Singaporeans can travel to Taiwan visa-free for up to 30 days from 29 September
Yahoo/ Reuters
Thu, 22 September 2022
SINGAPORE — Singaporeans are able to travel to Taiwan visa-free from 29 September for up to 30 days, Taiwanese authorities said on Thursday (22 September).
The announcement by Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs comes as the island said on the same day that it will fully reopen its borders by ending mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for overseas travellers from 13 October. Travellers have to self-monitor for seven days upon arrival.
Until then, visitors currently have to go through a mandatory three-day hotel quarantine when in Taiwan, followed by four days of self-monitoring, with the expectation that they should avoid crowded places.
In addition to visitors from Singapore, those from Malaysia and the Dominican Republic can also travel to Taiwan visa-free for up to 30 days from 29 September.
Nationals from Japan, South Korea, Nicaragua, Chile, Israel are also eligible under Taiwan’s visa-free scheme, and can stay on the island for up to 90 days.
Those from Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines can stay on the island for up to 14 days until 31 July 2023, except for those with diplomatic or official or service passports.
Taiwan will also increase weekly arrival limits for international travellers to 60,000 from 50,000, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said at a media briefing in Taipei. Visitors will also need not undergo PCR COVID-19 tests upon arrival, he added.
If "everything is under control", Taiwan is aiming for arrivals to rise to 150,000 a week, Lo said.
On 5 September, the bureau published a list showing that citizens from 49 countries and territories are eligible under the visa-free scheme and can stay in Taiwan for up to 90 days from 12 September, while those from five other countries can stay up to 30 days.
The list then did not include nationals from Singapore and all other Asian countries, while those from all 14 countries that have full diplomatic ties with Taiwan are eligible under the scheme.
Prior to the pandemic, Taiwan was one of the biggest tourist destinations for visitors from Singapore and other Asian countries.