{Guide} Shortening the home quarantine period in Taiwan | 2020

 Updated guide on what is required for shortening home quarantine period in Taiwan

Most information is available here:

https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Category/Page/QRHGhEDI4_a4wbknqJ8KXw

But also based on my experience

Step 1: Prepare the necessary documents in the above documents 

Annex 2 - Controlled Itinerary 

This should contain a list of people you will meet. You will need Name and Contact Details

Annex 3 - Disease prevention checklist or plan 

It's not just ticking this checklist, but you need to outline the measures, best way would be to follow each of these questions and then address them item by item. For example, on mobile number, i provided my local number, also hotel booking, proof of masks, etc.. 

All these need to be provided. Including your PCR test results from Pre-Departure

Step 2: Inform the officer at the Taipei representative office in Singapore 

Make sure you inform the officer that you will apply for these and provide documents from Part 1 (Annex 2 and 3) as proof of shortening home quarantine documentation. They will supposedly inform the MOFA about this. 

Step 3: At Departure at Singapore/Arrival at Taiwan

Fill up on mobile the required information, once you have filled up correctly when you landed in Taiwan, you will need to take a screenshot of 1, the Health Declaration Certificate which looks like this but has a bar code

and another one which is Annex 4 on the home quarantine notice (auto-generated) based on information that you fill up

There is no point informing the various officers at the airport as they will treat it as a normal case and would not be able to process your shortening request. 

The customs officer did ask to see the pre-departure tests. I did inform them that I want to shorten the quarantine period and they said to call the health department in the area that you are staying. E.g. if you are staying at Songshan District, call Songshan health department. 

Step 4: Book an appointment

Please call the health department and they might ask for additional documentation, basically, I sent them everything I had from visa application including the PCR Negative test results and they can arrange for the hospital swab test. 

You will need to arrange for the transportation. 

The health department will inform the hotel as well. In my case, we submitted documents late evening yesterday, and though no confirmation at all on if the booking was done, it was still informed to my hotel who called me and ask what time my car was coming for the 8am appointment this morning. 

Subsequently, the health department did call and say we can go anytime today. 

Once there, you will need to fill up some application forms and the fees are NTD7,000 for the test. Either pay by cash or credit card

and also promptly return back. In case you are wondering, if you are quarantined at home if it's ok to sneak out, please don't. Cause they can trace your location. Hmmm... via telecom signal? GPS? not sure, if they can do that, then probably doesn't need safeentry app in Singapore?

Step 5: After Swab Tests? What happens next?

Anyway, after that with the test results which are available the next day at 4pm, you will be able to carry out your business-related meetings till day 14. 

Also turns out that you will have to stay at the hotel for the 1st 14 days, even if you get a negative test result from the test on day 7, you will still need to go back to the same hotel and sleep. you can go stay over at your friend's place or change hotel in between so make sure you choose a decent hotel.