The more I read on these forums the more that I’m increasingly nervous about the covid-zero approach/restrictions and what daily life is going to be like in Taipei. I have no idea if things are going to open up (I was hoping this would be the case but am now thinking this is not going to happen) or be more restricted. What do I need to know? What sorts of things do I need to bring from my home country? ( I am a US citizen but have been living in the EU for the past 10 years.) I want to mentally prepare myself for the negatives and the positives.
can they get you a visa to get into the country?
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Congratulations on your job offer!
I would focus on preparing for your 14+7 days quarantine + self health monitoring. Medical costs aren’t going to be as expensive as in the US or in Europe (in fact they may be “too cheap”, but that’s another discussion). Maybe bring some comfort food from the EU that you can immediately snack on instead of relying on unpredictable supply chains.
Maybe remember to bring convertible plugs (EU-US) that you would use in the US (110/115V etc). Taiwan uses same plugs but sometimes uses two prongs (three to two can easily be found in Taiwan).
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To be honest with you, it’s impossible to know what June/July will be like.
If you’ve been living in an EU country for the past 10 years, don’t forget to pick up a passport before you leave!
Daily life mostly normal, everything in Chinese of course, mostly covid free but some outbreak now so cannot predict future.
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I would recommend against giving up your freedoms for the right to be ridiculously taxed and treated like the unwashed masses before coming to Taiwan.
But life here has largely stayed normal so far. As others have said, you’ll have to do your 14 + 7 before being unleashed on the masses, but after that it’s largely just wearing a mask and keeping your distance, except in lines which somehow still get too close for non-covid times. Power adapters, specialty items and foods, proper converters, and you should be fine. Just don’t plan on leaving for the near future, though hopefully that will quickly pass as well.
6 posts were merged into an existing topic: The advantages or disadvantages of having an EU citizenship
Yes! But I guess who knows what will happen with borders since they appear to have closed them unexpectedly last spring.
Same plugs and voltage as the US? Good to know!
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Sadly, I am not eligible. Only residence permit! I have a US passport only.
In summer it will be really hot under that mask. Bring flip-flops and lots of shorts.
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Linen or “performance” (quality athletic and genuine moisture-wicking) clothing is a must to live with the insane humidity. Wool socks are also a must for me.
As for giving up your freedoms or things being shut down, nope. We suffer with masks on everywhere expect in our own homes, but things have been pretty normal, even in light of the current outbreak. What it’ll look like in the summer is another matter altogether though. If the rest of the world really genuinely actually peaks, Taiwan probably will not have at that point. The “cost” we pay for having lived a totally normal 2020 and part of 2021.
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So you are saying that you actually think it will be worse in Taiwan this summer? That is very concerning. Honestly I would hope by that point they realize that they need to learn to live with it. Isn’t the vaccination rate there nearing 75%? I guess I don’t understand why they are going the route of China/HK at this point.
I am just trying to figure out what the trajectory is. I understand that no one can tell the future 
I haven’t been locked in. I’ve gone about my life as usual while watching the rest of the world burn. I’ve lost family to COVID. I can’t understand what people back home mean when they say things like “we’ve experienced this collective trauma together”, because I haven’t experienced any collective trauma, just the loss of family, which is hardly collective except as a human experience in general. I went back to the States for two months in summer of 2021 and I felt like an alien. I couldn’t relate to people being confused about gathering with a large group of people when I went to a wedding, since gathering in massive groups of people was something that we just continued to do all along in TW. Life has been normal here, minus temperature checks and mask wearing. Schools only closed for short amounts of time and then cases got back to zero and schools reopened. Dead bodies never piled up on the streets. Healthcare workers never became overwhelmed. Toilet paper wasn’t even hard to come by.
Quite frankly, you’re not the first person to hop onto this forum and ask if they should come to Taiwan, only to criticize Taiwan’s COVID response. It’s really annoying to have people who aren’t here come in and act like they know more than the people who are here. If you think Taiwan is going to limit your freedom or that the COVID response isn’t for you, here’s an easy answer for you: don’t come. Stay your mah fredum land and exercise your right to not wear a mask if you don’t want to.
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I think you are misunderstanding. I haven’t lived in the US for years and I don’t mean to criticize. I agree that the US is a mess and that’s why I haven’t lived there in years. I just think everyone’s experience is different and being locked into borders is actually not the norm right now at all. I understand it is for you though. I have also lost friends and family to COVID and don’t take it lightly. But I do think Taiwan, HK/China, SK, and many other countries in Asia do seem like they are not ready to learn how to deal with the inevitable. I don’t really think you need to jump on me. I wear a mask everywhere in my current country and am fully vaxxed and boostered.
Agreed. If anybody is doing the complaining it’s us that live here ok!
I also recall at least three posters saying Taiwan is terrible this and that…And they moved back here even though overseas is way more open now lol.
They still post on the coronavirus forums frequently and they ALL moved back .
As a way to make introductions it’s a terrible way to start…
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I guess I’m not here to make introductions I just want to know the reality of what’s going on at the moment over there from people that actually live there. It is very hard to know since I am not there yet and am experiencing a different reality. I’m not some anti mask anti vaxxer obviously or I would never consider a move to Asia. Just trying to understand what direction things are moving and what people are seeing as they live there.
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Probably you haven’t looked around very much, then. Certainly, there are personalities and some are more pleasant than others.
For example, where is the hostility here?
If you find the suggestion that you should wear shorts and flip-flops in the hot summer to be a hostile response, please don’t blame that on our community.
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Feeling sorry for yourself already but wading into this place like a bull in a China shop.