To check the real time evolutions concerning international mobility all over of the world, discover the GoWork – COVID-19 Digital Card.
Update : January 5th, 2021
Quarantine requirements for arrivals from the UK and travellers with history of travel to the UK in the past 14 days
What is the change?
With effect from 23 December 2020, travelers arriving in Taiwan from the UK and those who have travelled to the UK in the past 14 days are required to proceed to group quarantine facilities to undergo quarantine for 14 days. Before they complete the quarantine period, they will be tested for COVID-19.
Additionally, flight crew and cabin crew members are also required to undergo home quarantine for 14 days; before they complete the home quarantine period, they will be tested for COVID-19, and they will be allowed to enter the community after obtaining a negative test result and conducting the 7-day self-health management. If dormitories of airline companies are unable to follow related management measures, the flight crew and cabin crew members shall stay at quarantine hotels for the quarantine period.
Tightened entry restrictions and quarantine measures
What is the change?
The Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) has announced that Taiwan will impose entry restrictions and quarantine regulations for non-R.O.C. nationals. With effect from 1 January 2021, non-R.O.C. nationals may enter Taiwan if they meet the following conditions:
- Foreign nationals: Foreign nationals may enter Taiwan if they hold an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC); for diplomatic or official business; to fulfil contractual obligations; for special humanitarian reasons; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they have obtained other special permission.
- Hong Kong and Macao residents: Hong Kong and Macao residents may enter Taiwan if they hold an ARC; to fulfil contractual obligations; as part of internal transfers within multinational enterprises; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they have obtained permission under special programs.
- Mainland China travelers: Travelers from Mainland China may enter Taiwan if they hold an ARC; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they obtain permission under special programs.
Transit through Taiwan is temporarily prohibited. Short-term business travelers eligible for shortened quarantine periods in Taiwan, except for those who have obtained permission for their application, will be required to complete the 14-day home quarantine.
In addition, the CECC has announced strengthened quarantine measures for travelers coming to Taiwan with effect from 15 January 2021. Apart from the requirement to provide a COVID-19 RT-PCR test report issued within three days of boarding, arriving travelers shall also provide proof of the place of quarantine (in principle, the place shall be a group quarantine facility or quarantine hotel; those who choose to undergo quarantine at home shall make an affidavit to declare they have met the requirement of one person per residence).
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Update : November 16th, 2020
Fourth automatic 30-day visa extension currently in effect for foreign nationals
What is the change?
- The fourth automatic 30-day visa extension is currently in effect for foreigners who have legally stayed in Taiwan for 180 days or more. These extensions, which were announced by the National Immigration Agency on 17 July, 14 August, 14 September, and 15 October 2020, apply to foreign nationals who entered Taiwan on or before 21 March 2020 and whose stay have exceeded 180 days.
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Update : July 30th, 2020
COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures for travellers arriving from Philippines
What is the change?
With effect from 26 July 2020, travellers arriving in Taiwan from Philippines will be subjected to the following COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures:
- Taiwan nationals and certain foreign nationals (foreign nationals with an Alien Resident Certificate or a resident visa, migrant workers, foreign students, and foreign diplomats) must, whether they have symptoms or not, have their specimens collected at the airport. Those who have symptoms shall be transported to a group quarantine facility to await test results; asymptomatic individuals shall undergo a 14-day period of home quarantine at home or at a quarantine hotel.
- Foreign nationals without an Alien Resident Certificate must provide a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test result issued within three days of boarding before they are allowed to board their flight or transit flight. Those who wish to enter Taiwan must also undergo home quarantine for 14 days upon entry.
Adjusted regulations for COVID-19 testing
What is the change?
Foreign nationals who wish to travel to Taiwan for reasons other than tourism and regular social visits may apply for a special entry permit with an R.O.C. overseas mission by submitting relevant documents and forms. Applications by students and people wishing to study Mandarin in Taiwan will be handled by the Ministry of Education in line with its related measures.
Upon entering Taiwan, all foreign nationals must present an English language certificate of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three working days of the flight to Taiwan and undergo a 14-day home quarantine period.
The following visitors may be exempted from the COVID-19 test requirement: personnel on diplomatic or official business, migrant workers, and students (whose entry is managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour, and Ministry of Education and who represent manageable risk levels), as well as people coming to Taiwan for emergency situations and crewmembers on vessels arriving in Taiwan (for whom it may be difficult to obtain a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test). Foreign nationals holding a valid resident visa or an ARC are also exempt. All other foreign nationals must provide the COVID-19 test report upon arrival in Taiwan.
For more details, please refer to the FAQ section in the link below.
Update : July 15th, 2020
Entry testing policy amended
What is the change?
Taiwan recently made amendments to its COVID-19 testing policy for inbound foreign nationals.
Key Points:
- The COVID-19 RT-PCR test required for inbound foreign nationals previously had to be taken within three calendar days prior to boarding a flight to Taiwan. It must now be taken within three working days of boarding.
- All foreign nationals traveling to Taiwan must submit an English-language COVID-19 negative RT-PCR test report from a test taken within three working days of flight boarding, with the following exceptions:
- Personnel on diplomatic or official business, migrant workers, foreign nationals with valid Alien Resident Certificates, and students listed as special cases with manageable pandemic risk by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labor, and Ministry of Education. Individuals who are receiving emergency humanitarian assistance and individuals arriving by boat are also exempt.
- Foreign nationals with valid Alien Residence Certificates remain subject to 14-day home quarantine after entering.
- Visa holders who do not yet possess an Alien Resident Certificate are still required to be tested and submit an English-language COVID-19 negative RT-PCR report from a test taken within three working days of flight boarding.
- In addition to the COVID-19 negative test report submission, foreign nationals traveling to Taiwan must also complete the Quarantine System for Entry form on their cell phones before boarding.
Taiwan first announced the COVID-19 test requirement at the beginning of this month.
Foreign nationals who wish to enter Taiwan should arrange to take a COVID-19 test with an English-language certificate within three working days of boarding their flights.
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Update : April 24th, 2020
Second automatic 30-day extension for foreigners entering Taiwan on or before 21 March 2020 with visa waiver, visitor visa, or landing visa
What is the change?
In view of travel restrictions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) had previously announced an automatic 30-day extension of the stay period for foreigners on 21 March 2020.
On 17 April 2020, MOFA announced that all travellers who entered Taiwan on or before 21 March 2020, on a visitor visa, landing visa, or through a visa-waiver program and who have not overstayed their legal stay period will now be granted a second automatic 30-day extension.
No application is required. The total period of stay cannot exceed 180 days (the day after the entry date will be counted as the first day of stay). These conditions are subject to change and may be adjusted as circumstances require.
In addition, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) has announced the Expanded Overstayers Voluntary Departure Program. Foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas and turn themselves in from 20 March 2020 to 30 June 2020 are entitled to penalty relief measures. They will not be detained or receive an entry ban, and will be given only a minimum fine. For further information, please visit the NIA website here.
Update : March 17th, 2020
Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) raises travel notice for 42 countries and one territory in Eastern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, and Northern Africa to Level 3: Warning
What is the change?
Effective 17 March 2020, the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) will raise its travel notice for 13 countries in Eastern Europe, 15 countries and one territory in the Middle East, five countries in Northern Africa, and nine countries in Central Asia to Level 3: Warning. This comes in addition to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iran, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, which were already subject to a Level 3: Warning travel notice.
The countries and territory covered by this announcement are as follows: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
Travelers from these countries will be required to follow a 14-day period of home quarantine after entering Taiwan.
14-day home quarantine for travelers coming from 27 European countries or Dubai
What is the change?
The CECC announced that, considering the frequent movement of citizens in the Schengen Area, it will raise the travel notice on 17 March 2020 to Level 3: Warning, for all Schengen countries including France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, in addition to Italy, which is already on Level 3. The United Kingdom and Ireland, enjoying free movement in the Area, are also now on Level 3. Dubai (transits included) is also on the list.
People are advised to avoid nonessential travel to these countries. Starting from 2 p.m., 14 March 2020, those already on board are asked to practice more stringent self-health management, whereas travellers yet on board will have to follow a 14-day home quarantine. Staring from 17 March 2020, foreign travellers required to follow home quarantine can pay to stay at the group quarantine facilities if they do not have other places to reside in.
According to the assessment of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is spread through communities in the states of Washington, New York and California. In light of the situation, the CECC raised its travel notice for the above three states to Level 2: Alert. Travelers visiting these regions are advised to practice enhanced precautions. The travel notice for remaining US states is Level 1: Watch, and visitors are advised to take usual precautionary measures.
As infections continue to spread globally, and considering the close transportations and exchange between nations, the CECC raised its travel notice to Level 1: Watch, for all countries yet listed in the advisory. Travelers who have visited countries listed in the Level 1 and 2 categories in the past 14 days are required to practice a 14-day self-health management.
