Buying Supplements from iHerb for Taiwan: Free Shipping, DDP Taxes and Taiwan's Import Limits

How HowBridge Can Help

HowBridge provides consolidated shipping on one route only: China (Shenzhen warehouse) → Taiwan. iHerb ships directly to Taiwan from its Korean warehouse without using our service. The iHerb content on this page is a shopping and regulatory guide.

We explain our service coverage first so you do not have to read the entire page to discover that the route does not fit your needs. Taiwan's import requirements and taxes apply to goods from all origins, and this page covers that information in full.

Taiwan's Import Quantity Limits: 12 Bottles per Type, 36 Bottles in Total

Tablet and capsule foods for personal use are exempt from import inspection applications when limited to 12 bottles (boxes, cans, packs or bags) per type and 36 bottles in total, in their original packaging. General foods have separate thresholds of 1,000 US dollars and 6 kilograms. These are two separate provisions.

• Legal basis: Article 30, paragraph 3 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation allows imported foods and related products that are not for sale and meet the ministry's announced value and quantity limits to be exempt from inspection applications. The current notice is the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare's Announcement No. 1081300310 (2019), dated ROC year 108, month 4, day 16, titled “Conditions for Exemption from Import Inspection Applications for Foods and Related Products and Applicable Customs Clearance Codes,” effective ROC year 108, month 5, day 1.
• Tablet and capsule foods for personal use: Up to 12 bottles (boxes, cans, packs or bags) per type and no more than 36 bottles (boxes, cans, packs or bags) in total, in their original packaging only.
• General foods and related products for personal use, excluding tablet and capsule foods: A value of no more than 1,000 US dollars and a weight of no more than 6 kilograms, calculated using the value and quantity of each individual item line on the customs declaration.
• 🔴 A common misstatement: Many articles combine the two provisions and claim that tablet and capsule foods must also stay within 1,000 US dollars／6 kilograms. The original announcement explicitly says excluding tablet and capsule foods. Tablet and capsule foods have a separate provision that specifies bottle counts only.
• Customs clearance codes: Eligible importers make the required declaration by entering the designated code on the import declaration. The personal-use code is DH000000000002 (embassy or consulate use: DH000000000001; re-importation of goods in their original condition: DH000000000003; food containers and utensils: DH000000000005).
• Items excluded from the inspection application exemption: Food additives, flavorings, and edible cattle products from countries affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
• Goods imported under the inspection exemption must not be sold. A Ministry of Health and Welfare press release states that unauthorized sales violate Article 30, paragraph 3 and Article 51, paragraph 2 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and result in suspension of eligibility to apply for inspection exemption for 1 year. Illegally importing goods for sale is also subject to a fine of up to 300 × ten thousand New Taiwan dollars under Article 47, paragraph 1, subparagraph 14.
• The proposed “daily” limit has not formally taken effect: On ROC year 109, month 7, day 15, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued draft amendments under Announcement No. 1091300955 (2020), proposing a daily aggregate limit. The information located still identifies this as a draft proposal, with no final promulgation found. The current rules therefore do not contain the word “daily.”
• The 12-bottle／36-bottle system was announced on ROC year 104, month 11, day 5 and took effect on ROC year 104, month 12, day 1, replacing the previous limit of no more than 1,200 tablets or capsules per product.

Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare written report to the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee (ROC year 110, month 12, day 2); Taiwan Food and Drug Administration Announcement No. 1081300310 (2019); Ministry of Health and Welfare press release, “New Quantity Limits for Personal-Use Capsule and Tablet Foods Exempt from Import Food Inspection Applications.” Accessed 2026-09-07. Also note: the Regulations of Inspection of Imported Foods and Related Products themselves (last amended ROC year 114, month 8, day 21) contain no personal-use inspection exemption provision. That provision appears in a ministry announcement authorized by the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

When a Food Product Is Classified as a Drug

Products with vitamin levels exceeding the Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives must be regulated as drugs. Once classified as a drug, a product imported without approval falls under the definition of a prohibited drug in Article 22 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Personal-use imports by post or courier require an application under the Regulations Governing Management of Medicament Samples and Gifts.

• When a product becomes a drug: Referring to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Taiwan, the Department of Health, Executive Yuan announced in ROC year 97 that products containing vitamins at levels exceeding the Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives must be regulated as drugs.
• Article 22 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act: “Prohibited drugs” include drugs imported without approval. The exception covers only personal-use drugs carried into Taiwan by travelers or crew members. Postal and courier shipments are not covered by this exception; they follow a separate system.
• The correct process for personal-use drugs sent by post or courier: Article 2, subparagraph 4 of the Regulations Governing Management of Medicament Samples and Gifts covers applications by patients for personal use supported by certification from a medical institution, excluding medical devices that must be operated by a physician or professional.
• Quantity limits appear in Article 6, paragraph 2 of the same regulations: Prescription drugs must not exceed the reasonable quantity specified in the prescription. For nonprescription drugs, repeat applications are not permitted within six months. Unless the central health authority approves a special need, each application is limited to twelve bottles, twelve tubes or a total of one thousand two hundred tablets or capsules. Medical equipment is limited to one unit of the same model; consumables and sanitary materials must not exceed a six-month supply.
• Required documents (Article 14 of the same regulations): An international parcel collection notice or customs bill of lading; the product's outer packaging information, package insert or catalog; and a written undertaking that the goods will not be sold, transferred or supplied for use by others. Prescription drugs also require a diagnosis certificate from a medical institution in Taiwan and a physician's prescription.
• Statutory categories of pharmaceutical preparations (Article 8 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act): Four categories: prescription drugs; drugs requiring guidance from a physician, pharmacist or assistant pharmacist; over-the-counter drugs; and traditional formula preparations. Article 9 separately defines over-the-counter drugs as drugs with mild effects used to treat diseases without requiring a physician's instructions.

Sources: Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China, Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (last amended ROC year 115, month 3, day 4), Articles 8, 9 and 22; Regulations Governing Management of Medicament Samples and Gifts (last amended ROC year 111, month 11, day 3), Articles 2, 6 and 14; Taiwan Food and Drug Administration's “Personal-Use Drug Import Requirements” information section; Ministry of Health and Welfare written report to the Legislative Yuan dated ROC year 110, month 12, day 2. Accessed 2026-09-07. Figures circulated online, such as 2 bottles per type and 6 types in total for travelers, belong to the accompanied-baggage system. This page does not cite them because the original regulatory text was not located.

Taxes, Exemption Thresholds and Tariff Codes

A shipment with a customs value of 2,000 New Taiwan dollars or less is exempt from customs duties, commodity tax and business tax. However, once tax-exempt releases exceed 6 in a half-year, the exemption no longer applies from the 7th import onward. The tariff code for food preparations in tablet or capsule form is 2106.90.99.20-8, with import regulation codes 511 and F01.

Official definitions of import regulation codes: 511 = imports of food preparations in tablet or capsule form require a permit from the Ministry of Health and Welfare; F01 = an import inspection application must be submitted to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration under the Regulations of Inspection of Imported Foods and Related Products; MW0 = imports from mainland China are prohibited; MP1 = imports from mainland China are conditionally permitted. ⚠️ The duty rates above were not retrieved from a live tariff database query, as tariff searches on the Customs-Port-Trade Single Window require login. They come from the Ministry of Finance response cited in the Control Yuan investigation report and align with iHerb's statement that dietary supplements are subject to a 30% customs duty rate. Actual duties and taxes remain subject to customs assessment.

iHerb's Current Official Policies

Everything below comes from official iHerb Taiwan pages accessed on 2026-09-07. The shipping page does not show a last-updated date. Use the terms displayed when you check out.

• Free shipping threshold: Free shipping on orders of NT$790 or more, labeled as a limited-time offer. (Commonly circulated tiered thresholds such as NT$1,000 for 7-ELEVEN／FamilyMart and NT$1,250 for home delivery are not confirmed by the official website and are not used on this page.)
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) tax model: iHerb states that shipments to Taiwan use Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) terms. All duties and taxes are collected in advance at checkout to speed up customs clearance, with no additional charges upon delivery.
• Refunds of excess charges: iHerb checks with local customs to identify goods that do not require duties and taxes, then issues refunds within 5 business days after delivery.
• Taxable value: The order value used to assess duties and taxes is the order subtotal plus shipping charges.
• Shipping warehouse: All iHerb orders ship by air from a Korean warehouse.
• Weight limits: Global Air Express with tracking has an order weight limit of 13 pounds (6 kilograms). Global Air pickup service with tracking has a limit of 11 pounds (5 kilograms). Pickup parcels must be collected from the designated location within 7 days of arrival, with photo identification matching the name on the shipping label.
• Quantity limits per order: No more than 12 units of each product and 36 units in total per order, matching the Ministry of Health and Welfare's inspection exemption limits of 12 bottles／36 bottles.
• Items prohibited from import into Taiwan, according to iHerb: Products containing hemp or poppy seeds, and pet consumables.
• EZ WAY and late declaration fees: Individuals importing food or dietary supplements into Taiwan for personal use must complete identity verification through the EZ WAY App and use formal customs clearance categories (G1／X4). If required documents are not submitted within 15 days of the parcel's arrival in Taiwan, customs may charge the recipient a late declaration fee of 200 New Taiwan dollars per day.
• 6 imports per half-year: The official website explicitly states that the order count covers all imports received by the recipient, including mailed orders purchased from any other platform, retailer or website.
• Returns: Most products can be returned within 30 days of delivery; iHerb's own brands have a 90-day return window. A decision is provided within 48 hours of the request, and approved returns must be shipped back within 14 days. Prepaid return labels are not provided for international orders. Unclaimed or refused international orders may be destroyed by the carrier and are not eligible for refunds.
• Rewards: The Taiwan homepage banner advertises “Up to 30% Off + 5% Back”; the US site's equivalent banner says “Up to 30% Off + 10% Back”. The percentages differ between the two sites and must not be used interchangeably.

Sources: iHerb Taiwan's “Shipping Information: Taiwan” and “Returns & Refunds” pages, accessed 2026-09-07. The official iHerb Rewards information page returned a Cloudflare 403 response during this visit. The standard shopping rewards percentage could not be confirmed from that official page, so this page reports only the figures visible on the homepage banner.

Six Mistakes That Can Cause Real Problems

Every item below is supported by an official case or legal provision, rather than anecdotal experience.

All cases and penalties above come from official press releases or written reports issued by the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Accessed 2026-09-07.

Frequently Asked Questions