Taiwan OPEN experiences
 

Hey All,

Would love to hear about any experiences of traveling to Taiwan since the 0+7, and since the old thread is old news. I have booked for April and am excited to finally go back for the first time since 2019!

I'm looking forward as well - have a trip booked for December, and haven't been since the January 2020 election.

My friend was there in August, and was partying like old times.

We are headed over tomorrow!

A couple friends and colleagues have arrived in the past two weeks and heard pretty consistent airport experience - basically the same as pre-Covid (except that you are given RAT and told Covid-prevention guidelines). Although the airport (TPE at least, will experience TSA first hand this weekend) still feels empty. Some shops are still shuttered and notably SQ lounge still not operating. Many buses are still running on a reduced schedule (airport MRT has returned to normal schedule).

From a tourist perspective, I think most aspects would be similar to pre-Covid. Everything is open, restaurants and attractions can be crowded. Masks are required in most situations, and some venues/restaurants check temperature (despite fever no longer being the top 5 symptoms). Hotels are still charging the heightened price since quite many locals still prefer domestic travel.

We expect a report! ;)

Flew CDG-TPE BR88 today, US passport.

As an aside there are a (relative) ton of Taiwanese people in Paris right now. Maybe they were always there but it’s super obvious because they are using LINE or pull out their passport for tax refund. Barely see any mainlanders; there are Mandarin-speaking people in the shops who do private shopping over livestream then the goods are shipped to China tax free.

At checkin weirdly they asked if I had a visa, US should be visa free 90 days but I had paperwork anyway so no problem. Flight was uneventful, masks required but can take them off for eating. Amusingly you can request a “seafood” special menu in Y which is the first time I’ve seen that. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t notable.

After deplaning you pick up a green slip saying that you’re not coming from a country that has swine flu. I don’t know if this is new or has been there for awhile. Anyway you walk a bit further and go through the green lane leaving the slip there.

I managed to buy a bottle of Kavalan at duty free airside too. As another aside, are you even allowed/supposed to do this? They didn’t ask for BP but maybe because I had a US passport they assumed I was departing. Who knows.

A bit further there’s a temperature screen and you are handed a box of 4 rapid tests. These are made by Abbott and look similar to the BinaxNow ones that were useful once upon a time.

There was no one at immigration early in the morning so that was straightforward too. I’m currently on the HSR towards the south of the island.

So in total, the only things that are different than pre covid are
- Mask wearing mandatory
- They give you covid tests

I think the temperature screen has been there since the SARS days (at least it was in HK). I saw a couple of the hand/forehead temperature scanners in the airport but they’re not enabled.

The pork police predates Covid. Had you flown in from LHR/AMS (both via BKK) you would have to have your carry-on checked. Another difference with the pre-Covid days are that you are no longer allowed to consume the meat products you brought in on the spot. You have to discard them.
The arrival duty free shops have always been there. I believe their price for Kavalan is the same as BR duty free, but BR is cheaper as they give you 15-25% off if you get any two or three items.
Yes. First for SARS, then for various avian/swine flu, and now for Covid. Definitely great ROI :rolleyes:

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../29/2003787917
Mask mandate to be lifted in stages. Honestly everything has been going faster than expected so fingers crossed it continues this way.

Also I checked into a random local hotel and there's no checking of test/qr/etc. You're basically the same as any other person.

This is good to hear. I went to Taiwan for the first time in December 2019 and fell in love with the country. I told myself then that I'd go back in 2020 - and we know how that turned out... so I'm hoping that I'll be able to go for a couple of weeks in 2023!

Have any of you guys transited in TPE recently? I'm looking at BKK-TPE-NRT on CI. They will sell me a ticket, but the lady I spoke with on the phone said I won't be able use it because of the overnight layover. I was actually hoping to book a hotel outside of the airport.

When I landed from CDG there were passengers in transit to other places in SEA. Unfortunately I don’t remember the exact destinations but there were airport officials at the end of the jetbridge with signs pointing where to go.

The 12hr transit restriction was removed in August: https://corporatetravelcommunity.com...it-pax-1153178

Based on my experience above you should have no problem entering Taiwan and staying at a hotel outside of the airport.

Thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure the CI lady I spoke with (Mainland customer service line) had no clue what she was talking about (e.g. it didn't seem to register with her that nearly all CI flights are to/from Taiwan). Do you (or anyone else) happen to have suggestions on semi-official websites I can fall back on? Chinese language is fine.

https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/news...C-005056BD475F

Quote:

---

一、 開放轉機旅客至出境區等候離境，並得於出境區購物與用餐，取消原有由航空公司人員引導轉機旅客至專屬候機室 的規定。

---

This is for transits. But as far as I know you can enter Taiwan, even for a short stay. You get 4 free RAT tests that way too.

I was curious about this, too, but cannot find anywhere that says transit to or from China has resumed: News-Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (taoyuan-airport.com) So I called CI in Taipei and they said if you fulfil the requirements to fly from BKK to PVG they will check you in and you can fly. But the agent added that currently you need to do two PCR tests at 48 and 24 hours beforehand (before landing?) so make sure that you can do that. She also suggested calling CI in BKK or emailing them [email protected].

Immigration in Tiapei will probably not stop you, I have done this many times before. But on occasion I had a bit of a hangup with the airline at the gate or lounge (SQ and CX) because the airport exit tax was not included on the ticket and they wanted that paid. When a transit passenger goes through Immigration it is somehow flagged in their system.

You beat me to it! ;)