Taiwan is considering an end to its quarantine requirement for all arrivals in mid-October, as the East Asian economy moves to dismantle some of the last pandemic-related border restrictions still in place globally.
The island has been one of the few places in the world that has held on to a quarantine for all arrivals throughout the course of the pandemic. In recent months, it has steadily reduced the previously 2-week-long quarantine.
Taiwan’s cabinet said on Thursday it would aim to end its requirement that arrivals quarantine at a hotel or at home for three days, followed by four days of self-monitoring, from around October 13.
Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng told local media that visa-free entry for all countries that had the status before the pandemic would also resume from next Thursday. Lo said the government would also raise the weekly limit for international visitors to 60,000 and scrap PCR COVID tests for inbound passengers.
Starting September 12, 2022, Taiwan reinstated visa-exempt entry scheme for nationals of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, European countries, and diplomatic allies. The scheme is open to the designated nations’ nationals entering Taiwan to engage in activities that do not require a permit, such as business, exhibition visits, fact-finding missions, international exchanges, visiting relatives, tourism, and social events. For activities that, according to the laws and regulations of relevant agencies, do require a permit, travelers must apply to the central competent authority of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) for permission and obtain a special entry permit (visa) from an R.O.C. (Taiwan) overseas mission.
Foreign nationals who wish to travel to Taiwan but do not meet the requirements for visa-exempt entry should ensure that their purpose of travel is among the reasons for entry currently allowed by the CECC. They must prepare relevant documents and apply for a special entry permit (visa) at an R.O.C. (Taiwan) overseas mission.
After adhering to a “zero COVID” strategy for more than two years, Taiwan has recorded more than 6 million cases since the highly infectious Omicron variant and its subvariants began spreading locally in January.
More than 99.5 percent of infections, however, have been mild or asymptomatic, according to Taiwan’s health authorities.
