Taiwan: Officials to impose some controls on train ridership Feb. 8-16; international travel restrictions continue /update 32

Event

Officials in Taiwan have announced some restrictions on passenger train travel, effective Feb. 8-16, amid efforts to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19). During the specified period, passengers must have reservations before boarding trains. Additionally, the number of standing-only tickets will be reduced. Authorities have warned that the restrictions are likely to increase private vehicle use and road congestion during the Lunar New Year holiday period, which runs Feb. 11-16. Additionally, officials are urging people to reconsider large public gatherings throughput Taiwan following the recent discovery of a COVID-19 cluster at Taoyuan General Hospital. Additional gathering and travel restrictions may be imposed in the coming days and weeks.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) continues to mandate social distancing throughout Taiwan. Companies must ensure customers can maintain 1.5 meters (5 feet) of distance inside establishments, require patrons to wear facemasks when distancing is not possible, implement temperature checks, and participate in contact tracing efforts. The government is enforcing a facemask mandate at healthcare facilities, business and office locations, public transport, restaurants and bars, educational centers, sports and exhibition sites, entertainment venues, and religious spaces. People violating facemask regulations could face fines of NTD 3,000-15,000 (USD 106-531). Thermal scanners have been installed at rail stations, airports, ports, post offices, and bus hubs. Staff will deny entry to any passenger with a fever. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications requires passengers at transport hubs, intercity buses, and highway rest stops and customers at Chunghwa Post offices to wear facemasks. Enhanced screening measures could cause delays at transport hubs across the island, especially at airports and main railway stations.

Travel Restrictions

The government has banned entry for most nonresident foreigners and suspended transit flights due to COVID-19 concerns. All entrants must submit proof of a quarantine location before departure. Travelers attempting to quarantine at home must sign an affidavit confirming they meet the one person per residence requirements.

The government allows essential, short-term business travel for specific activities from countries and regions on the CECC's low- and medium-risk location lists. Travelers from designated locations must remain in their home location for 14 days before departure and provide documentation from a local entity detailing the reason for the trip, a full travel itinerary, a disease prevention plan, and the results of a COVID-19 test to apply for reduced quarantine. As of Jan. 28, the CECC classifies Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Fiji, Laos, Macao, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, and Vietnam as low risk and Australia and Singapore as medium risk. Business travelers arriving from low-risk areas must quarantine for five days at government-designated facilities, while people traveling from medium-risk destinations must quarantine for seven days. Individuals from these countries that do not obtain advance permission for a shortened quarantine must complete a 14-day quarantine. All travelers must undergo a COVID-19 test at their own expense before their release from quarantine.

Inbound travel for tourism and social reasons remains banned; however, the following exceptions to the entry ban and quarantine requirements are in effect:

• Officials allow mainland Chinese spouses of Taiwan citizens and resident foreign nationals to enter the island, provided they hold reunion permits. Underage children of these travelers can also enter Taiwan. Authorities already allow children under six years old from mainland China with residence permits to enter Taiwan with one parent, provided they can complete the 14-day self-quarantine requirement.

• Residents from Hong Kong and Macau can apply for entry for humanitarian and emergency reasons, to fulfill contractual agreements, or as part of a transfer within multinationals.

• Officials permit foreign nationals possessing Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs), as well as Hong Kong and Macau citizens with residence permits, to enter the island without a negative COVID-19 test.

• People in self-isolation or quarantine may apply to leave for up to two hours every other day for compassionate reasons, such as to attend or plan a relative's funeral or visit a severely ill relative. The option is only available if the returning traveler has been in isolation for at least five days, is asymptomatic, and pays for a COVID-19 test before leaving isolation.

• Foreign nationals may be allowed to enter Taiwan if they are the spouse or underage child of a Taiwan citizen and for diplomatic, humanitarian, and contractual reasons. Foreign nationals must apply for a special entry permit with their local Taiwan representative office.

Officials require most inbound passengers, including Taiwan citizens and residents, to present a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test obtained within three business days before departure. Individuals with ARCs who cannot obtain a test are exempt from the rule. The CECC also grants exceptions for short-term travelers departing and returning to Taiwan within three days, children under six years old, and passengers with old test results due to flight cancellations or delays. Exceptions are possible in emergency situations, but passengers receiving them must pay for a COVID-19 test upon arrival. All travelers seeking exemptions to pre-departure testing must provide supporting documents or face penalties.

Authorities require all arrivals with a travel history to South Africa and eSwatini in the previous 14 days to quarantine at centralized facilities for two weeks. The CECC also mandates passengers from these locations to test negative for COVID-19 and follow self-health management procedures for seven days after release from quarantine. The same requirements remain in effect for inbound passengers with a 14-day travel history to the UK. Officials will likely require airline crew and pilots traveling from South Africa and eSwatini to self-quarantine for 14 days before leaving their homes, in line with crewmembers arriving from the UK. Airlines in Taiwan continue to suspend direct passenger and cargo flights between the UK and Taiwan through at least the end of February.

Health officials continue enhanced screenings for arriving passengers. All inbound travelers who had COVID-19 symptoms within the previous 14 days must undergo a PCR test upon arrival. Passengers testing negative must take another PCR test 24 hours later. Officials require these travelers to stay at a government quarantine facility until both results are available and see a physician before release to complete the remainder of the quarantine period. Passengers bound for Taiwan who do not accurately report their travel and medical history could face fines of up to NTD 150,000 (USD 5,353).

Most arrivals, except those from low- and medium-risk countries, must self-quarantine for 14 days. Authorities require some inbound travelers from Southeast Asian countries to undergo a 14-day quarantine at government-designated hotels; officials will direct arriving passengers living with people with chronic illnesses, children younger than six years old, or adults older than 65 years old to the facilities. All travelers must pay for a COVID-19 test before their release from quarantine.

Taiwan is maintaining limits on flights to mainland China indefinitely. Under the measures, airlines are only allowed to fly to airports in Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (SHA, PVG), Xiamen (XMN), and Chengdu (CTU), though officials are reportedly planning to approve more cities in the coming weeks. China Airlines and EVA Air continue to cancel most flight services to mainland China. Taiwan is maintaining a ban on cruise ships.

Advice

Postpone travel to Taiwan if affected by travel restrictions. Confirm entry requirements before traveling to Taiwan. Follow all official instructions. Allow additional time for health screenings when arriving in or traveling across Taiwan. Consider delaying travel if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny, delays, and quarantine. Confirm all ground transportation arrangements in Taiwan, and allow additional time for travel ahead of, during, and after the Lunar New Year holiday.

Resources

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control
Ministry of Health and Welfare Quarantine System for Entry