2023 Taiwan Travel Requirements: Still Visa-Free for Filipinos? Quarantine and testing required?

Is Taiwan part of the 2023 travel plans? If so, you probably have a lot of questions brewing in your head. Is Taiwan still visa-free for Filipinos? Do I still need to undergo mandatory quarantine? What are the test requirements? Should I bring proof of vaccination? Don’t worry. We’ll answer all of these questions (and more) in this article.

Taiwan was the last destination we visited before the pandemic reared its ugly head and brought the world to its knees in early 2020. We were even stranded on the island for a few days! So it’s fitting – even poetic – that it’s also our first destination in 2023, the year we all expect things to return to completely normal.

In fact, Philippine Airlines, the country’s national carrier, has added another flight to Taiwan. This is a good sign that tourism (and travel in general) is starting to get back on its feet. PAL now flies into Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) twice a day:

• PR890
  Departure: 06:25 am
  Arrival time: 08:45 AM
• 894
  Departure: 5:50 pm
  Arrival time: 8:05 PM

This may change in the future, so be sure to check back and visit the official PAL website for the latest times and prices.

So yeah, things are starting to get back to normal. But what are the travel requirements when visiting Taiwan?

Yes. Philippine passport holders can visit Taiwan without a visa for up to 14 days.

Filipino tourists are included in the Visa Waiver Program in Taiwan until July 31, 2023. After this date, you will probably be required to obtain a visa or e-Visa. I say “maybe” because if history is any indication, the Taiwanese government will likely extend it again for another year as it always did before the pandemic. But this isn’t guaranteed, so don’t count on it.

Note that this applies to Filipinos who travel to Taiwan for leisure. Those traveling for study or work may still be required to obtain a visa, which I am not aware of.

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While Taiwan remains visa-free for Filipino tourists, this does not mean that you can simply go there. Here is the complete list of requirements when visiting Taiwan for leisure:

• passportwith more than 6 months of validity
• Proof of residencewhich may be your hotel reservation confirmation or the address and contact details of your sponsor in Taiwan
• Exit ticketwhich may be a return ticket to the Philippines or a return ticket to another country
• sufficient funds

These are the documents that the immigration officer may ask you to provide. I say “maybe” because they don’t always check these requirements. In fact, with the exception of passports, we were never asked to show these documents even on our most recent trip. They just asked to see our passports, scan our fingerprints and take a picture. Then they let us pass.

But just because we or other people you know haven’t been vetted doesn’t mean you won’t be vetted either. Our circumstances and travel times vary, and you will likely be assessed by a different immigration official. Hence, there is still a good chance that you will be required to provide these requirements. To be on the safe side, make sure you have all these documents with you when you travel to Taiwan. The last thing you want is to be asked to provide these documents and you won’t be able to because you don’t have them.

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I’m not sure. I don’t think they explicitly say “enough”. Of the many times I’ve been to Taiwan, I’ve never been asked how much money I have with me. Having said that, I’ve read accounts online of other people who have it, so they are Do Ask about it sometimes.

The only advice I can share regarding this is Make sure you have enough to cover your expenses for the duration of your stay. If you plan to use the full 14 days allowed in Taiwan, don’t bring 1000 NTD just because it doesn’t make sense.

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no. Taiwan authorities will not require any proof of vaccination. No vaccination card or vaccination certificate is required.

However, if you have proof of vaccination, bring it anyway. It is always best to have it just in case the rules change during the flight or if the airline requires it regardless.

In addition, as far as I know, proof of vaccination is required when entering the Philippines, although the authorities do not always verify. But again, I only bring it as a good measure.

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No testing is required before or upon arrival at the airport in Taiwan. You do not need to present a negative test result before your trip. You do not need to take a test at the airport.

But after you get off the plane, before you get to the immigration booths, you’ll find a table with stacks of self-test kits. You should get one box. Each box contains 4 pieces of test kits.

What are these test kits? You will be expected to self-test at the hotel on your first day and every other day thereafter for a period of 7 days. It is part of Taiwan’s 7-day prevention program.

Again, to clarify: The idea is that you have to take a swab test yourself for the next seven days: one upon arrival at the hotel and one every other day.

This does not mean that you will be in quarantine. You can still go out and explore as usual. theoretically, You need a negative test to come out and each test is valid for the next two days. That’s why I’m giving you four combinations. It should cover the first seven days.

honesty system: No one will check if you have already done so and you will not have to send or report your test result anywhere. But despite that, I still strongly encourage you to self-examine. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but it’s always better to follow the rules.

So to recap, when traveling to Taiwan:

• no visa
• There is no evidence of vaccination
• There is no pre-flight test
• There is no mandatory quarantine

Taiwan is one of the easiest places to visit these days, so if you’ve always wanted to go, bump it up to the top of your wish list.

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Yes. The 7-day preventive program does not mean that you need to stay at least 7 days in Taiwan. It just means that the test must be taken within the first seven days. If your stay is shorter, you don’t need to use all of the test kits.

If you are only staying in Taiwan for four days, you will only have to take two exams.

If you are staying for 2 days, just do 1 day.

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The official policy is: Mask must be worn indoors unless you are eating.

In a restaurant, you are still required to wear a mask when eating at the buffet table or when using the bathroom. You should only remove it when putting foods or drinks in your mouth.

Outdoors, masks are not required at all times. There may be certain situations when it is needed, but I’m not sure about the parameters. I just wear a mask regardless. And I’m not alone. From my observation, the vast majority of tourists and locals in Taiwan still choose to wear masks outside.

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We landed at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. Here is the access process as we tested it:

1. After getting off the plane, get one box of COVID test kits. You will find them before you reach the immigration area.
2. Complete the access card. Get one from the table in front of the immigration counters.
3. Immigration screening survey. The immigration officer will check your passport and/or other requirements and take your photo and fingerprints.
4. Collect your bags at the designated department.
5. Customs check clearance. Make sure you have no meat products or you will be fined around NT$1 million.

That’s it! In the arrivals hall, you will find cashiers and ATMs. Note that it is very difficult to find money changers that accept Philippine pesos in town, so if you need to exchange currency, you can do so here. Better yet, withdraw from any of the ATMs, which I think have better rates. We prefer to use the Bank of China, the central bank of Taiwan.

You will also find kiosks selling data SIM cards. If you buy one via Klook, you can pick up your SIM card from Counter 6, located at the far end of the hall. It should be on your right if you just walked out of customs check.

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Here are some of the hotels we were able to score:

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While it’s possible to explore Taipei DIY style, joining a tour has a long list of perks, especially if you’re part of a large group, traveling with children or the elderly, or simply don’t want to deal with the nitty-gritty of building an itinerary. We often get direct messages from people asking for tour referrals.

Our recent trip to Taipei was organized by Edison Tourswhich has been in business for decades, making it one of the most trusted and well-known tour operators in Taipei.

If you’re on your own or in a small group, you can join a set tour. If you are a larger group, it is best to have them customize the itinerary for you, based on your schedule and preferences. Each tour is also led by a fluent English-speaking guide, which is very important because the attractions in and around Taipei are not always visually appealing. Most of them are historical or cultural sites which you will appreciate much better if you know the background or if you have local insights.

To see their packages or for more information, visit www.edisontours.com. If you need to contact them with inquiries or requests, simply click the “Contact Us” button in the top right corner of the page.

If you prefer to book with a Philippine travel agency, here are some of them offering Taipei tours with corresponding contact numbers and websites.

• Constellation Travels Company
  www.constellationtravels.com.ph
  +63 956 660 0693
• Travel Warehouse Inc.
  www.twi.com.ph
• via
  https://ph.via.com
  (+63 2) 8555.9444
  sales.ph@via.com
• Arc Travel Express
  (+63 2) 8810-4520 / (+63 2) 8528-0933
  www.arktravelexpress.com
• Northstar International Travel Inc
  (+63 2) 3485 7272
  query@northstar-travel.com.ph
  www.northstar-travel.com.ph
• Rickson Crown Travel & Tourism
  ricsontrvl@yahoo.com
  (+63 2) 8352-0797
• Iloilo Skyways Travel & Tours
  (+63 33) 508-0909
  skyways1995@gmail.com
  www.iloiloskywaystravel.com
• Levi’s Travel and Tours
  levytravelandtours@gmail.com
  (+63 2) 87757436/85188801/85797215
  +639178797525

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We have a spoken Tagalog version of this article. You can listen to our discussion of Taiwan travel requirements on Spotify! He follows Poor Traveler Podcast!

We will also be publishing more Taiwan related articles in the next several weeks! If you don’t want to miss out on any of these, you can follow us on our website Facebook page or Instagram account.

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2023 • 1 • 31: first published

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