In response to the issue of overseas students returning to the Republic of China (ROC) (Taiwan) for study, the Ministry of Education (MOE), in accordance with various guidelines and regulations announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), and on the premise of giving consideration to the ‘priority of epidemic prevention’ as well as the ‘rights and interests of overseas students to be educated’, has proposed specific and comprehensive arrangements of standard operating procedures (SOP) and related supporting measures for allowing overseas students to return to the ROC (Taiwan) for study. After several interdepartmental research and discussion meetings by the government, and the assessment by the CECC of epidemic risk levels and domestic epidemic prevention resources in various countries, the priority of commencing to 11 low-risk countries/regions (the list of 11 countries/regions: Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, Hong Kong, Macao, Mongolia, New Zealand, Palau, Thailand, and Vietnam) was approved. In addition, overseas students currently residing in these 11 countries/regions are allowed to enter the ROC (Taiwan) and will be prioritized to stay in off-campus epidemic prevention hotels, and after completion of the quarantine procedures they shall be returned to schools.

The MOE proposed ‘three principles and two standard operating procedures’ to ensure the orderly entry of overseas students.

• The three principles for overseas students returning to the ROC (Taiwan):

1. Priority will be given to the entry of overseas students from the CECC’s ‘low-risk countries/regions’ list.

2. Among ‘low-risk countries/regions’, graduating students from the academic year 108 will be prioritized to enter the ROC (Taiwan), and restrictions of other current and incoming students may be relaxed and they may be allowed to enter the ROC (Taiwan) in orderly batches according to the aforementioned graduating students’ quarantine status after entering the ROC (Taiwan).

3. After arranging for students to enter the ROC (Taiwan), they will be prioritized to stay in off-campus epidemic prevention hotels.

• After the entry list and quarantine location arrangements submitted by universities and colleges are confirmed by the MOE, universities and colleges as well as the overseas students shall adhere to the following SOPs to allow the overseas students to enter the ROC (Taiwan) safely and orderly :

1. SOP for before overseas students arrive in the ROC (Taiwan): real name verification of entry lists, confirmation of quarantine locations, flight investigations and issuance of visas shall be conducted.
2. SOP for after overseas students arrive in the ROC (Taiwan): airport border controls, single check-in counter, epidemic prevention transportation, and arrangements of quarantine locations shall be conducted.

The MOE will regularly request the CECC to provide an updated list of ‘low-risk countries/regions’ that can be allowed to enter the ROC (Taiwan), and then implement relevant operations of arranging overseas students to enter the ROC (Taiwan) in orderly batches. In addition, the MOE will also continue to examine the entry quarantine situation of overseas students, and then evaluate the relaxation of other entry targets in order to ensure the safe and orderly return of overseas students to the ROC (Taiwan) to study under the premise of giving priority to epidemic prevention.

The three principles for overseas students returning to the ROC (Taiwan):
1. Priority for low-risk countries/regions
2. Priority for graduating students from the academic year 108
3. Priority for epidemic prevention hotels

Priority for low-risk countries/regions:
Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, Hong Kong, Macao, Mongolia, New Zealand, Palau, Thailand, and Vietnam

List of students returning to the ROC (Taiwan) in orderly batches:
1.Graduating students from the academic year 108.
2.Other current students
3.Incoming students for the academic year 109

Two standard operating procedures:
1.SOP before arrival in the ROC (Taiwan):
  Universities and colleges submit the entry list and quarantine location arrangements and these  are confirmed by the MOE.
  Conduct flight investigations and issuance of visas.
2.SOP after arrival in the ROC (Taiwan):
  Conduct airport border controls, single check-in counter, epidemic prevention transportation, and arrangements of quarantine locations.