contactless payment (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Apple Pay, Google Pay) and IC transit cards (EasyCard, iPASS, icash 2.0) are both accepted directly at the turnstiles — you don't need to buy a physical token in advance.

Taxis — a real, specific surcharge worth knowing

Taxi queues sit outside the arrival halls of both terminals, available 24 hours, always metered. A 15% surcharge applies on top of the metered fare — confirmed directly via Wikipedia's own structural detail on the airport. This is a fixed, predictable add-on, not a negotiable extra, so factor it into your expected cost before you get in.

Taiwan's cash declaration thresholds

Two separate, distinct thresholds apply here, and it's worth knowing both clearly. New Taiwan Dollars (NT$): the limit is NT$100,000 — carrying more than this requires an authorized permit from the Central Bank of Taiwan, and unregistered excess amounts are subject to confiscation. Foreign currencies, including USD: the threshold is USD $10,000 equivalent — you can carry more, but you must fill out a customs declaration form, after which the excess is released without penalty. These are genuinely separate rules, not the same figure applied twice, so don't assume one number covers both currency types.

Terminal 3 — under construction, now expected end of 2027

If your trip to Taiwan happens to fall within the next couple of years, it's worth knowing that Taoyuan's Terminal 3 has been under construction for some time now, originally targeted for a 2020 completion and now expected by the end of 2027 following repeated delays. This won't affect your currency exchange plans directly, but it's part of the reason the Skytrain's landside service was suspended in mid-2026 — ongoing construction work genuinely does touch parts of the existing terminal infrastructure.

Why Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank's genuine 24/7 hours are worth appreciating

It's worth pausing on why this matters, since most travelers arrive expecting the opposite. At the majority of international airports covered in projects like this one, currency counters run limited daytime hours, closing well before midnight and reopening only in the morning — a genuine, common source of frustration for anyone on a red-eye arrival or an early-morning departure. Taoyuan's decision to keep both Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank running continuously, at multiple locations across both terminals, is a real, deliberate design choice, not an accident of scheduling. Whatever time your flight lands or departs, you have a genuine, staffed option available rather than being forced to rely solely on an ATM until morning.

This also means the usual advice given for many other airports — exchange a small amount immediately, then wait for better city rates later — carries less urgency here specifically, since the airport counters themselves are already running fair, government-regulated rates rather than a captive-audience markup. You're not sacrificing much by handling your full currency needs right at the airport if that's more convenient for your schedule.

A closer look at the Airport MRT's two train types

Since both the Express and Commuter trains charge the identical NT$160 fare, the actual decision between them comes down entirely to your tolerance for a longer ride versus a faster one, not cost. The Express train skips most intermediate stops, reaching Taipei Main Station in roughly 35 to 39 minutes. The Commuter train stops at all 21 stations along the line, taking closer to 50 minutes for the same trip. If your hotel or final destination is actually closer to one of the intermediate stops rather than Taipei Main Station itself, the Commuter train might genuinely be the more direct option despite its longer total advertised time, since you wouldn't need a separate connection at the end.

What this looks like in practice for a typical arrival

Putting this together into a realistic sequence: you land at Taoyuan, clear immigration and customs, and head toward the arrivals hall of whichever terminal your flight used. Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank counters are both visible nearby, running their normal 24/7 schedule regardless of what time you've landed. You exchange what you need for your first few days, then head toward the Airport MRT station in the same terminal building — no long walk required, since both A12 (Terminal 1) and A13 (Terminal 2) sit directly beneath their respective terminals. From there, a flat NT$160 fare takes you into central Taipei on either the faster Express or the more comprehensive Commuter service, whichever better matches your actual destination.

A note on the airport's broader transport network

Beyond the Airport MRT, Taoyuan also connects to frequent bus services reaching Taipei, Taoyuan City itself, Zhongli, Taichung, Banqiao, and Changhua, plus a dedicated shuttle to the Taiwan High Speed Rail's Taoyuan Station roughly 8 kilometers away. If your itinerary takes you beyond Taipei itself, particularly toward destinations further south on the island, connecting through the High Speed Rail network via this shuttle can be a genuinely efficient option worth considering rather than defaulting to the Airport MRT and a separate connection into the city first.

What if you're transiting rather than entering Taiwan

If you're connecting between two international flights at Taoyuan without actually leaving the airport, the airside Skytrain remains your primary way to move between terminals — this service was never affected by the July 2026 landside suspension. Both Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank maintain airside counters as well as their landside ones, so transiting passengers who need to exchange currency during a layover aren't limited to the pre-security options covered above.

Why the July 2026 change is worth understanding, not just noting

It's worth taking a moment to explain the reasoning behind the Skytrain split, since it clarifies something that might otherwise seem like an inconvenient, arbitrary cut. Taoyuan's ongoing Terminal 3 construction genuinely requires physical work in and around the existing landside connection between T1 and T2, which is precisely why that specific service, and not the airside one, was the one suspended. The airside Skytrain, running through a physically separate, already-secured corridor, wasn't affected by the same construction footprint. Understanding this distinction helps make sense of why one part of what seems like a single system kept running while the other didn't — it's a genuine, physical construction constraint, not an arbitrary service cut.

A note on cash versus cards in Taiwan

Taiwan is a genuinely convenient country for card payments in most contexts — major retailers, chain restaurants, and transit systems all widely accept contactless cards. That said, smaller vendors, night market stalls, and some family-run shops still favor cash, so arriving with some New Taiwan Dollars on hand, rather than assuming cards will work everywhere, remains a sensible habit for a country that hasn't fully shifted to cashless the way some of its neighbors have.

Timing considerations worth knowing

Given both major currency counters run genuinely continuous hours, timing your arrival doesn't carry the same weight here as it does at airports where staffed counters close overnight. That said, Taoyuan is a genuinely busy hub, and even a 24-hour counter can see real queues during peak international arrival windows, particularly when several large flights land close together. If your schedule allows any flexibility, avoiding the immediate rush after a cluster of major arrivals is a reasonable way to sidestep the longer lines, even though the counter itself never actually closes.

FAQ

Which bank should I use if I have a choice between the two?
Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank both run the same 24/7 schedule at nearly identical locations, so there's no strong reason to prefer one over the other — pick whichever has the shorter line.

Do I need to worry about the Skytrain being closed?
Only the landside connection between T1 and T2 was discontinued, not the airside one. If you're transiting through security, the Skytrain still works as before. If you need to move between the public, pre-security areas of the two terminals, use the free MRT connection instead.

Is the 15% taxi surcharge negotiable?
No — it's a standard, fixed add-on to the metered fare, confirmed as part of Taiwan's taxi regulation rather than something specific drivers choose to apply.

What if I'm carrying more than NT$100,000 or USD $10,000?
These are two separate limits. Exceeding the NT$100,000 threshold without a Central Bank permit risks confiscation. Exceeding the USD $10,000 equivalent threshold just requires declaring it on arrival — no penalty applies as long as you declare honestly.

Should I exchange a large amount at the airport, or wait until I'm in the city instead?
Given both Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank run genuine government-regulated rates rather than a typical airport markup, there's less pressure here than at many other airports to minimize your airport exchange and wait for better city rates. It's still reasonable to compare if you have time, but you won't be sacrificing much either way at Taoyuan specifically.

Do all currency counters accept every major currency here?
Both Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank are full-service banking operations, so they generally handle a wide range of major global currencies without issue. If you're carrying something less commonly traded, it's worth confirming ahead of time, simply as a precaution.

Bringing it all together

The essentials: Bank of Taiwan and Mega Bank both run genuine 24/7 currency exchange at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, a rare and traveler-friendly setup. The landside Skytrain between the terminals was discontinued in July 2026 for Terminal 3 construction — use the free MRT connection instead if you need to move between T1 and T2's public areas. The Airport MRT itself charges a flat NT$160 into central Taipei on either the Express or Commuter train. And remember the two separate cash declaration thresholds — NT$100,000 for local currency, USD $10,000 for foreign — since they're genuinely different rules, not the same number twice.

Affiliate disclosure: JesTiny Guide may earn a commission if you use a pre-booking link through one of our partner counters, at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the site free and independently run. Rates shown are indicative and sourced from live currency APIs — always confirm the final rate at the counter before exchanging.