Taiwan’s borders are now open to international students to enter the country for further studies. Taiwan has received global praise for its efficient handling of the COVID-19 emergency.
Despite its vicinity to China, where the virus originated, the country has reported less than 500 contaminated cases.
After three months of imposing travel restrictions amid the outbreak of Covid 19, the Taiwanese Ministry of Education (MOE) declared that the nation is ready to welcome more international students.
The country is still careful about lifting its travel restrictions but has loosened the rules to allow international students to finish their studies.
Entry requirements for International students
The country has allowed three groups of students who can enter Taiwan. The category includes those who have received two types of Mandarin learning scholarships from the Ministry of Education. The students who are under bilateral cooperation programs and those who are entering the country for diplomatic reasons.
A total of 1,400 students are part of the three above introduced category. These students will be permitted to enter the country only through Taoyuan International Airport. The following are also required to show COVID-19 negative test results performed within three days of flight.
After landing in Taiwan, overseas students need to report to a designated counter at the airport and stay quarantined at a hotel or a government facility for 14 days. The students will not be permitted to leave the quarantine facilitation until they test negative for COVID-19.
The country had forbidden the entry of international students since January 1 amid the pandemic. However, students studying formal academic degrees or who are recipients of scholarships from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were allowed to return to Taiwan from February 9.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Education has also pointed out that the same international students were also eligible to apply for entry permits to Taiwan, including those from China, Hong Kong, and Macau, can now apply for entry permits to study in Taiwan.
MOE numbers further revealed that around 4,500 international students set to commence studies in the 2021 spring semester were influenced by the travel ban.
Formerly in 2020, it was reported that the many international students at Taiwanese universities decreased significantly due to the pandemic, with 3,000 international students eliminating their enrollments at universities, 1,000 of the recruits. This drop led to the country’s higher education institutions dropping enormous amounts in tuition fees.
Will international students have to undergo quarantine?
Quarantine is compulsory for all visitants and citizens returning to Taiwan. For international students, this will take place at assigned hotels arranged by universities, or campus dorms.
This will cost international students around US$1,361, which puts a financial burden on certain students, such as those attending schools under scholarships. The students are now requesting authorities to increase the availability of dormitories for isolation needs, provide quarantine subsidies, remove legislative reasons behind decisions to allow in students, and open up Taiwan’s borders regardless of nationality.
Over 33 schools have provided approximately 4,000 quarantine dormitories but this is still short of the assured 10,000 units by the government.
Acknowledging that, the Ministry of Education stated they will try to increase campus residences for quarantine purposes as soon as possible to reduce the financial burden on students.
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