Yushan (Jade Mountain) Hiking Permit: Here’s How to Apply!

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that Jade Mountain (玉山 or Yushan) is Taiwan’s tallest mountain, at 3952 meters (12,966 feet).

You’re also likely aware that applying for the Yushan permit is nearly as tough as actually summiting the mountain.

Below I’m going to guide you through the application process for Yushan, specifically the advanced application process for foreigners who want to hike Yushan Main Peak, based on my most recent experience undergoing the application myself (I’ve done the hike twice now!)

I’ll be providing a detailed timeline, including Dongpu and Paiyun Lodge bookings, screenshots of all the booking steps, and solutions to common points of confusion you may face.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble, you can join one of the Yushan group tours led by ParkBus Taiwan or get a private tour with Taiwan Outdoors. It’s best to contact them six months in advance.

For all other information about the mountain and hike, including when to go, equipment needed, elevation considerations, how to get there, and the hike itself, see my guides to Yushan Main Peak Trail and the three other non-permit hikes in Yushan National Park.

Yushan Permit Application Overview

Here are some general points about the overall process to apply for an Yushan Hiking Permit.

• Yushan Main Peak trail is typically done as a two-day (one-night) hike. You’ll spend the night at Paiyun Lodge (3402 m / 11,161 ft) on the mountain then hike to the peak for sunrise and all the way back down the next morning.

• For Yushan Main Peak, there are 24 spots reserved for foreigners (including foreign travelers and ARC holders) per weekday.

• This number will be reduced to 18 per day from Sept. 1, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2026 (or longer due to renovations at Paiyun Lodge. This date could get pushed longer into 2026 if they renos take longer than expected, as they often do.

• This means you can start your hike and sleep at Paiyun Lodge on Sunday to Thursday night, then summit the peak for sunrise and hike back down the mountain the next morning.

• Applications for the foreigner quota can be made 4 months to 35 days in advance. I suggest doing it as soon as the application period opens, as it often fills up right away.

• The application also includes your spot at Paiyun Lodge. The cost for your night at Paiyun Lodge, which includes your Yushan permit, is TWD 480.

• You can apply for 1-12 people on one application. Hiking solo is allowed (that’s what I did!)

• To find out how many spots are left for a certain date, check this availability calendar. Select “Paiyun Lodge” from the dropdown menu. Each date shows how many vacancies for regular applications at the top and how many have applied for the advanced application at the bottom – remember any number higher than 24 (or 18 during the renos) for advanced applications means it’s already full, and remaining ones are on a wait list.

• After your application is accepted, you’ll need to pay right away (if you have a Taiwan bank account) or let then know that you’ll pay cash (exact change) when you arrive at the national park.

• You’ll also need to apply for a Police Mountain Entry Permit (free). If you already paif for your Yushan permit by Taiwan bank transfer, this will be done for you. If you plan to pay for the Yushan permit in cash on arrival, you need to apply for the Police Mountain Entry Permit on your own. You can do this online (saves you a little time) or at Tataka Police Station when you arrive at the national park.

• I also recommend that you stay at Dongpu Lodge (2580m / 8465 ft) just outside the park entrance for one night before your hike, in order to acclimatize. You’ll need to book that on your own – it’s not included on the Yushan application. Bedding is provided but you’ll need to bring your own food.

• You’ll need to book your sleeping bag and meals at Paiyun Lodge and pay for them online or let them know you’ll pay in cash at the lodge.

• If you already paid for your Yushan Permit by bank transfer, you can download and screenshot the permit 5 days before the hike. If you plan to pay in person, you can take a photo of it on their computer after you pay.

• If you miss the daily quota for foreigners, you’ll have to undergo the same application process that all Taiwanese do, applying 60 to 30 days in advance. There will be a draw for spots 30 days in advance. Your chance of getting a spot this way is much lower, especially on weekends.

• If you have any questions during the application process, you can message the park staff here. Make sure to choose “Yushan National Park”. They have English service.

• Hiking Yushan in winter is much more difficult (mid-December to the end of March) and several people have died. You’ll need to sign a form saying you have winter high mountain hiking experience. You will also need to bring crampons, a helmet, and an ice axe, which you can rent here in Taipei (Beitou district).

• Experienced hikers can also apply to hike Yushan in a single day. You can apply 60-7 days in advance and it’s easier to get this permit. This is a tough, full-day hike.

• Other more difficult hikes in the national park include Yushan North Peak, Yushan West Peak, and the longer Batongguan Historic Trail. A shorter hike is Yushan Front Peak. These all require permits, too.

• There are also a few hikes in Yushan National Park that don’t require permits. None are super easy.

Can’t get a permit to Yushan? Try hiking Snow Mountain (Taiwan’s second-tallest peak) instead! Permits are easier to get, but the hike is every bit as beautiful. See my Snow Mountain permit guide.

Yushan Application Timeline

Here is the approximate timeline to apply for your Yushan Main Peak permit. I’ll cover each of these steps in greater detail below.

Time Before Hike	Step	Notes
4 months – 35 days	Submit application online	System open 7 AM to 11 PM. Best to submit as soon as it opens. I heard back in 2 hours
4 months to 4 weeks	Pay for Paiyun Lodge (Yushan Permit)	If you have a Taiwan bank account. If not, inform them you’ll pay in cash on arrival.
124 – 3 days	Apply for mountain entry permit	Done for you if you paid by Taiwan bank transfer. If you plan to pay in cash, need to do this on your own online or apply in person on day of hike
30 days	Book Dongpu Lodge	If you plan to stay there before the hike
4 weeks	Submit “Snow Control Application Checklist”	If hiking in winter (mid-Dec. to end-Mar.)
10 – 7 days	Order meals and sleeping bag at Paiyun Lodge	Pay online or tell them you’ll pay there
5 days	Download and take photo of Yushan permit	If you already paid TWD 480 by bank transfer. It will be available here. Printing not necessary.
Anytime before hike	Print Mountain Entry Permit	Unless you plan to apply for it there
Day of hike	Apply for mountain entry permit at Tataka Police Station	If you didn’t apply online
Day of hike	Check in and show Yushan Permit & Mountain Entry Permit at Paiyun Mountaineering Center next door	Or pay for Yushan Permit there if you didn’t already pay online and take photo of it.

Step-by-Step Online Application Process

Now I’m going to cover every step of the Yushan hiking permit online application process in more detail.

Step 1: Figure Out Your Dates

First, keep in mind that for the advance foreigner application, you can only start the hike and stay at Paiyun Lodge Sunday to Thursday.

Also beware of national holidays – for example, if Monday is a national holiday, you won’t be able to book Sunday night.

I highly recommend booking your spot as soon as the foreigner quota is released four months in advance, especially in high season (late spring to summer). The spots are very limited and can fill up very quickly – it only takes 3 or 4 groups to fill up all the spots.

But how can you figure out exactly what day (and time) to apply? I’ll give you two ways.

First, simply take the date of your hike (lets say June 15), subtract four months, and it will be the same date (same number). So you should apply on February 15.

What if your date is at the end of the month, for example June 30, and there’s no 30^th date in February? Then your application date will be on the last day of February (February 28).

Another way to check, and I do recommend doing this as well just to be certain, is to visit the application page outside of application hours. Application hours are 7 AM to 11 PM, so visit it anytime from 11 PM to 7 AM.

Select “Yushan National Park Headquarters”, “Foreign Advance Application”, and select your desired date. Hit “search” and the system will then tell you your window to apply.

In my example above, when I keyed in June 30, it tells me that I can apply from February 28 to May 26.

Warning: even if you choose a Friday or Saturday, it will still tell you application dates, even though you actually can’t apply for weekends for the advanced foreigner application. You can apply for weekends if you want, but only 60-30 days in advance, and you’ll need to enter a draw with all the Taiwanese to get a spot.

When your application date comes, you can apply anytime from 7 AM to 11 PM. If you aren’t in Taiwan, figure out what time 7 AM of that date will be for you.

For example, I was in Canada at the time of my application. At the time of my application, my time zone was 15 hours behind Taiwan. So I applied at 4 PM on the day before.

Note that Taiwan does not have daylight savings time. Make sure to factor that in if you’re applying from a country that does.

Step 2: Online Application

Just as I showed in the previous section, head to the Yushan hiking application page, Select “Yushan National Park Headquarters”, “Foreign Advance Application”, and select your desired date.

As long as you are doing this during the system’s opening hours (7 AM to 11 PM), you will then be taken to a page listing the national parks, and “Yushan National Park Headquarters” should already be highlighted.

Click “search”, then scroll down to see the different options. Next to “2 Days (Tataka – Yushan Trails – Tataka) (Paiyun Lodge Advance Application)”, click “apply”.

Now you will see a long list of Yushan hiking regulations. Just check the box beside each one. There are even more than you can see in my below screenshot.

Now you’ll see a list of application types. Select the first option, “Paiyun Lodge Advanced Application”.

If you missed the quota for foreigners or wanted to try for a spot on weekends, choose the standard application, then you will be added to the draw.

Now comes a fun part – you get to name your group. Whether you are doing the hike solo like I did or organizing it for a group (up to 12 people including yourself), input a group name at the top.

“Yushan Trails” and “2 Days (Tataka – Yushan Trails – Tataka) should already be selected. You’ll also see a simple map of the hike.

Next, scroll down and confirm that your total hiking days, entry date, and departure date are correct.

Now you need to create your planned route by dragging items from the blue area into your Day 1 and Day 2 schedule, as I have done below.

If you’re sleeping at Paiyun Lodge, hiking the peak for sunrise the next morning, then hiking out (this is the most common and recommended route for 2 days 1 night), then your route should look exactly like mine below.

Next, for “General knowledge about hiking, select “Online learning”, which means you will use the Internet to learn everything you need to know for doing this hike.

For “Will you be carrying a GPS device?”, select YES. Keep in mind that all smartphones have GPS.

Personally, I use the paid version of the AllTrails app. This allows me to download the trail map, which will then work even if I don’t have an Internet signal.

Then, while hiking, I can always see exactly where I am on the hiking map. This has saved me from getting lost many times (including twice on my Yushan hike!)

Next, you’ll see some details in Mandarin about the Police Department Mountain Pass Application, as in my below screenshot.

If you have a Taiwanese bank account, you’ll need to transfer funds for your Yushan Permit and Paiyun Lodge stay (we’ll get to that below).

When you pay, then the Police Mountain Entry Permit application will be sent in for you. You’ll then receive both permits by email and have to print them before the hike.

If you don’t have a Taiwanese bank account, this pass section is irrelevant. You’ll be applying for the police permit on your own on a different website (we’ll also get to that below) or you can just apply for it at the police station in the national park.

Either way, there’s nothing you need to key in or change on the below screen.

Now it’s time to enter your personal information. Foreign addresses and phone numbers should work here, starting with + and the country code. Your phone and cell number can be the same.

For emergency contact, foreign numbers *should* work too. You’re supposed to put the number of a family member (or close friend) who won’t be with you on the hike.

Kids are allowed on the hike, but they can’t be the main applicant (you’ll add team members later).

Assuming you are also the one doing this hike (not applying for someone else), for Team Leader info, just click “Same as applicant” and it should paste all your info over.

Now you get to add team members, if you have any. You can add up to 11 other people besides yourself (maximum 12 per group).

Click the green “add team member” to add more people and key in all their personal info.

Next, you need to add an emergency coordinator. This person should also not be in your group and they should be aware of your hiking plans and find out when you are finished the hike.

Essentially, if your whole group disappears, this is the person who would know and report it.

It’s fine if you use the same person as your emergency contact used earlier. Note that only their name and phone number are needed here.

You can only click “same as applicant” if you applying for others but you personally won’t be going on the hike.

Now you get to book your spot at Paiyun Lodge. The screenshot shows how many bunks are left. If you’re applying as soon as the system opens, as I recommend, this will almost always say 116 available and 0 lining up, under review, or approved.

All you need to do here is enter the authentication code at the bottom right and click “Next”.

Ignore the fact that my screenshot says Group Size of 2. I accidentally added myself twice and had to go back and fix it.

Finally, you’ll see confirmation page with all the details of your application. You’ll need to enter another verification code and then hit “Submit”.

After you click submit, it will take a few minutes to go through. Actually, mine kept saying “submitting” for 10+ minutes, but when I received the emails, I knew it had gone through so I finally closed the screen.

Note: if you started filling in the forms before 7 AM, you may have to refresh the page once before submitting. Click “Save Draft” before refreshing.

Step 3: Acceptance and Payment

Three minutes after I submitted my application, I received a detailed confirmation email from hiketaiwan@nps.gov.tw with my application details (scroll down for English in the email).

The email also included an application number and said I can enter it here at any time to view the status of my application.

Just over two hours later, I received another email saying that my application was accepted. Note: I did the hike in winter, which is the slow season. In the busy season (late spring and summer), it could take longer.

Later that day, I got another email from them with information about the Paiyun Lodge (Yushan Permit) payment.

It included info for making a bank transfer of TWD 490 (480 + 10 bank transfer fee). If you have a Taiwanese bank account, you are supposed to do it this way.

The email said that the deadline to pay is 3 days after being allotted a spot at Paiyun Lodge. If you have a Taiwan bank account, go ahead and pay after receiving that email. If you don’t, see below.

Even if you pay now, you receive another email asking for payment 4 weeks before your hike. As long as you paid, you can ignore it.

After you pay, they will submit your Mountain Entry Permit to the police for you (it was part of the application). You’ll should receive it within a few days and need to print it for your hike.

Your Yushan Permit will become available five days before your hike. You can find it here. It’s not necessary to print it. You can just screenshot it.

If you don’t have a Taiwanese bank account, after you receive the email with the payment instructions, you are supposed to send them a message here to indicate you will pay in person on the day of the hike. You need to do this within three days of receiving your application acceptance email.

After you do that, you’ll receive a confirmation email saying that they got it. Then you can ignore the payment reminder email that will come 4 weeks before your hike.

Since you will be paying the TWD 480 in person, remember to bring TWD 480 cash (exact change only), to be paid when you check in at Paiyun Mountaineering Center (here), at the entrance to the national park.

Even though I have a Taiwanese bank account, I tried doing it this way because I wanted to experience the process as foreign travelers do (for writing this article).

When I paid on the day of the hike, the park staff showed me my Yushan permit on his computer screen and asked me to take a photo of it in case I needed it.

Step 4: Police (Mountain Entry) Permit

Besides the Yushan permit (which you get through the above application process), you also need to apply for a Mountain Entry Permit, which is issued by the local police.

As I already described above, if you have a Taiwanese bank account, you are supposed to pay for your Paiyun Lodge stay according to their email instructions.

After you do that, the Mountain Entry Permit section of your application will be forwarded to the police on your behalf – there’s nothing you need to do. Then you should receive both the Mountain Entry Permit by email a few days after your application – print it and bring it on the hike.

If you don’t have a Taiwanese bank account, you have two options for the Mountain Entry Permit. The first is to apply for it at Tataka Police Station (here next to Paiyun Mountaineering Center) at the start of your hike.

Note that they open at 6:30 AM. If you’re going to be there earlier, you’ll need to do it the below way.

The second way, which I recommend because it’s easy and will save you some time on the day of your hike, is to apply online in advance. You can do this 124 to 3 days in advance.

This application is not so complicated, so I’m not going to include screenshots of every step. You’ll need to agree to some rules, enter your name and ID (passport or ARC) number, phone number, email, address, emergency contact.

To verify yoru email, enter it first, click “verify email”, then you’ll receive a code by email. Enter that into the box then proceed.

For the mountaineering plan, see my below example.

When I first tried to submit the form, it didn’t work and I got a popup saying “List file not inputted yet”.

To make it work, I had to click the roster at the bottom, fill in my personal info and emergency contact again. If you had more people, you’d enter them here too.

Then, when I submitted, it asked me to confirm that I was only one person, and then it worked. The next page said “Application Content” and showed a summary of my application. It never actually said “Your application has been submitted”, but it has been.

Almost immediately, I received an email with the permit attached as a password-protected PDF file. The password was my passport number. I actually received the exact same email three times.

I also noticed one strange thing about my permit. At the top, for my “permit number” and “tabulation date”, it showed some weird formulas instead of numbers. I suspect something was wrong with their system. I messaged Yushan National Park about it. They said they’d forward my email to the tech team but I never heard back.

Anyways, I just printed the form, and there was no issue when I showed it on the day of the hike.

Step 5: Dongpu Lodge Booking

I recommend staying at Dongpu Lodge (2580m) the night before your hike to acclimatize to the elevation. I’ll explain in more detail why I recommend this in my Yushan hiking guide (coming soon).

Staying in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (2200m) would also do the trick, though not quite as good (due to lower elevation), and you’d need to have a car to drive from Alishan to Yushan the next day (the bus would be too late).

You can book Dongpu Lodge here 30 days before your stay. The site is in Mandarin but you can manage by copy-pasting the words to GoogleTranslate.

The form requires a Taiwan phone number (10 digits starting with 09 – you can just make one up). It also asks whether you will depart in the middle of the night (for a one-day sunrise summit) or early morning (for a normal hike like I did).

You can also just email them to book – they do have someone who can reply in English. Their email address is dongpusky@gmail.com.

After I sent in my booking, they asked me to transfer TWD 400 from my Taiwanese bank account, which I did. But for foreign visitors, just reply and tell them you will pay cash on arrival.

Note: if you’re going to arrive at Dongpu Lodge later than 6 PM you should let them known in advance. If you’re going to arrive later than 8 PM, there will be no staff on site, so you need to pay for your spot in advance.

Highway 18 from Chiayi and Alishan to Yushan is open 24 hrs, but Highway 21 from Sun Moon Lake to Yushan is only open 7 AM to 5:30 PM.

Step 6: Submit “Snow Control Application Checklist”

If you plan to hike Yushan in winter, you will have to complete a Snow Control Application Checklist. Winter on the mountain is from mid-December to the end of March.

Because I did my recent hike at the end of March, they sent me this form by email about 4 weeks before my hiking date.

In the form, I had to sign it to confirm that I have experience hiking in snowy conditions above 3000 meters, I am physically fit, and that I would bring crampons, a helmet, and an ice axe. And yes, I did bring these three items, even though I knew they don’t check for them when you do the hike.

When I did the hike, there was still some snow on the mountain, but not enough to require the crampons and ice axe. However, only one week before my hike, there was a cold snap in Taiwan, with very icy conditions at the peak, and two hikers fell and died. Others have died in previous years, too.

Therefore, I don’t suggest doing this hike in winter unless you really do have some winter high mountain hiking experience, are willing to bring the equipment needed, actually know how to use it, and are OK with the risk.

Step 7: Order Meals and Sleeping Bag

Around 7-to-10 days before your hike, you need to order your sleeping bag (no pillow offered) and meals for Paiyun Lodge. There was no email reminder about this.

The menu form is here. Complete it and email it to go177813@gmail.com. You can pay online with credit card here then screenshot the payment confirmation and send it with your order. Or you can tell them you will pay in cash at the lodge.

For the 2 day (one night) hike, I recommend “Special Offer A” (TWD 850).

This includes sleeping bag, dinner on your arrival day, early morning breakfast (before you set off for sunrise), and “brunch” (after you come down from sunrise).

Step 8: On the Day of the Hike

Whether you drive to Yushan or take the bus there, when you arrive at Shangdongpu parking lot and bus stop (here), you’ll need to walk about five minutes up a steep car road to Tataka Police Station and Paiyun Mountaineering Center (Yushan National Park Visitor’s Center).

If you spent the night at Dongpu Lodge like I did, it will be more like a 15-minute uphill walk. There’s also a shuttle bus (TWD 100) from Dongpu Lodge to the Visitor’s Center and onward to the Yushan trailhead.

If you didn’t apply for the Yushan Mountain Entry Permit in advance, you should do it now in Tataka Police Station. If you applied in advance, you should have the printed form already.

Next, go into the Paiyun Mountaineering Center next door and check in for your hike. Show your Mountain Entry Permit, passport, and screenshot of the Yushan permit.

If you didn’t pay for the Yushan permit (Paiyun Lodge) yet (because you don’t have a Taiwanese bank account), you will now pay TWD 480 (exact change only). When I did this, the staff showed me my permit on a computer screen and asked me to take a photo of it in case I needed to show anyone later (I didn’t).

From there, you can walk (45 minutes) or ride the shuttle (TWD 100, 5 minutes) to the Yushan trailhead (here). Enjoy your hike, and please see my more general Yushan guide for everything you need to know about it!