Taiwan Finally Easing Border Restrictions But People from Singapore Still Need 3-Day Isolation

It’s travel season and that means it’s time to apply for visas. Ugh.

But here’s some good news. Taiwan, the country with one of the strictest border measures in the world, will be allowing visa-free entry for Singaporeans.

Before this, travelling to Taiwan for the holidays was a hassle and one could barely travel there for leisure purposes.

In a press release on Monday (5 September), the Central Epidemic Command Centre announced that they will restore visa exemption treatment for the nationals of the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, countries in Europe, and Taiwan’s diplomatic allies starting 12 September 2022.

Citizens of Singapore will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days.

Some travellers from major western countries, like the United States, Canada and New Zealand, can enjoy a stay of up to 90 days.

Don’t celebrate just yet though as you will still be needed to undergo a short quarantine and provide a COVID-19 test.

While some countries are already resuming pre-pandemic border measures, Taiwan will be keeping its existing requirement of three days quarantine and four days of “self-initiated epidemic prevention” for the visa-free entry.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will also be required upon arrival.

PCR what?

They are also keeping their weekly arrivals to a maximum of 50,000 so you might want to book fast.

Other Countries with Visa-Free Entry

Taiwan isn’t the only country that is going visa-free.

As holders of one of the most powerful passports in the world, Singapore citizens can have visa-free access to over 160 countries.

That includes popular destinations like Japan and Korea where you can stay for up to 90 days and the United Kingdom and Canada where you can stay for up to six months.

You can check out the list of countries here.

What Do You Need for A Visa?

Some flights will provide a visa for you upon arrival so it’s best to have these on hand in case:

  • Your valid passport. The passport must have enough blank pages for a visa or entry stamp.
  • A recent passport-size picture of yourself.
  • Proof of accommodation, such as a hotel reservation.
  • Bank statements or traveller checks, to prove you can sustain yourself financially.
  • A return travel ticket.
  • Travel health insurance.
  • Money to pay the visa fee. Check how much you have to pay and how (cash, credit card, local currency, etc).

Depending on the country, staying there past your visa can lead to an arrest, a fine, or even being banned from the country.

So if you don’t want to get blacklisted, always check if the country requires a visa before making a booking.

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Featured Image: Jack Hong / Shutterstock.com