Taiwan: Officials to provide special entry permits to limited categories of international travelers from July 25 /update 69

Event

Authorities in Taiwan are planning to provide special entry permits for limited categories of international travelers from July 25. Individuals eligible to apply for a special entry permit include volunteers, missionaries, interns, international exchange participants, religious scholars, and holiday workers. These categories of arriving travelers will nonetheless be subject to the island's international travel restrictions.

Domestic Measures
Businesses must 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. 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. Additionally, travelers to Taiwan's offshore counties no longer need to take a COVID-19 test before departure.

Facemasks are mandatory in public, with exemptions for outdoor workers in specific industries, sports competitions, exercise, and 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. Permitted migrant workers and foreign spouses, and children of Taiwanese citizens and residents can apply for a visa to enter the island. International business travelers can apply for special entry permits; foreigners may submit their applications to the Republic of China (Taiwan) representative offices in their respective countries. Individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau may also apply for entry upon invitation by organizations in Taiwan for business purposes, including internal company transfers. Transit passengers, except those traveling to or from mainland China, are allowed at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). Transit travelers cannot stay at the airport for more than 12 hours and must connect on the same calendar day.

Authorities have lifted pre-entry COVID-19 testing requirements for Taiwan citizens, Alien Resident Certificate holders, and transit passengers. Other rules, such as on-arrival testing and quarantine, remain unchanged. The exemption does not apply to individuals who have recently tested positive for COVID-19; such travelers must wait at least seven days after their positive test to depart for Taiwan. All other entrants must continue to undergo COVID-19 testing within two days before departure.

All arrivals must submit an online Quarantine System for Entry form within 48 hours before entry. Travelers, except Taiwan citizens, Alien Resident Certificate holders, and transit passengers, must also possess a negative result from a PCR test taken within two days before departure. Travelers who recently tested positive for COVID-19 must wait at least seven days from their first positive test and undergo pre-departure testing to fly to Taiwan. Individuals seeking exemptions to pre-departure testing for emergencies must provide supporting documents. Passengers who do not accurately report their travel and medical history could face fines of up to NTD 150,000.

All entrants must take a saliva-based PCR test on arrival. Travelers must self-quarantine for three days, followed by a four-day epidemic prevention period. Affected passengers can leave accommodations to work or purchase essential goods during the prevention period with a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) taken within 48 hours. Authorities also permit travelers fulfilling contractual obligations in public during the prevention period for work, site visits, and speeches, among other reasons. People in public during the prevention period must maintain social distancing and use facemasks at all times.

Returning airline crew members on short- and long-haul flights who have received a COVID-19 booster vaccine at least 14 days prior are exempt from quarantine but must undergo five and seven days of self-health management respectively. All crew members must undergo PCR tests on arrival. Fully vaccinated crew members on short- and long-haul flights must undergo rapid or PCR tests every five and two days, respectively.

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)