The initial eligibility for visa-free travel starting next week has been retracted for several countries.
SINGAPORE: Taiwan has excluded Singapore, Malaysia, and several other nations from its initial list of countries eligible for visa-free entry, which was announced to take effect next week.
On Monday (Sept 5), a table released by Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs indicated that visitors from Singapore and Malaysia, along with other countries, could travel to Taiwan without a visa and stay for up to 30 days. Japan and South Korea were also included in a broader category of countries whose nationals would be permitted visa-free entry for up to 90 days.
However, on Tuesday, the webpage was revised to state that Taiwan would be “temporarily suspending” visa-free entry for nationals from the aforementioned countries, as well as Chile, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines, and Russia.
The Taipei Representative Office in Singapore clarified on Tuesday that the adjustment to border control measures had been “misunderstood.”
“Some media and the public misinterpreted that starting from Sept 12, Singaporeans could enter Taiwan without a visa,” the office stated. “After discussions with the Consular Affairs Bureau, this information has been corrected to clarify the misunderstanding,” they added.
On Monday, Taiwan announced it would resume visa-free entry for visitors from several nations beginning on Sept 12, as part of its ongoing efforts to relax COVID-19 restrictions.
This decision was influenced by the global trend of countries reopening their borders and returning to pre-pandemic border protocols, alongside the necessity to balance epidemic prevention with economic and social activities and international interactions.
Despite the easing of entry requirements, travelers to Taiwan will still need to complete a three-day quarantine and undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival. Additionally, the weekly cap of 50,000 arrivals will remain in place, and the requirement for pre-departure negative PCR tests has been lifted.
Before the pandemic, Taiwan was a favored tourist destination, particularly for visitors from Asia, with Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia being its most significant markets.
