Nina’s Taiwan Adventure

At the airport

My Taiwan airport story is a bit different from the standard arrival story because of two reasons:

I had reported to my school that I had a migraine and thus were experiencing some of the symptoms that you are supposed to report (headache, vomiting)
My new Taiwanese SIM card blocked the health declaration website

After you depart the airplane, you’ll be met by an MOE representative who has a list of all the student’s names. They will inform you about the procedure and it’s so much information that you will probably forget most of it, but that’s ok – you don’t need to memorize it. Just follow them and the other students and you will be guided through the entire thing.

First you will need to buy a SIM card, there are a few to choose from. I asked for the one with the best data (internet) coverage and they told me it’s Chunghwa, but I could only buy a non-extendable SIM card. I could choose between 30, 60 and 90 days. I choose the 30 days one and it cost 1k NTD.

After you have received your SIM card, you will need to do the health declaration again (online). I had issues with this because my new SIM card somehow blocked the website. After some investigation and troubleshooting done by the MOE representative and SIM card sales guy, I was handed over to CDC/airport officials who spent a lot of time figuring out what was going on, and when it didn’t work to resolve my issue: they manually did the health declaration for me.

As I had reported symptoms, I was handed over to CDC after the health declaration was done and there they filled in another form with my information, symptoms etc before they let me do a PCR test (spit test). For those who haven’t reported symptoms, the PCR (spit) test happens a little bit later. They also give you an antigen test package at some point, you are supposed to use it after 10~ days. After that our CDC officer brought us the immigration control where we did fingerprints, photo and then let through to go pick up our luggage.

In the baggage claim area, there is a money exchange place and possibly ATMs to withdraw money. If your MOE/CDC representative has forgotten that you need to do either (they will ask you in the beginning), just remind them and they will help you get it done. After you are done getting your luggage and money, they lead you to the taxi area. For me, since I was handed over to CDC (and was going to a government quarantine facility?), the CDC officer handled everything with the taxi driver, telling him the address and such. For those coming with the MOE representative (and/or going to a regular quarantine hotel), you will get a form/paper to fill in the address of your hotel. After that they spray you down with some disinfectant and off in the taxi you go~

Quarantine

When you arrive at your quarantine facility, you will have your temperature checked, possibly fill in some forms and receive information on how/when you need to report on your temperature every day. You may or may not have certain goods confiscated (for the duration of the quarantine period), such as alcohol and sharp objects. After that you will be sprayed with disinfectant again and brought to your room. My government quarantine facility was in a hot spring town in Jiaoxi, Yilan. I had a hot spring bathtub, big room and the hotel was clean enough. My room was facing the inner alley/other side of the corridor so the windows were non-see-through and only one could be opened slightly. I’m an air condition illiterate so I couldn’t figure out how to raise the temperature of my air condition and eventually turned it on/off depending on how warm/cold it was in the room. The meals were placed outside our door three times a day and there were announcements, so we knew when we were allowed to open the door. Do not step outside your door unless they tell you it’s ok..! Twice a day I had to report my temperature to the contact person, and they were very concerned whenever I had any symptoms (like a headache). They reminded me when it was time for the antigen test and on the second last day of quarantine, they come to your room (only at government facilities) to do the PCR test (nasal swab). Regular quarantine hotel guests are usually taken to the hospital or some testing site outside of the hotel.

At some government facilities you are allowed to order your own food via UberEats or FoodPanda, or even have it delivered by friends/family BUT during a specific time window, in my case between 16.00 – 16.30. The food varies depending on where you are quarantined. At my hotel in Jiaoxi, we got mostly Taiwanese style lunchboxes (meat, tofu, vegetables and rice) every day. The first day I felt that the portions were very small, so I asked for more food, and for all dinners after that, they also gave me a box of instant noodles. After two, three days I instead felt that the portions were too big and couldn’t finish all the rice in the lunchboxes. The Taiwanese lunchboxes were very varied, I don’t think I got the same combination of food even once but I still got tired of it after 5-6 days and switched to vegetarian meals which made it more exciting again. I was allowed to choose if I wanted all vegetarian, or only some meals. For example, vegetarian dinners but meat for lunch (and breakfast).

I felt that the first few days zoomed by so fast and then it gradually started to get slower and slower. By the last day, it was as if time was standing still.

Self-health management week

My first day out of quarantine was an adventure. When I arrived at the hotel I had booked, for my self-health management week, they told me that they no longer accepted self-health management guests so I couldn’t stay there. I contacted my school’s admission office and they helped me find another hotel who accepted such guests. I booked it on booking.com and went there instead. Once I arrived, they informed me that the rooms that you book via booking.com are regular rooms and that they were fully booked for the self-health management rooms. By this time, I was already prepared and had prepared a back-up hotel, one that my friend was going to be staying at later. I contacted my admission office again, they called and made sure that there were self-health management rooms available, and I left for that hotel. Use https://www.mrhost.com.tw/ to find and book this specific type of hotels.

During the self-health management week, you are required to wear your face mask at all times when you are outside, keep 1 meter distance outdoors and 1,5 meter distance indoors. You cannot eat at restaurants, should not socialize, not allowed on campus and it’s not recommended that you use the MRT (this is not in writing, they will tell you this if you call CDC and ask). Additional rules can be found at the CDC website. If you visit any places (restaurants, shops, taxis etc), don’t forget to check in via the QR code that’s displayed (usually outside). This is for contact tracing purposes. Some stores (for example 7-11) also requires you to check your temperature (either inside or outside the store) and to disinfect your hands.

General tips and advice

Bring a water bottle with you from the flight to Taipei, there is nowhere to buy water at the airport and the taxi ride might be a long one.
Manageable luggage because you will be carrying/moving it around quite a bit. Some government facilities don’t have elevators. I packed (almost) everything I think I would need in my carry-on, so I wouldn’t have to dig everything up from my suitcases. Not all quarantine places have storage for you to unpack your stuff either.
Consider comfy lounge wear and snacks for your quarantine time.
Bring enough entertainment to last you the 14 days and try to do some type of exercise every day
Join Facebook groups (links further down this document) for housing and remember that rooms/apartments usually go very fast (within a day is not unusual). Start booking viewing appointments at your end of your quarantine but do spend some time prior to that to see what’s available and what the price and standard of the places are like so you know what to expect. It’s recommended that you check the place in person and not give any money until you have signed the contract. Some people bring the deposit (and first month’s rent) with them and sign on the spot.
Create a housing ad for yourself and post it in the Facebook groups, as well as check the groups every day to check the ads that are being posted. Some groups post several times a day (morning, noon, afternoon and night).
Try to bring a Taiwanese/local friend with you to the viewings if you can. Check with your school if there’s a buddy system.
Rent, length of contract etc can be negotiated