Taiwan: Authorities extend domestic COVID-19 curbs through Feb. 28 /update 63

Event

Taiwan has extended ongoing Level-2 rules until at least Feb. 28 amid ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Additionally, authorities plan to lift an entry ban on migrant workers from Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam from Feb. 15. Workers must be fully vaccinated and undergo a 14-day quarantine at designated hotels, followed by seven days of self-health management. Other international travel curbs continue.

Domestic Measures
Businesses must continue to limit capacity to one person per 2.25 square meters (24 square feet) indoors and one person per square meter (10 square feet) outdoors. Recreational venues with hostess services may operate. Companies must continue to permit employees to work from home when possible and stagger working hours. Officials have mandated workers in at least 24 sectors such as childcare facilities, recreational venues like dance halls and swimming complexes, and educational institutions to complete vaccination at least two weeks before Jan. 1 or undergo routine COVID-19 testing thereafter. Visitors to certain entertainment venues, like bars and nightclubs, must present a COVID-19 vaccine pass proving they are fully vaccinated to enter the premises.

Facemasks are mandatory in public, with exemptions for outdoor workers in specific industries, sports competitions, and while eating or drinking in certain indoor settings, among others. Exempt individuals must wear masks if crowds materialize nearby or if social distancing is impossible. Local governments can adjust measures depending on COVID-19 activity. Individuals and organizations that violate business closure orders and gatherings rules face fines of up to NTD 300,000. Individuals violating facemask requirements may face fines up to NTD 15,000.

International Travel Restrictions
Officials continue to ban most foreign nationals without valid Alien Resident Certificates from entering Taiwan. Noncitizens are also barred from boarding international transit flights except for emergency humanitarian reasons. Permitted migrant workers and foreign spouses, and children of Taiwanese citizens and residents can apply for a visa to enter the island.

Until Feb. 28, inbound passengers must quarantine for 14 days followed by seven days of self-monitoring. Arrivals with travel or transit history in the past 14 days in high-risk locations must quarantine for two weeks in specific group facilities. Those from other locations may opt for other arrangements as follows.

Under Program A, individuals must spend 14 days in hotel quarantine. Those under Program B may quarantine for 10 days in a hotel and four days at home. Fully vaccinated people may quarantine for seven days in a self-paid government facility or hotel, and seven days at home under Program C; arrivals from Feb. 6 may not avail of government facilities. Rooms at government facilities cost NTD 1,500 per night. Home quarantine is only applicable if all other household members are fully vaccinated. Inbound passengers opting for home quarantine must submit proof that they have suitable accommodations no more than 48 hours before departure. Passengers who do not accurately report their travel and medical history could face fines of up to NTD 150,000.

All arrivals must submit an online Quarantine System for Entry form within 48 hours before entry. They must also hold negative results of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within two days before departure. Additional tests are compulsory upon arrival, at the end of facility quarantine, and during and at the end of home quarantine. Those seeking exemptions to pre-departure testing for emergencies must provide supporting documents or face penalties; they must pay for an on-arrival COVID-19 test. Inbound travelers who had COVID-19 symptoms within the previous 14 days must undergo a PCR test upon arrival and 24 hours later.

Enhanced screening could cause delays at transport hubs across the island, especially at airports and main railway stations. Flights to mainland China remain restricted indefinitely; airlines can only fly to airports in Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (SHA, PVG), Xiamen (XMN), and Chengdu (CTU). Taiwan continues to ban cruise ships.

Advice

Confirm entry requirements before traveling to Taiwan. Follow all official instructions. Make allowances for business disruptions. 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 (Chinese)
Ministry of Health and Welfare Quarantine System for Entry (Chinese)