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Is Taiwan part of your 2023 travel plans? If so, many questions may be forming in your head. Is Taiwan still visa free for the Philippines? Do I still have to do mandatory quarantine? What are the test requirements? Do I need to bring proof of vaccinations? don’t worry. We will answer all these questions (and more) in this article.
Taiwan was the last destination we visited in early 2020 before the epidemic reared its ugly head and brought the world to its knees. We even got stuck in the island for a few days! So it’s only fitting that it’s our first destination in 2023 – the year we expect everything to return to normal.
In fact, Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, made one more flight to Taiwan. This is a good sign that tourism (and travel in general) is starting to get back on its feet. PAL now flies twice a day to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
- PR 890
Departure: 06:25 AM
Arrival: 08:45 AM - PR 894
Departure: 5:50 PM
Arrival: 8:05 PM
This may change in the future, so double check and visit PAL’s official website for the latest schedule and fares.
Yes, things are starting to go back to normal. But what are the travel requirements when visiting Taiwan?
What is covered in this guide?
Yes. Philippine passport holders can visit Taiwan without a visa for 14 days.
Tourists from the Philippines are included in the visa-free program to Taiwan. July 31, 2023. After this date, you will be required to secure a visa or e-visa. I say “probably” because if history is any indication, it could be extended for another year, as the Taiwanese government always does pre-pandemic. But that’s not guaranteed, so don’t count on it.
Note that this applies to Filipinos traveling to Taiwan for leisure. A visa may still be required if you are traveling to study or work which I am not aware of.
While Taiwan is visa-free for Filipino tourists, that doesn’t mean you can just waltz in.
- PassportValid for more than 6 months
- Verification of accommodationsIt can be a hotel reservation confirmation in Taiwan or address and contact details of the sponsor.
- Get a ticketIt can be a return ticket to the Philippines or an onward ticket to another country.
- Enough money
These are the documents that the immigration officer will ask you to provide. I say “can” because they don’t always check these requirements. In fact, we were never asked to show any of these documents, except passports, even on our last trip. They asked to see our passports, scanned our fingerprints and took photos. Then they handed us over.
But just because we or others you know haven’t been tested doesn’t mean you won’t either. Our conditions and travel times are different, and you may be assessed by a different immigration officer. Therefore, there is still a good chance that you will be asked to provide these requirements. To be on the safe side, make sure you have all these documents with you when traveling to Taiwan. The last thing you want is to be ordered to provide these documents and you can’t because you don’t have them.
not sure. I don’t think they clearly defined how much is “enough”. In the many times I’ve traveled to Taiwan, I’ve never been asked how much money I have with me. That said, I’ve read accounts online from other people who have, so they do Ask about it sometimes.
All I can share about this is advice. Make sure you have enough cash to cover your expenses throughout your stay. If you plan to use the full 14 days allowed in Taiwan, don’t just bring 1000 NTD because it doesn’t make sense.
No. Taiwanese authorities do not require any proof of vaccination. No vaccination card or vaccination certificate is required.
If you have proof of vaccination, bring it anyway. It’s always best to have it in case the rules change while you’re traveling, or whatever the airline asks for.
Also, as far as I know, proof of vaccination is required when entering the Philippines, although the authorities don’t always check. But again, just bring it for good measure.
No pre-arrival or pre-arrival screening is required at Taiwan Airport. You do not need to submit a negative test result before your trip. You do not need to go through the airport test.
But after you get off the plane, before you get to the immigration booths, you’ll find a table stacked with self-checkout items. You should find a box. Each box contains 4 pieces of test kit.
What are these test kits? You are expected to self-check on your first day at the hotel and every 2 days for 7 days. It is part of Taiwan’s 7-Day Self-Defense Program.
To clarify again, the idea is that you should do a self-tanning test for the next seven days: one when you arrive at the hotel and another every other day.
This does not mean that you remain isolated. You can still go out and explore as usual. In theory, You need a negative test to leave and each test is valid for the next two days. That’s why he gives you four kits. It should cover your first seven days.
Loyalty System: No one will check that you did it right and you don’t need to enter or report the test results anywhere. But despite this, I still highly encourage you to check it out yourself. Yes, it is inconvenient, but it is always better to follow the rules.
To recap when traveling to Taiwan:
- No visa
- No proof of vaccination.
- No pre-trip test.
- There is no mandatory quarantine.
Taiwan is one of the easiest places to visit these days, so if you’ve always wanted to go, put it high on your bucket list.
Yes. The 7-day protection program does not mean that you need to stay in Taiwan for at least 7 days. It means that the test should be done within the first seven days. If your stay is short, you don’t need to use all the test kits.
If you only stay in Taiwan for four days, you only need to do 2 attempts.
If you stay 2 days, you only need one.
The official policy: You must wear a mask at home unless you are eating.
You must still wear a mask in a restaurant, when you get food at the buffet table or use the restroom. You should only remove it when you put food or drink in your mouth.
Outdoors, masks are not required at all times. There may be some situations where it is necessary, but I am not sure what the parameters are. I just wear a mask no matter what. And I’m not alone. Based on my observation, the vast majority of tourists and locals in Taiwan still prefer to wear masks outside.
We landed at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. Here’s the arrival process as we experienced it:
- After changing, get a box of covid test kits. You will find them before you reach the immigration area.
- Complete the access card. Take one of the tables in front of the immigration counters.
- Clear immigration verification. The immigration officer will check your passport and/or other requirements and take your photo and fingerprints.
- Claim your bag at the designated carousel.
- Clear customs inspection. Make sure you don’t have MEAT products or you will be fined about one million NTD.
no more! You will find money changers and ATMs in the arrival hall. Note that it is extremely difficult to find money exchanges in the city that accept Philippine pesos, so if you want to exchange currency, you can do it here. Better yet, withdraw from any of the ATM machines, which I think have better value. We prefer to use the Bank of China, the central bank of Taiwan.
You will also find houses selling data SIM cards. If you bought it through Cloak, you can pick up your SIM card from counter 6 at the end of the hall. If you have just exited the customs check, it should be on your right.
Here are some of the hotels we were able to check out:
While it’s possible to explore Taipei DIY, joining a tour has many advantages, especially if you’re part of a large group, traveling with children or the elderly, or just don’t want to socialize. Travel building with the nitty-gritty. We often get DMs from people asking for tour referrals.
Our recent trip to Taipei was organized by Edison visitsIt has been operating for decades, making it one of the most trusted and popular tour operators in Taipei.
If you are solo or in a small group, you can join an organized tour. If you are a large group, it is best to have them customize an itinerary based on your schedule and preferences. Each tour is led by an English-speaking guide, which is a big deal as attractions in and around Taipei aren’t always visually appealing. Most of them are historical or cultural places that you will appreciate better if you know the background or have local insights.
To view their packages or for more information, visit www.edisontours.com. If you want to contact them for questions or inquiries, tap the CONTACT US button on the top right corner of the page.
If you choose to book with a Philippines-based travel agency, here are the ones that offer Taipei tours with their respective contact numbers and websites.
- Star Trek Inc.
www.constellationtravels.com.ph
+63956 660 0693 - Travel Warehouse Inc.
www.twi.com.ph - Via
https://ph.via.com
(+63 2) 8555.9444
sales.ph@via.com - Arch Travel Express Inc.
(+63 2) 8810-4520 / (+63 2) 8528-0933
www.arktravelexpress.com - North Star International Travel Inc.
(+63 2) 3485 7272
inquiry@northstar-travel.com.ph
www.northstar-travel.com.ph - Rixon Crown Travel and Tours
ricsontrvl@yahoo.com
(+63 2) 8352-0797 - Iloilo Skyways Travel and Tours
(+63 33) 508-0909
skyways1995@gmail.com
www.iloiloskywaystravel.com - Levy travel and tours
levytravelandtours@gmail.com
(+63 2) 87757436 / 85188801 / 85797215
+ 639178797525
We have a Tagalog version of this article. You can listen to our discussion about Taiwan Travel Requirements on Spotify! Follow the Poor Traveler Podcast!
We will be publishing more articles related to Taiwan in the next several weeks! If you don’t want to miss one of these, you can follow us on our Facebook page or Instagram account.
2023 • 1 • 31: First posted
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