Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Singaporeans can travel to Taiwan visa-free from Sep. 29 for up to 30 days.

Taiwan updated its list of countries that qualify for the resumption of visa-free entry with a duration of stay of up to 30 days to include Singapore, Malaysia, and Dominican Republic.

Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs made the announcement.

Taiwan aims to end its mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for arrivals from around Oct. 13 and will ease other restrictions from the final week of September 2022, the government said on Sep. 22, according to Reuters.

Travellers have to self-monitor for seven days upon arrival.

In June, Taiwan had cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals from seven to three, while some of its other entry and quarantine rules have been kept in place.

New cases reported

The "new Taiwan model" will see restrictions relaxed as more than 99 per cent of its reported 6 million domestic Covid-19 cases showing no or only mild symptoms.

From next Thursday, Sep. 29, weekly arrival limits for international travellers will go up by 10,000 to 60,000, with no more PCR tests for arrivals, cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters.

Bloomberg reported that Taiwan government will monitor the situation for another week, and plans to announce the easing two weeks ahead of the scheduled implementation, which means the new rules would be effective around Oct. 13.

The measures would also include removing quarantine for tourists and lifting a ban on tour groups.

Visa-free entry will be resumed for citizens of all countries that previously had that status.

The aim is to end mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from around Oct. 13, with arrivals rising to 150,000 a week, he added.

Lo also called the final stretch to reopening as "the last mile" in their pandemic fight.

The next step is to revive domestic businesses.

Those who test positive still need to quarantine at home or in designated hotels, the government said.

The daily number of cases has been rising again though, with more than 46,000 reported on Sep. 21.

Throughout the pandemic, Taiwanese citizens and foreign residents have not been prohibited from leaving and then re-entering, and only had to quarantine at home or in hotels for up to two weeks.

Earlier in September 2022, Taiwan resumed visa-free entry for travellers from countries it currently shares diplomatic ties with and the U.S., as well as other European nations, though the duration of their permitted stay varies.

Top photo via Unsplash