Renting a Car in Taiwan with an Indonesian Driving License: SIM + IDP, the 30-Day Rule and Switching to Right-Hand Traffic

Renting a Car in Taiwan with an Indonesian Driving License: SIM + IDP, the 30-Day Rule and Switching to Right-Hand Traffic

Flying in from Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali and planning to drive yourself to Taiwan's east coast, Sun Moon Lake or Alishan? What trips most Indonesian drivers up is rarely the driving itself. It is three things: missing documents, staying longer than 30 days without getting the IDP endorsed, and switching from Indonesia's left-hand traffic to Taiwan's right-hand traffic. This GoodCars guide covers how your Indonesian SIM and International Driving Permit (IDP) work in Taiwan, how to get the IDP in Indonesia, what to practise before you drive off, how pickup works at Taoyuan Airport and Taipei Main Station, and how rental, mileage fee and the fuel card are charged.

The high mountain road over Hehuanshan in Nantou. Taiwan's mountain roads are steep and twisty, so start on flatter routes on your first drive (Unsplash; location tagged by the photographer as Hehuanshan, Nantou)

Can you drive in Taiwan with an Indonesian licence?

Not with your SIM alone. Taiwan recognises foreign International Driving Permits on the basis of reciprocity: a valid IDP issued by a reciprocal country, carried together with your original home licence and passport, lets you drive a car during a short stay of up to 30 days. If you stay longer than 30 days, you must get the IDP endorsed (a "visa" for the permit) at a motor vehicle office (Road Traffic Safety Rules, Article 55).

For Indonesia: in the table of how major countries treat Taiwanese driving licences, provided by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and published on the Highway Bureau website, Indonesia is listed as accepting Taiwan's International Driving Permit. On a reciprocal basis, an IDP issued by the Indonesian National Police (Korlantas Polri) can therefore be used in Taiwan. The same table shows Indonesia does not accept Taiwan's domestic licence, so an Indonesian SIM cannot be used on its own here; it always has to be paired with the IDP. The table is updated from time to time, so before you fly you can double-check with a Taiwanese motor vehicle office or the Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta.

At pickup, GoodCars checks your original Indonesian licence, IDP and passport, and the name must match on all three. Foreign visitors pay with a credit card in their own name.

Before you fly: getting your IDP (SIM Internasional) in Indonesia

• Issued by: the Indonesian National Police (Polri), through the Traffic Police Corps (Korlantas).
• How to apply: according to the Digital Korlantas website, you apply online in the Digital Korlantas Polri app; SATPAS verifies the application, and the permit is then delivered to you or collected at SATPAS.
• Validity: 3 years according to the official site. How long you can use it in Taiwan still follows Taiwan's rules: up to 30 days after entry, then an endorsement is needed.
• Fees and documents: check the latest announcement on the Digital Korlantas website.

Apply a few weeks before departure so delivery time is covered, and when it arrives, check that the name on the IDP matches your passport and that the car category is shown.

From left to right: 6 things to practise before you drive off

Taiwan's city intersections are full of scooters, so check your right rear before turning (Unsplash; location tagged by the photographer as Taiwan)

Indonesia drives on the left in right-hand-drive cars. Taiwan is the opposite: you keep right and sit on the left. Most people settle in within half a day, but the first few hours are when mistakes happen. Keep these six points in mind:

1. Come out of every turn on the right: the classic mistake is drifting into the left lane after a left turn, or when leaving a car park or petrol station. Say "keep right" to yourself before every turn.
2. Right turns are the short turn; left turns cross oncoming traffic: the exact reverse of Indonesia. Let oncoming traffic pass before turning left.
3. No turning right on red unless a sign at the junction allows it.
4. The indicator and wiper stalks may be swapped: try them once in the car park so you don't switch on the wipers when you mean to signal.
5. Scooters appear on your right: like Indonesia, Taiwan has a lot of scooters, but when you turn right they often go straight past on your right-hand side. Cars must not stop in the scooter waiting box at junctions.
6. Overtake on the left, keep right when slower: on freeways the inner (left) lane is the overtaking lane, so don't sit in it.

Speed cameras are everywhere in Taiwan, and everyone in the car, front and back, must wear a seat belt. Drink-driving is penalised with a fine and licence suspension under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, and passengers in the car can be penalised too. The full set of rules is in our guide to driving rules in Taiwan for foreign drivers. Drivers from other left-hand-traffic countries may also find our guides for Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand useful.

Where to pick up: Taoyuan Airport or Taipei Main Station

A passenger jet at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) (Unsplash; location tagged by the photographer as Taoyuan International Airport; the airline shown has no connection with this article)

If your flight from Indonesia lands at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), the easiest option is to collect your car at the GoodCars Taoyuan Airport station. If you want a few days in Taipei first, pick up at Taipei Main Station instead.

At Taoyuan Airport, the car park where your car waits is shown in your booking confirmation; documents and the rental agreement are completed online following the system notifications, and payment is made online through the booking process. If your flight is delayed or you can't find the car, call the number in your booking confirmation (+886-3-339-0909). Step-by-step details are in our Taoyuan Airport pickup guide and self-service pickup and return guide.

Online bookings must be made 12–24 hours before pickup, depending on the station (the booking page shows the exact cut-off). For a last-minute rental, call the branch or message us on WhatsApp.

Night traffic around Taipei 101 (Unsplash; location tagged by the photographer as Taipei)

You don't really need a car on your Taipei city days: the MRT is fast and parking is hard to find. A common plan is to explore Taipei first and collect the car at Taipei Main Station on the day you head out of town. GoodCars has 30+ locations across Taiwan, including airports, high-speed rail stations and railway stations, and one-way rentals (pick up at one station, return at another) are possible. The fee is shown in the online quote and varies by station.

How the cost works: rental + mileage fee, fuel card and ETC

• Pricing: rental + mileage fee. The mileage fee is based on the kilometres you actually drive; the current rate is published on our mileage fee page (explained in Mileage Fee Explained).
• Fuel card: cars come with a dedicated fuel card, so you never pay for fuel yourself; fuel is already covered by the mileage fee. When you fill up, ask the station attendant to refuel the car and present the card; self-service pumps may not accept it.
• No need to top up the tank when you return, and there is no cap on distance. If you forget the card and pay for fuel yourself, keep the receipt and the full amount is credited against your mileage fee.
• ETC freeway tolls: every car has an eTag; rental cars are charged a single rate of NT$1.2 per km, settled when you return the car. Branch staff can give you a breakdown if you need one.
• Price guide: economy cars (New Vios, New Yaris, Yaris Cross, New Colt Plus) start from NT$1,199 on weekdays and NT$1,399 on weekends and holidays. Actual prices depend on the pickup station and dates, so check the online quote. The more days you rent, the lower the average daily rate.
• Car types: besides five-seat economy cars there are 7- and 9-seaters (Wish, M7 Turbo ECO Hyper, Touran, Staria, Starex); availability depends on station and dates.
• Add-ons: the GO Worry-Free Protection Plan lowers the amount you owe if the car is damaged (details and price on the booking page). Child seats and dashcams can be added, priced on the booking page or at the branch, and an additional driver can be added online. Travelling with children? Read our guide to Taiwan's child car seat rules.
• Phone holder: cars generally have one, which makes navigating with Google Maps easy.

Your first road trip in Taiwan: how to plan it

A forest road inside Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (Unsplash; described by the photographer as Alishan forest park)

Most main road signs in Taiwan are in Chinese and English, and Google Maps is reliable. While you are still getting used to driving on the right, plan daytime drives on flatter roads first and save the mountains for later.

• Hualien–Taitung coastal highway (Route 11): a sea-view drive along the east coast. Our Route 11 road trip guide covers picking up in Hualien and returning in Taitung.
• Taroko: since the April 3 earthquake most gorge trails remain closed and Provincial Highway 8 opens only in announced time windows. Check the Taroko National Park and Highway Bureau announcements before you go; current status is in our Taroko self-drive guide.
• Round-the-island trip: with a week to spare, follow our 7-day Taiwan road trip itinerary, and use a one-way rental if you don't want to backtrack.

Tips for Muslim travellers on the road

• Halal food: halal-certified and Muslim-friendly restaurants are easiest to find in cities such as Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung. Choices are limited in the mountains and countryside, so plan meal stops before you set off.
• Mosques: Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei and Longgang Mosque in Zhongli, Taoyuan are both within easy driving distance of the airport and central Taipei.
• Prayer times: build prayer times into long drives; freeway service areas are good places to stop and rest.

If something happens on the road

Breakdown or accident: make sure everyone is safe, stop somewhere safe with your hazard lights on, then contact the branch where you picked up the car (the phone number is in your booking confirmation). If anyone is injured or you need the police, call 119 (ambulance) or 110 (police).

Traffic fines: handled according to the rental agreement; ask your pickup branch for details.

Language: branch staff use translation apps to help you, and some branches can help in English. You can also reach us on WhatsApp.

FAQ

Q1. Can I rent a car in Taiwan with just my Indonesian SIM?

No. You need your original SIM A, an Indonesian-issued IDP and your passport. Without any one of them, you cannot collect the car.

Q2. Can I get the IDP after I arrive in Taiwan?

No. Apply through Korlantas in Indonesia before you travel; it cannot be issued in Taiwan.

Q3. What if I stay in Taiwan for more than 30 days?

You can drive for up to 30 days after entry. After that you need an International Driving Permit endorsement from a motor vehicle office, valid for up to 1 year but never beyond the expiry of your IDP, licence or permit of stay. If your trip might run longer, apply early rather than cutting it close.

Q4. Do I need to put fuel in before returning the car?

No. The car comes with a fuel card and fuel is covered by the mileage fee, so there is no need to top up the tank before you return it. If you need fuel on the way, ask the attendant to refuel and present the card; self-service pumps may not accept it.

Q5. My flight lands at Taoyuan late at night or early in the morning. Can I still pick up?

Yes. Taoyuan Airport is a self-service car-park station bookable online from 00:00 to 23:55, and payment is made online through the booking process. Online bookings must be made 12–24 hours before pickup depending on the station (the booking page shows the exact cut-off), so book before you fly.

Q6. Can I pick up at Taoyuan Airport and return in another city?

Yes, one-way rentals are available. The fee depends on the pickup and return stations and is shown in the online quote.

Q7. My travel companion isn't Indonesian. Can they drive?

It depends on where their licence is from. Most nationalities need their home licence + an IDP from a reciprocal country + passport, while Japanese visitors use a Japanese licence with a Chinese translation. See our International Driving Permit guide for Taiwan, our guides for drivers from the US, Australia and Macau, or the Taiwan car rental guide for foreign visitors.