i think they have particular procedure. i am not sure and it also depends on the country of origin you belong. different asian countries people some can not excess hong kong with out visa but other can easily do it on permit letter. so difference are their according to country of origin you belong. you can find it out from police station or better enough visa department.

For non-Chinese, it depends where you come from as to what visa you can get, and how quickly and easily you can get one.

For Chinese you don't need a visa, because Taiwan is part of China. You can just go there direct.

Taiwan is a part of china?? dude u freaking me out.... if u go to Taiwan and call them Chinese they will freak out. i guess Taiwan and china are diff counties. they are not the same anymore.

For Asian countries including China this requires a visa in your passport or if Mainland Chinese a permit in order to enter. If you're from The U.S. Most Euro Countries, The U.K., South Africa you will only need a stamp in your passport for 30 to 90 days upon entrance to Taiwan. They may ask for an accommodation reciept, reciept on how you will exit and why you're there. Depends on how they feel at the time. Middle Eastern Countries need to apply at the Taiwan Embassy of their respected country.

taiwan is not a part of ..., please correct it.
why isn't the moderator doing anyhting here ??

This is a message from the future. It's 2075, and Taiwan is a part of China. haha!

American citizens do not need a visa to enter Taiwan for reasons I will not post here as it will be deleted.  You can stay up to 30 days just by showing up there, but this cannot be extended.  Should you want to stay longer, you will need a visa and those can be for 90 days to 6 months.  You can also get a residence permit if you are looking to work there.