Taiwan: Taiwan to bar entry of nonresident foreigners, international transit flights May 19 to June 18; domestic controls increased /update 41

Event

Officials in Taiwan are further tightening international travel restrictions in response to increased COVID-19 activity. From 00:01 May 19 through June 18, foreign nationals without valid Alien Resident Certificates will be barred from entering Taiwan. Authorities will also prevent noncitizens from making international transit flights through airports in Taiwan during the same period. Some exceptions to the entry ban may be granted for emergency humanitarian purposes.

The Taiwanese government has also increased domestic gathering and business controls. Authorities have ordered the closure of several classes of nonessential businesses, including bars, clubs, saunas, and internet cafes, throughout Taiwan. Authorities have warned that stricter Level 3 controls currently in place in Taipei and New Taipei City may be imposed throughout Taiwan if case numbers continue to rise.

Under the Level 3 restrictions that are active in Taipei and New Taipei City through at least May 28, residents are asked to avoid all nonessential movement and gatherings. Individuals must wear facemasks in all public places. No more than five people may congregate indoors, while outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people or fewer. Businesses are required to ensure social distancing by allowing employees to work from home when possible and staggering working hours. In-person classes have been suspended at schools.

As of May 18, Level 2 controls remain in place in areas outside of Taipei and New Taipei City. Under these directives, the government restricts all outdoor events of more than 500 people and indoor activities of 100 or more people. Authorities only allow such events if organizers submit a disease prevention plan and obtain permission from local authorities; organizers must also provide designated seating that ensures social distancing between attendees, enforce facemask use, prohibit food and beverage consumption on site, and collect attendee contact information. Officials have banned eating and drinking on public transport, including trains, buses, ferries, and domestic flights. Taiwan Railways Administration has suspended the sale of standing-only train tickets. Authorities have also restricted visits to patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities to one full-time caregiver per patient.

Other social distancing measures also remain in effect throughout Taiwan. Companies must ensure customers can stay 1.5 meters (5 feet) away from others while inside establishments; they must also require patrons to wear facemasks when distancing is impossible, 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. 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. Violators could face fines of NTD 3,000-15,000 (USD 107-533). Officials also require facemasks in all public venues in Taoyuan through at least May 31. 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. Enhanced screening could cause delays at transport hubs across the island, especially at airports and main railway stations.

Travel Restrictions
Flights to mainland China remain restricted indefinitely; airlines are only allowed to fly to airports in Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (SHA, PVG), Xiamen (XMN), and Chengdu (CTU). Transit through Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is possible until 00:01 May 19, provided travelers have a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure, enter and leave on the same airline, and limit the stopover to less than eight hours. Taiwan continues to ban cruise ships.

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.

Most arrivals must self-quarantine for 14 days. All incoming passengers must submit proof that they have suitable accommodations for quarantine in Taiwan. Travelers planning to quarantine at home must sign an affidavit confirming they meet the one-person-per-residence requirements. All inbound travelers who had COVID-19 symptoms within the previous 14 days must undergo a PCR test upon arrival and a second such test 24 hours later. Officials require these travelers to stay at a government quarantine facility until both results are available and to see a physician before completing 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 5,336).

Authorities require some inbound travelers from Southeast Asian countries to 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. Passengers who have been to the UK, South Africa, eSwatini, India, or Brazil within 14 days of their arrival in Taiwan must follow self-health management procedures for seven days following their mandatory self-quarantine periods. Arrivals with recent travel history in Brazil and India remain subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine in government-run facilities.

The government will allow some essential short-term business travel for specific activities from countries and regions on the Central Epidemic Command Center's (CECC) low- and medium-risk locations until 00:01 May 19. Travelers must not have visited a high-risk location within 14 days of departure and plan to stay in Taiwan for less than three months. Short-term business travelers also need to provide documentation from a local entity detailing the reason for the trip, a complete travel itinerary, a disease prevention plan, and the results of a COVID-19 test to apply for reduced quarantine in advance of their travel. Arrivals from low-risk countries may leave isolation on the fifth day of quarantine, while travelers from medium-risk countries may exit quarantine on the seventh day. After leaving quarantine, business travelers must practice self-health management until the 21st day after entry. As of May 18, the CECC classifies Australia, Brunei, Macao, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, and Palau as low risk. Bhutan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and Fiji are designated medium-risk locations.

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