THE government of Taiwan has removed the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries from an initial list of nations announced as eligible for visa-free entry starting next week.
According to Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, they will be “temporarily suspend” visa-free entry for visitors from the Philippines, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua, Thailand, Brunei, and Russia.
Taiwan had kept its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of days spent in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously.
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre said the resumption of visa-free entry for visitors from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and diplomatic allies would start on Monday, September 12, 2022.
The Taiwan consular affairs office said the decision was made based on the fact that most countries around the world have already reopened their borders and resumed pre-pandemic border measures and the need to balance epidemic prevention, economic and social activities and international exchanges.
Before the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination for mainly Asian visitors including Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia as having the most number of visits.
