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Coronavirus Taiwan
ChinaScience

Taiwan to reopen to business travellers in March

  • The island was one of the few places still pursuing a zero-Covid strategy but will now start to open up again
  • Most foreign visitors had been banned since a surge in cases last May

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Taiwan imposed tighter restrictions last year after a surge in cases. Photo: AP
Agence France-Presse
Taiwan announced plans on Thursday to reopen to business travellers and shorten quarantine for all arrivals, slightly loosening restrictions in one of the few places alongside mainland China still pursuing a zero-Covid strategy.
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The island was hailed for keeping Covid-19 at bay for the first year of the pandemic, but an outbreak detected last April forced Taipei to implement economically painful restrictions.

That included banning all foreign visitors, with the exception of a few categories such as residency holders and diplomats, since a surge in local infections last May.

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) said Thursday restrictions would start to be eased for foreigners coming in for business purposes, including inspection, investment, employment or fulfilling contractual obligations.

“We will open to foreign businesspeople starting March 7 in line with some relaxations in the overall pandemic prevention measures,” said Chen Tsung-yen, deputy head of the CECC.

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Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau residents can only apply for entry to fulfil business contracts or due to transferrals within multinational companies.

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