1. Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has subsided in Taiwan and been brought under control. To ensure the continued effectiveness of epidemic prevention efforts, travelers with permission to enter Taiwan are still required to observe 14 days of home quarantine and seven days of self-health management. Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is seeking to bring social and industrial activity back to normal, improve people’s quality of life, and boost economic prospects. It has launched a campaign to give the public a sense of safety and encourage them to engage in recreational activities and shopping. It is also planning to gradually reopen international economic and trade activity and revitalize the economy on the condition that epidemic prevention efforts are not undermined. These Regulations apply to people traveling to Taiwan from low- and medium-risk countries who wish to make short visits for business purposes (hereinafter referred to as business travelers) and shorten their required home quarantine period.
2. Application conditions (All of the following must be met.)
2.1. The business traveler is eligible to enter the country in accordance with CECC announcements. (Annex 1)
2.2. The business traveler is applying for a duration of stay in Taiwan of less than three months. (Note 1)
2.3. The purpose of the visit is business activity (e.g., inspecting goods, after sale services, technical assistance and training, signing contracts), as shown by documents provided by legal businesses in Taiwan.
2.4. The business traveler is traveling to Taiwan from low- and medium-risk countries as listed by the CECC (Note 2), and has not traveled to other countries or regions in the 14 days prior to boarding the flight for Taiwan.
Notes
(1) These Regulations do not apply to those who plan to stay in Taiwan for more than three months; these people should still observe the 14-day home quarantine after entry.
(2) Countries/regions from which business travelers may depart under these Regulations are determined based on the size and trends of their respective COVID-19 outbreaks, their monitoring and testing capabilities, transparency of pandemic information, and the status of the pandemic in their regions and neighboring countries. In principle, the list of eligible countries/regions will be updated every two weeks. It can be found on the COVID-19 section of the website of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC).
3. Required documents
3.1. The business traveler shall prepare documents detailing the business activities in Taiwan, the travel itinerary for the stay in Taiwan(Annex 2), and a disease prevention plan (including all items listed in Annex 3) issued by the company or institution inviting him or her. The business traveler shall also prepare photocopies of these documents for inspection by the CECC or other agencies upon entry into Taiwan.
3.2. The business traveler shall prepare an English-language certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result issued within three days prior to boarding the flight to Taiwan and show the certificate to the airline’s ground staff during check-in or before boarding. The certificate shall also be provided to local health authorities when applying for a shortened home quarantine period in Taiwan.
Note: The company or institution inviting the business traveler to Taiwan shall make advance preparations for transportation by special quarantine taxis, seating for meals, meetings, and business visits, and related routes and movements. Personnel shall be designated to accompany the business traveler throughout his or her stay in Taiwan to ensure that protective measures are followed. If the business traveler violates relevant rules and regulations or fails to abide by protective measures, necessary quarantine measures may be imposed on him or her. In addition, the hosting company or institution may face more stringent reviews during future applications.
4. Entry permit application and entry/exit regulations
4.1. Entry permit application prior to entry
After preparing the aforementioned documents, the business traveler shall apply for an entry permit through relevant agencies or authorized institutions, as follows:
4.1.1. Foreign nationals: After filling out the online visa application form and preparing the required documents, foreign nationals shall visit a Taiwan representative office in a country or region that is included on the CECC’s list of eligible low- and medium-risk countries/regions to apply for a special entry permit.
4.1.2. Hong Kong and Macao residents: Hong Kong and Macao residents shall take the application form and related documents to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong or Macao, or to a Taiwanese representative office in his or her place of residence, to apply for a special entry permit.
4.1.3. R.O.C. nationals: R.O.C. nationals do not need to apply for the entry permit, but shall prepare an English-language certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result issued within three days prior to boarding the flight to Taiwan and show the certificate to the airline’s ground staff during check-in or before boarding. They shall also prepare relevant documents showing the planned business activities in Taiwan provided by the company or institution inviting them, as well as a travel itinerary and disease prevention plan. They shall present these documents to local health authorities after they check in to their quarantine hotel and apply for a shortened quarantine period.
4.2. Control measures
4.2.1. Before boarding, the business traveler shall use his or her mobile phone to log into the Quarantine System for Entry (https://hdhq.mohw.gov.tw/) and fill out personal information, a mobile phone number in Taiwan, the purpose of travel (business travel; shortened quarantine period), the name of the quarantine hotel in Taiwan, and the contact person’s information in Taiwan. Upon arrival, the business traveler shall show immigration personnel the text message received after completing the website procedure.
4.2.2. After entering the country, the business traveler shall use a Taiwanese mobile phone and phone number provided by the hosting company or institution, or apply for a Taiwanese phone number upon arrival.
4.2.3. At the airport, the business traveler shall take a special quarantine taxi to proceed to the quarantine hotel where he or she will undergo the home quarantine period.
4.2.4. On behalf of the business traveler, the hosting company or institution shall contact the local health authority of the administrative district where the quarantine hotel is located to apply for a shortened quarantine period. A COVID-19 RT-PCR test appointment for the applicant can be made at any hospital included on the Taiwan CDC website’s list of locations where people can take COVID-19 RT-PCR tests at their own expense.
4.2.5. Timeline for home quarantine, test, and self-health management
Upon entering Taiwan, the business traveler will receive a 14-day home quarantine notification from airport epidemic prevention staff. Business travelers who fulfill the following requirements can thereafter apply for a shortened quarantine period:
4.2.5.1. Business travelers from low-risk countries/regions
After entering Taiwan, business travelers from low-risk countries/regions may apply for a COVID-19 RT-PCR test at their own expense on the fifth day of their stay with the local health authority of the administrative district in which their quarantine hotel is located. If the result is negative, they can apply to the local health authority to end their home quarantine period and observe self-health management until the 21st day after entry.
4.2.5.2. Business travelers from medium-risk countries/regions
After entering Taiwan, business travelers from medium-risk countries/regions may apply for a COVID-19 RT-PCR test at their own expense on the seventh day of their stay with the local health authority of the district in which their quarantine hotel is located. If the result is negative, they can apply to the local health authority to end their home quarantine period and observe self-health management until the 21st day after entry.
4.2.5.3. Business travelers from low-and medium-risk countries/regions who plan to stay in Taiwan for less than five or seven days, fulfill the requirements stated in these Regulations, have submitted required documents for inspection, and have acquired a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result three days before departure may apply for early departure through the local health authority of the administrative district in which their quarantine hotel is located.
4.3. Guidelines for stay in Taiwan (home quarantine and self-health management notifications can be found in Annexes 4 and 5):
4.3.1. To proceed to the quarantine hotel from the airport, the business traveler shall take a special quarantine taxi and refrain from using public transport.
4.3.2. The business traveler shall stay at a quarantine hotel following entry into Taiwan until the end of the self-health management period.
4.3.3. During the home quarantine period, the business traveler shall stay at the quarantine hotel. The business traveler is not allowed to leave the hotel or the country. The business traveler shall record his or her temperature and health condition every day, reply to text messages requesting health status updates, and comply with any other relevant measures.
4.3.4. During home quarantine, the business traveler shall avoid receiving nonessential visitors. If the business traveler needs to have a business meeting with the hosting company at the quarantine hotel, the company shall apply to the quarantine hotel beforehand to ensure that the hotel can prepare a suitable space and make personnel arrangements. The business meeting shall be held in a designated meeting room for the entire duration and a social distance of no less than 1.5 meters must be maintained at all times. All participants in the meeting must wear face masks and follow relevant disease prevention measures. Prior to any such business meeting, the quarantine hotel shall enforce restrictions and conduct sanitization under the supervision of or according to standards set by health authorities. The company shall record the time and duration of the meeting, meeting participants, and disease prevention measures taken during the meeting for the reference of health authorities.
4.3.5. The business traveler shall take a special quarantine taxi to and from the designated testing hospital. The hosting company shall send a representative to help arrange the route in the hospital and other relevant measures.
4.3.6. During the self-health management period, the business traveler shall take his or her temperature every day and reply to text messages requesting health status updates.
4.3.7. During the business traveler’s self-health management period, the hosting company or institution shall designate staff and a vehicle to transport the business traveler and arrange necessary protective measures related to the business traveler’s hotel, routes, and meeting venues. The company or institution shall arrange limited business activities for the business traveler in accordance with the provided itinerary and record daily activities and the names of people the business traveler comes into contact with. The business traveler shall avoid visiting public places and wear a face mask at all times when outside the hotel.
4.3.8. If the business traveler experiences symptoms such as fever, cough, diarrhea, abnormal sense of smell, or feels otherwise physically unwell, during the quarantine or self-health management period, he or she shall wear a face mask, contact local health authorities or dial 1922, and seek medical attention immediately in accordance with instructions given. Business travelers are not allowed to seek medical attention outside of the aforementioned procedures and are forbidden to take public transport when seeking medical attention.
4.3.9. Those who violate Article 58 of the Communicable Disease Control Act are subject to fines ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million in accordance with Article 15 of the Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens.
4.3.10. The hosting company or institution shall help the business traveler implement protection measures during the stay in Taiwan, notify him or her of relevant regulations and control measures, and offer assistance in abiding by them. If the business traveler violates relevant rules and regulations during the stay in Taiwan, the hosting company or institution will be placed on a watch list and face stricter reviews during future applications.
4.4. Exit
4.4.1. If the duration of stay in Taiwan is less than 14 days, business travelers shall take a COVID-19RT-PCR test at their own expense at a designated hospital within three days prior to departure and obtain a negative test result to be allowed to exit Taiwan.
4.4.2. In accordance with other existing regulations, in principle travelers entering Taiwan must undergo a quarantine period of 14 days. The National Immigration Agency is responsible for exit control. If business travelers’ duration of stay in Taiwan is less than 14 days, they must present a home quarantine notification with an updated quarantine end date as well as a certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test when exiting the country—even when they have completed shortened quarantine procedures—to avoid any confusion resulting from delayed system updates. Business travelers are advised to take into account the time needed for document inspection when planning for their departure day.
5. Related fees
5.1. Business travelers applying for shortened quarantine periods shall be responsible for paying the following:
5.1.1. Quarantine hotel fees
5.1.2. Special quarantine taxi fees
5.1.3. COVID-19 testing fees
5.1.4. Outpatient treatment, emergency treatment, and/or hospitalization and isolation fees if they have a positive COVID-19 test result or are confirmed to have COVID-19 during their stay in Taiwan.
5.2. Starting June 17, 2020, foreign nationals, mainland Chinese, and Hong Kong or Macao residents who do not possess residency documents in Taiwan may not apply for compensation under epidemic prevention measures.
6. These Regulations shall enter into force on June 22, 2020. People who wish to visit Taiwan because of special business purposes or other essential activities but to whom Article 2 of these Guidelines does not apply may still submit applications to enter Taiwan, which will be processed on a case-by-case basis. In addition, Taiwan may hold consultations with individual countries to simplify quarantine procedures for their citizens in Taiwan in line with the principle of reciprocity and the status of the pandemic in those countries.
