Taiwan to allow final year foreign students to return

台灣允許即將結業的外籍生回台

International students in final year allowed to apply for return to Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will allow international students who are in their final year to apply to return to the country effective immediately, announced the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (July 22).

During a press conference held by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), Deputy Education Minister Liu Meng-chi (劉孟奇) announced that all foreign students in their final year will be allowed to apply for entry into Taiwan, including students from China. However, Liu emphasized that the students must first undergo 14 days of quarantine before they can resume their studies in the country.

On March 19, Taiwan closed its borders to foreign nationals as the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak worsened, but on June 17 the MOE began allowing international students from 19 countries and regions that were considered to be at low- to moderate risk for coronavirus. Wednesday's announcement means that final year students from all countries and regions can now apply to return to Taiwan.

Liu said that the students can undergo their 14-day quarantine in specially designated hotels or designated campus dormitories. He said that the CECC has arranged for 500 beds for returning students to utilize during their quarantine period.

The MOE official said that in the future, as students are released from quarantine, other degree-seeking and first-year students will gradually be allowed to apply to return to Taiwan. Liu said that thus far, 959 students have received approval to return to Taiwan, and 504 have already entered the country.

Liu added that of the 3,533 final year students eligible to return, 3,041 are from China. Of the 19 countries on the list, 10,397 degree-seeking students and 7,074 first-year students will be eligible to return in future waves, according to Liu.