Taiwan Plans to Resume Visa-Free Travel, But Keep Quarantine

by Daniel McCarthy September 06, 2022

Travelers from more than 60 countries will soon be able to travel to Taiwan without getting a visa, however, the country plans to keep its three-day mandatory quarantine requirement in place.

Starting on Sept. 6, travelers from countries including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., will be able to fly into Taiwan without securing a visa beforehand. When they arrive, travelers will still have to follow the current quarantine restrictions, which include three days of home quarantine and four days of “self-initiated pandemic prevention.”

“On September 5, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that, to be in line with international trends and to balance the needs of disease prevention efforts and promotion of economic and social activities, Taiwan will restore visa exemption treatment for the nationals of the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, countries in Europe, and Taiwan’s diplomatic allies starting September 12, 2022,” Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control said in a statement on Monday.

“The CECC reminds the public that the above border measures and relevant epidemic prevention measures will be adjusted on a rolling basis based on developments in the pandemic situation.”

Aside from that quarantine, there is no other entry requirements for visitors going into Taiwan—Taiwan dropped its PCR testing requirement on August 10.

With the move, Taiwan joins a growing list of countries to have dropped travel restrictions coming out of the pandemic. Most recently, South Korea announced it would no longer require inbound travelers to complete a pre-departure test prior to entering the country.

According to Visit Korea, travelers must undergo a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival, register via Korea’s Q-CODE system, and complete the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization before travel. However, those three mandates will be the last remaining COVID-19 requirements for travelers heading to South Korea.

Others, including Thailand, lifted all requirements earlier this summer.