Since the pandemic started, Taiwan has had one of the strictest border measures in the world, effectively barring visitors for leisure purposes.
Considering the island was one of our most popular travel destinations, this had caused much dismay among Singaporeans.
We have now come a step closer to travelling to Taiwan on holiday, as they will allow visa-free entry for Singaporeans.
Source: Thomas Tucker on Unsplash
However, quarantine and Covid-19 testing will still be needed.
In a short press release on Monday (5 Sep), the Taiwan Centers For Disease Control (CDC) said visa exemption will be restored for citizens of a number of countries.
This will take effect next Monday (12 Sep).
These countries were previously allowed visa-free entry to Taiwan for their citizens until Covid-19 broke out.
The reason for the move was “to be in line with international trends and to balance the needs of disease prevention efforts and promotion of economic and social activities”.
However, the public was reminded that border measures will be adjusted based on pandemic developments.
Under the programme, citizens of 54 countries will enjoy visa-free entry and a stay of up to 90 days.
According to a list on the Taiwan Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) website, they include major Western countries and diplomatic allies including:
However, Singaporeans and citizens of seven other countries — including Malaysia — will be allowed a stay of up to 30 days only, said BOCA.
Source: Vernon Raineil Cenzon on Facebook
This is on top of the usual visa-free entry that we enjoyed before the pandemic.
In a press conference on Monday (5 Sep), Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said most countries worldwide had already reopened their borders and resumed pre-pandemic entry measures, the island’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported.
Despite this, the existing requirement for three days’ quarantine plus four days of “self-initiated epidemic prevention” (known as the “3+4 quarantine protocol”) will still be needed for all arrivals in Taiwan.
Travellers will also need to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival.
The current limit of 50,000 arrivals a week will also remain.
As for the rule on pre-departure PCR tests, that has already been scrapped.
Though Taiwan’s Covid-19 border restrictions are one of the toughest in the world, they have been eased gradually this year.
The return of visa-free entry is a step closer to full reopening, and will at least make it easier for leisure visitors to come back.
This might seem like a slow process, but it gives us hope that we can soon travel to Taiwan easily like we did in the pre-Covid era.
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Featured images adapted from Thomas Tucker on Unsplash.
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