Hi allā¦ itās been a while since Iāve visited home and Iām getting lots of pressure from the folks back home for a visit. Anyway, there are so many restrictions and rules now for flying, I donāt even know where to begin. I have started looking for flights and they are not cheap. Looking at around $2k USD minimum for a flight to the US.
Now Iād like to hear from people who have done this recently, or have already planned it all out. Here are some questions:
What are the rules/restrictions for leaving Taiwan? What kind of test (or whatever else) do you need before even boarding an airplane?
What (if any) restrictions are there for entry to the US?
Is it possible to make a connecting flight in another country (ie Korea or Japan) before arriving in the US, or will that just complicate things way too much?
As for arriving back in Taiwan, what are the entry restrictions? What test needs to be taken before being allowed entry?
Is it possible to transfer through another country before entering Taiwan (ie Canada, Korea, Japan, HK) or will that just complicate matters too much?
If anyone has knowledge or experience, please share. Would certainly appreciate recent personal first hand experience anecdotes and any helpful links with info.
None. You will need an Antigen test for the US, not PCR.
Some states may ask for quarantine, but its not enforced like it is in Taiwan.
Sure, they donāt care.
An awful, unscientific quarantine regime. And you need a valid ARC/APRC. You will need to do a PCR test 48 hours before departure. Suggest you donāt come back until April when they will have likely loosened quarantine.
Each airline has its own rules, but when I went to the US last, all they requested was an Antigen test. I got a PCR test because I needed it for Canada as well.
None. Youāre American. Border guards didnāt even care to see the test.
Yes. No complications.
You need a PCR test. IIRC they recently tightened the time difference for when you get it. I gotta check. Originally it was 72 hr.
It shouldnāt be said that you need to quarantine in Taiwan.
Yes. No complications unless you transfer in a ādangerousā country. That will affect how your quarantine plays out.
I went to the US in November. Came back in December.
Iām not planning to make this trip until summer, but starting to check flights nowā¦ maybe book in February or March. Flights have gotten really expensive lately, probably the combined factor of COVID and increased oil prices. Hopefully things will be a little easier by then.
Be careful about connections in Japan. NOT allowed if the arriving and departing flights are from different airports (i.e. Haneda / Narita) as you would have to actually enter Japan to do so and they are even harder than Taiwan as to who they let in.
And yes, forget any thought of going via Hong Kong as a cancelled flight out of there could see you doing 21 days in the Quarantine Jail. I think HK even demand a test for those just transferring too!!!
yes, I think I probably should just nix HK as a transfer location, even if it means a much cheaper flight. I am vehemently against the regime in China, so it could entail some risk for me. and then restrictions like that make it even less appealing.
Iāve been looking at direct flights to my home city from Taipei, they do exist, but are extremely expensive. Iām thinking of trying to transfer in Japan or Korea, or flying to SF and then trying to get a cheap domestic flight. I might only save a few hundred bucks, but things could get complicated. Iāve yet to get a vaccine, but probably will before flying. It doesnāt seem that getting vaccinated makes things any easier. But my real concern is getting COVID once in the US and possibly being hospitalized due to it and racking up a year or twoās salary in hospital bills. Then not to mention that if I do have it, then it means an even longer extended quarantine upon arrival in Taiwan.
You are not helping your cause with that. I suggest that you go out today and get shot #1 for starters as you could even find that some Airlines wont give you a Boarding pass without a Vaccination Certificate.
All passengers with travel history in the past 21 days from overseas countries and Taiwan transiting through Hong Kong are required to present a medical certificate indicating a negative COVID-19 test result. The test must be taken within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of the flight to Hong Kong. Passengers must also present separate documentary proof that the laboratory conducting the test is certified to conduct such tests.
Specific documentation requirements exist. Please see the ātest reportsā and ādocumentary proofā section below for details".
