Taiwan: Authorities to relax some entry restrictions for nonresidents from March 1 /update 35

Event

Officials in Taiwan plan to relax certain COVID-19 travel restrictions for nonresidents while continuing some internal social distancing measures. Effective March 1, nonresidents will be allowed to transit through Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). Transit passengers must provide a negative result from a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure for TPE; they must also enter and leave on the same airline, and stopovers may not exceed eight hours. Additionally, nonresidents will be allowed to apply to enter Taiwan for the purposes of medical treatment. Residents of mainland China who study in Taiwan may also be authorized to enter from March 1.

As of Feb. 26, social distancing mandates remain in effect throughout Taiwan. Companies must ensure customers can stay a distance of 1.5 meters (5 feet) away from others while inside establishments; they must also require patrons to wear facemasks when distancing is not possible, implement temperature checks, and participate in contact tracing efforts. A facemask use directive is in force for healthcare facilities, business and office locations, public transport, restaurants and bars, educational centers, sports and exhibition sites, entertainment venues, and religious spaces. Violators could face fines of NTD 3,000-15,000 (USD 108-539). Thermal scanners remain in place at rail stations, airports, ports, post offices, and bus stations. Staff will deny entry to any passenger with a fever. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications requires passengers at transport hubs, on intercity buses, and at highway rest stops, as well as customers at Chunghwa Post offices, to wear facemasks. Enhanced screening could cause delays at transport hubs across the island, especially at airports and main railway stations.

Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban entry for most nonresident foreigners. Prior to traveling to Taiwan, all incoming passengers must submit proof that they have suitable accommodations for quarantine. Travelers planning to quarantine at home must sign an affidavit confirming they meet the one-person-per-residence requirements. Inbound travel for tourism and social reasons remains banned. All arrivals must undergo a COVID-19 test at their own expense before their release from quarantine.

Starting March 1, the government will allow essential short-term business travel for specific activities from countries and regions on the Central Epidemic Command Center's (CECC) low- and medium-risk location lists. Travelers from designated locations may not have visited a high-risk location in the last 14 days before departing for Taiwan and must be planning to stay in Taiwan for less than 3 months; they must also submit 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. Business travelers may also apply to local health authorities for a shortened quarantine period; arrivals from low-risk countries may leave isolation after taking a COVID-19 test at their own expense on the fifth day of quarantine while travelers from medium risk countries may exit quarantine after taking a test on the seventh day. After leaving quarantine, business travelers will need to practice self-health management until the 21st day after entry. As of Feb. 26, the CECC classifies Bhutan, Brunei, East Timor, Fiji, Laos, Macao, Mauritius, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, and the Marshall Islands as low risk, and Australia, Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam as medium risk. Business travelers arriving from low-risk areas who have obtained advance permission for a shortened quarantine must isolate for five days at government-designated facilities, while those traveling from medium-risk destinations must do so for seven days. Business travelers who have not obtained a shortened quarantine permit in advance of their travel must quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their point of origin.

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.

• 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. Exceptions to testing requirements 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 Brazil, South Africa, eSwatini, or the UK in the previous 14 days to quarantine at centralized facilities for two weeks. The CECC also mandates that passengers from these locations test negative for COVID-19 and follow self-health management procedures for seven days after release from quarantine. 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. Airline crews and pilots traveling from Brazil may also be required to self-quarantine. 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 5,391).

Most arrivals, except for business travelers from low- and medium-risk countries who have successfully applied for a reduced quarantine permit, 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

Consider postponing 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.

Resources

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