Health Alert – American Institute in Taiwan (April 17, 2020)
Location: Taiwan
Event: As of April 17, the Taiwan Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has confirmed 395 cases of COVID-19 in Taiwan.
Latest updates from CECC: The CECC announced no new confirmed cases on April 17, the third day this week with no new confirmed cases. Almost all of the 13 confirmed cases during the last seven days were imported cases involving people returning to Taiwan from overseas. Visit the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) website for updated information.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a second automatic 30-day extension for foreigners entering Taiwan on or before March 21 with visa waiver, visitor visa, or landing visa (no application required.) More information here: https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-220-5081-c06dc-2.html
For information about the coronavirus economic stimulus relief, please refer to the Internal Revenue Service website.
Effective April 10, Taiwan will implement crowd control measures at popular locations such as sight-seeing spots, recreational areas, national parks, night markets, and temples. The CECC reminds people to maintain social distance of at least 1.5 meter in indoor 1 meter in outdoor, wear masks, and practice good personal hygiene.
The CECC recommends that anyone who traveled to a crowded place over the Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday weekend should follow self-health management for the next 14 days. Self-Health Management includes wearing a mask for 14 days and taking your temperature twice a day. If you develop symptoms, please call all the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922), and inform the physician of any history of travel.
For the list of crowded locations over the long weekend include, as well as updated guidance on wearing masks, please click here.
Passengers are required to wear masks in taxis as well as other forms of public transportation. Taxi drivers have the right to refuse service to people not wearing masks. Those who refuse to wear face masks on public transport after being advised to do so will be fined up to NT$15,000.
Changes to AIT American Citizen Services
AIT Taipei has suspended routine visa services and limited its passport and notarial services.
Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the U.S. Department of State has limited its ability to offer routine passport and citizenship services abroad.
Please consider waiting to apply for your passports, through mail or in-person, until the Department has resumed normal operations.
While AIT will continue to process a limited number of routine passport applications, we expect significant delivery delays. At this time, we are unable to estimate when normal operations will resume.
If you previously applied for a passport or citizenship service but have yet to receive your documents, you should expect significant delays. Please note that the validity of your U.S. passport does not affect your eligibility for U.S. citizen emergency services.
AIT will continue to schedule Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) appointments. However, we expect significant delivery delays.
For emergency passport services for U.S. citizens, please contact AIT at TaipeiACS@state.gov.
AIT will also reduce routine notarial services. If your need for a notarial service is not urgent, we encourage you to wait to apply until we resume routine operations.
The Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory for COVID-19. International commercial flight options currently exist in Taiwan. U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States should make commercial arrangements as soon as possible unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. The U.S. government does not anticipate arranging repatriation flights in Taiwan at this time.
Taiwan has barred admission to all foreign travelers except for those who hold an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) or documents proving they are in Taiwan for diplomatic or other official purpose or to fulfill business contacts, and those who have received special permits. Any travelers arriving from outside Taiwan and granted entry are subject to a 14-day home quarantine.
Travelers are currently not allowed to transit through Taiwan in order to prevent cross-border transmission risks.
All travelers who entered Taiwan on or before March 21, 2020, on a visitor visa, a landing visa, or through a visa-waiver program and who have not overstayed their legal stay period will be granted an automatic 30-day extension. No application is required. See more information here.
For the latest update on conditions in Taiwan, including entry restrictions and visa policy, please monitor the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) website and the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bureau of Consular Affairs website.
Actions to Take:
- Consult the United States CDC website for the most up-to date information. Consult the Taiwan CDC website for conditions in Taiwan.
- Visit our AIT webpage on COVID-19 for additional information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website for the latest travel restrictions to the United States.
Assistance:
- Contact AIT Taipei Office, located at 100 Jinhu Road, Neihu Dist., Taipei City 11461. Phone: (02)2162-2000; Fax: (02) 2162-2239. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is (02) 2162-2000. Email: TaipeiACS@state.gov Website
- Contact AIT Kaohsiung Office, located at No. 88, 5th floor, Chenggong 2nd Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City 80661. Phone: (07) 335-5006; Fax: (07)338-0551. Email: TaipeiACS@state.gov Website
