Taiwan: Officials to ease border and quarantine requirements in stages from Sept. 29 /update 73

Event

Authorities in Taiwan plan to ease entry and quarantine requirements in two phases starting Sept. 29. Officials will resume visa-free travel with all eligible locations and visa issuance for tourists from other places. The government will also raise the weekly cap on arrivals to 60,000 people. On-arrival COVID-19 testing for passengers will end. Inbound passengers can quarantine at home or with family or friends for the three-day quarantine period, provided the space has a separate room and bathroom for the traveler. Other travelers must continue to stay at quarantine hotels. Arrivals must take a rapid antigen test (RAT) within 24 hours of arrival and the last day of quarantine; health staff will confirm test results. Arrivals must continue self-health monitoring for four days under existing rules. However, asymptomatic people will be able to use public transport.

The government plans to end quarantine for inbound passengers and lift the weekly cap on arrivals to 150,000 people from Oct. 13. However, arrivals two years old and above must conduct health monitoring for seven days from entry. Officials require a RAT within 24 hours of arrival; a negative RAT result in the previous 48 hours is mandatory to enter the community. People must limit exposure to high-risk people and cannot visit medical facilities for non-urgent care. Authorities provide RATs for arriving passengers.

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. 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.

The government requires locally acquired COVID-19 cases to self-quarantine for seven days, followed by seven days of self-health monitoring. Household contacts of COVID-19 cases must self-isolate for three days, followed by four days of self-health monitoring if they have not received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses. Household members who have received three COVID-19 vaccine doses are exempt from quarantine but must carry out health monitoring for seven days, during which they may leave home if they test negative in a rapid antigen test taken within the past two days.

International Travel Restrictions
Officials permit visa-free entry for foreign nationals from 60 locations; other foreign nationals without valid Alien Resident Certificates remain banned from entering Taiwan until Sept. 29. Permitted migrant workers and foreign spouses, children of Taiwan citizens, and residents can apply for a visa to enter the island. International business travelers, volunteers, missionaries, interns, international exchange participants, religious scholars, and holiday workers can apply for special entry permits at 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.

All arrivals must submit an online Quarantine System for Entry form within 48 hours before entry. Passengers who do not accurately report their travel and medical history could face fines of up to NTD 150,000. Inbound passengers are not required to take a pre-departure test but must take a saliva-based PCR test on arrival until Sept. 29. Travelers must quarantine at a designated hotel or home on a "one-person per residence" basis for three days, followed by a four-day self-health monitoring period. Passengers can leave accommodations to work or purchase essential goods during the self-health monitoring period with a negative result from a 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 must maintain social distancing and use facemasks at all times in public.

Returning airline crew members on short- and long-haul flights who have received a COVID-19 booster vaccine 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
Ministry of Health and Welfare Quarantine System for Entry (Chinese)
Visa-Free Entry Locations