Tired of long queues at Taoyuan Airport immigration? 3 tips to avoid crowds and clear customs quickly

▲ Taoyuan International Airport is equipped with 62 self-service check-in kiosks—30 in Terminal 1 and 32 in Terminal 2. As long as you arrive at the airport at least one hour before your flight’s departure, you can use this service (for more details, please refer to individual airline regulations). (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

Reporter Liao Minghui / Taoyuan Report

With the increasing number of routes and flights offered by low-cost carriers, the number of people traveling abroad has multiplied. Taoyuan International Airport is often packed, and whether it's seat assignment, checking in luggage, or departure, every step involves queuing in crowded lines. You'd think traveling abroad would be a relaxing experience, but the endless airport queues just end up ruining your mood. Imagine if you could use that queuing time to explore duty-free shops instead? Actually, just by following 3 simple tips, you can clear immigration much faster than others: 1. Use self-service check-in kiosks, 2. Apply for e-Gate before departure, and 3. Pay attention to luggage regulation limits. Just these three easy steps, and flying will no longer be a source of stress and anxiety.

1. Check-in: No Queues Needed – Self-Service Kiosks Complete Seat Assignment & Baggage Check-in in 10 Minutes
With the advancement of technology, manual tasks are gradually becoming digitized. Airports and airlines have introduced many convenient services, such as self-service check-in kiosks, which are extremely practical. In the past, the first step of going abroad was to queue up at the airline counter—long lines that could take at least 30 minutes, and during peak holiday seasons, everyone is packed shoulder to shoulder with barely any space to stand in line. But by using self-service check-in kiosks, you can skip the queue altogether. Moreover, you can complete both seat assignment and baggage check-in in one go.

▲ This machine is quite advanced—just scan your passport on the device, and your seat assignment is done. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

▲ After seat assignment, you can use the self-service check-in express lane to check in your luggage. If you don’t have checked baggage, you can directly print your boarding pass and proceed to immigration without visiting the airline counter. This allows you to go through security checks and immigration smoothly and board your flight—it’s practically a VIP-level service. (However, you still need to proceed to the boarding gate in advance, where ground staff will check your travel documents.) (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—reporters clocked that it only takes about 10 minutes from seat assignment to completing baggage check-in. The feeling of not having to queue is both relaxing and satisfying, and it also saves a lot of phone battery that would otherwise be drained while waiting in line. (However, this service is not yet available for all airlines. Currently, due to cost considerations, low-cost carriers in Taiwan do not offer self-service check-in.)

2. Passport Check: E-Gate Clearance in Just 15 Seconds

After completing the airline check-in procedures, the next step is security screening and passport identity verification. Taoyuan Airport offers Taiwanese nationals the “Automated Immigration Clearance System” (abbreviated as E-Gate). There’s no need to queue for manual checks—just use the dedicated E-Gate lane, scan your passport, then scan your face, and you’re done with immigration clearance. It’s honestly faster than manual ID checks. Reporters clocked it at just 15 seconds. The high-tech facial recognition is accurate and fun. We recommend all travelers use the E-Gate lane so you can save plenty of time to explore duty-free shops. And the best part? The same applies when returning home. Especially for travelers from central and southern Taiwan who need to catch a high-speed rail home, standing in the long queues at manual immigration lanes can be nerve-wracking, fearing they might miss the last train and not make it home. Using the E-Gate lane is really much faster than the rest.

▲ The E-Gate lane (top photo) is right next to the manual immigration lane (bottom photo), and the difference in crowd levels is obvious—the E-Gate lane requires zero queuing. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

▲ The queue for manual passport checks forms a long line. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

▲ How does the E-Gate work? First, place your passport on the scanning machine, and the system will automatically read it. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

▲ After scanning your passport, scan your face to complete the immigration clearance procedure. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

[How to Apply for E-Gate Access?]
Is applying for E-Gate access difficult? Actually, it’s super simple—you can apply while you’re traveling, and the process only takes two minutes. For those who haven’t traveled abroad yet, you can apply at the Taoyuan Airport departure hall.

Taiwanese citizens aged 14 or older and at least 140 cm tall are eligible. Prepare your passport and ID card (driver’s license or National Health Insurance card) / residence permit to apply at the aforementioned counter. After verifying the “passport information” and “ID information,” the officer will take a “front-facing photo” and record your “left and right fingerprints.” The whole process is done in just two minutes. (For detailed instructions, please visit:http://www.taoyuan-airport.com/chinese/egate)

3. Luggage Security: Don’t Cover Your Luggage with Too Many Stickers, and Power Banks Can’t Be Checked In
Next comes the final hurdle—luggage inspection. Checked luggage is already handled in the first step, and here we’re talking about carry-on luggage. Actually, whether it’s carry-on or checked luggage, you must pay attention to prohibited items as regulated by law. Don’t risk carrying banned items. Items that you might accidentally bring onboard include: creams over 100ml, lighters carried by smokers, or children’s food scissors. These should be checked in instead. On the other hand, power banks and camera batteries (i.e., lithium batteries) must be carried in your hand luggage and cannot be checked in (for related regulations, please seehttp://www.ettoday.net/news/20150310/476655.htm). Also, a reminder to travelers: don’t cover your luggage with too many barcode stickers. What’s the ground crew supposed to scan with all those stickers?! It’ll definitely delay the luggage inspection process and also makes it easier to lose your bag. One celebrity once had luggage covered with over 50 stickers and ended up losing it during transit. Experts believe it was because the airport’s automatic sorting system relies on barcodes to direct luggage to the correct flight—if old barcodes aren’t removed, it can easily cause misreadings and send your luggage to the wrong destination.

▲ Remember to remove luggage barcode stickers each time you fly—not only does it make clearance smoother, but it also helps prevent your luggage from being sent to the wrong flight. (Photo / Provided by Taoyuan Airport)

During consecutive holidays, the number of passengers traveling in and out of the country increases significantly. After the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday, there are also upcoming long breaks such as Tomb Sweeping Festival, Labor Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. It’s recommended that travelers make good use of the automated immigration clearance system (E-Gate) to enjoy VIP-level, convenient clearance services and have a joyful and safe holiday. If you're not traveling with a tour group or on a low-cost carrier, it's also highly recommended to use self-service check-in kiosks for seat assignment and baggage check-in. By following these 3 principles for fast clearance, you’ll no longer feel anxious or flustered during business trips or vacations.

In addition, Taoyuan Airport’s Terminal 2 has a cool little feature—if you forget where you parked your car after returning, you can use your parking token to locate it easily, offering peace of mind and convenience.

▲ Just tap your Taoyuan Airport Terminal 2 parking token, and it will instantly show you where your car is parked. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

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