Saliva PCR Test with Certificate suitable for overseas travel?

Does anyone know if/where it’s possible to get a self-paid, saliva-based, PCR test which comes with a certificate suitable for overseas travel? It cannot be a qualitative test (the standard RAT tests sold everywhere), and I’m trying to avoid a nasal/nasopharyngeal test if possible.

I’ve seen Youtube videos showing that Taiwan is moving towards saliva tests, and new arrivals at Taoyuan now receive saliva tests instead of nasal ones. Also, China Medical University in Hsinchu do self-paid saliva (PRC) tests for admission to their own hospital, but don’t seem to be willing to offer certificates which can be used for overseas travel (for that, they demand nasal swab tests).

Does anyone know of any private clinics which would be willing to do a saliva-based test and then sign a standard form confirming identity, testing method, etc?

I hope this is okay to post as a separate topic. There are a few mentions of different types of PCR tests over the last year or so in the main Covid thread, but I can’t find anything that answers this question.

Just FYI the US doesn’t require a PCR test anymore.

Thank you for letting me know Frank.

This is actually for Japan, which unfortunately still requires PCR tests, but accepts saliva ones.

So, for those of us flying to the US next month, do you mean we do not need to get a PCR test in Taiwan 2 days prior to travel?

Do you have a link? I checked the BOCA announcements webpage but they only seem to have info on test requirements on arrival to Taiwan

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html

As a reminder as of now, you still need a PCR test to return to Taiwan.

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Just in case anyone else is looking for the same thing, a saliva-based PCR test is available at the China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital. It’s a bit more complicated than a regular (nasal) PCR test, and probably a bit more risky if you need it before a flight, but in case it helps anyone, here is the procedure.

  1. Make an appointment with a Family Medicine doctor at CMU Hospital. This can be done over the phone, but it would probably be a lot easier to do in person if you live in or near Hsinchu, and especially if you haven’t been before. If you do call, beware that the Taichung branch seems to come up a lot higher in English searches, but they cannot do the (saliva) PCR tests.

  2. Explain to the doctor why you want a saliva-based PCR test.

  3. The doctor will give you a form for the test. Pay, and then get a test tube from the machine by the entrance.

  4. Go back the next day to get your results. On my visit this was confusing and no one seemed sure where I should go, but in the end a staff member at the emergency room completed the form I needed for a fee of NT$250. This could change though, as it seems strange since it wasn’t an emergency.

Some things to note:

  1. This is an internal test at the hospital, so the doctor could refuse to do it, or the saliva PCR test machine could have reached its capacity. That could be a risk if it’s with 2-3 days of a flight.

  2. Saliva PCR tests may or may not be acceptable depending on what you need them for. It’s important to note, though, that these are quantitative tests, so are considered more reliable than the qualitative “RAT” tests available from pharmacies and convenience stores.

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It might be relevant to mention here that the nasal PCR tests, as they’re done now, are not the deep brain probes that was SOP a few months ago. They just sort of wave the swab in the general direction of your nostril and that’s about it. Basically, they take your money and give you a guaranteed negative. It’s still painful handing over the cash, but a lot less so when it comes to the test itself.

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Thinking of making a last minute trip to Japan. The website of Taipei Veterans General Hospital says that they’ll provide one English report, but they’ll charge extra for airworthiness certificate, proof of entry, or English medical certificate, which sounds like just another attempt to get more money out of your pocket. Anyone has had any experience taking a PCR test in order to go to Japan?

Hi DivineComedy,

I assume from your message that you haven’t had the covid vaccine, and are okay with a nasal swab test. In that case, shop around as different hospitals charge different amounts. I think most charge extra for doing the form, and in that case give them the official Japanese one to complete which makes it easier. Otherwise, any form in English with basic info (eg name, test time, method etc - check the requirements) should be okay, but the official form is better. There is a new app in which you can upload the results before you depart. In the past I’ve just given the certificate to the staff at immigration.

Hopefully Japan drops this absurd rule soon. Everyone knows by now that the vaccine doesn’t stop anyone getting or spreading covid.

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They know it but they can’t accept it.

@JesseD , thanks for the info. Shopping around is definitely the right thing to do. The Mackay Hospital in Tamsui for example charges 5000 TWD, way above the government guidelines. I finally did my test earlier this morning at the Taipei Veteran’s Hospital for 3500 TWD with the result coming out tomorrow. There are other hospitals charging the same price but you’ll have to wait two days for the result. The admission at Taipei Veteran’s was also kind enough to tell me that for traveling, you will not need the official form. The later is only required if you are going for other reasons such as business. Well, I guess we’ll see if that’s true when I depart for Tokyo this Saturday.