Taiwan (ROC)

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Taiwan based on HIV status.

According to the US Department of State, Taiwan does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.

Nothing in the list of documents required to request a visa, available on the website of the Taipei Representative Office in London, suggest an HIV related restriction on entry.

The Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan (PRAAT) indicates that no HIV testing should be requested for any visa application such as work permit or residence permit.

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Taiwan based on HIV status.

According to the US Department of State, Taiwan does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Taiwan based on HIV status.

According to the US Department of State, Taiwan does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.

The law prohibits potential employers from requesting health examination reports from job candidates to prove that they do not have HIV or other communicable diseases.

According to the health check for ARC application, the Items required for Health Certificate (Form B), Annex I, include a Chest X-Ray for Tuberculosis and a Serological Test for Syphilis. There is no mention of HIV.

According to information provided by the Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan (PRAAT), in February 2015, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) revised laws to lift restrictions on the entry, stay and residence of foreigners with HIV in Taiwan. For example, the HIV screening test for foreigners’ health examinations was removed for those applying for residency in Taiwan, whether for work or study.

The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Taiwan. There is some evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.

Non-ROC (Republic of China) residents who acquire HIV while in Taiwan should, in general, cover their own their treatment. The Centres for Disease Control in Taiwan (CDCTW) covers Taiwan nationals for the first two years of treatment. CDCTW does not cover non-nationals.

Foreigners living with HIV may only receive HIV-related services through Taiwan’s National Health Insurance if they have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and until two years after their first purchase record of antiretroviral treatment in Taiwan. This means that non-ROC nationals will have to come up with the means to pay for their treatment on their own for the first two years of their stay in Taiwan. 

There are specific forms for certain jobs, like “foreign language teacher” or “foreign labour”. The rules are the same regardless.

If you are currently a student or applying to become one, please double-check your school’s health examination requirements for foreign student.

The Taiwanese Centers for Disease Control offer in depth information on HIV in Taiwan, in particular the document “Foreigner with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) infection in Taiwan: Question and Answer,” 

According to the Health check for ARC application, Items required for Health Certificate (Form B), Annex I, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) does not offer subsidies for treatment to non-ROC nationals living with HIV in Taiwan. The annual treatment costs for HIV is NTD$300,000 (approximately USD$10,000). Prices may differ depending on the specific regimen. Non-ROC nationals are strongly advised to undergo HIV screening in their homeland prior to visiting Taiwan in order to understand their own health conditions. People living with HIV are strongly advised to stay in their homeland for treatment.

• US Department of State
• Taipei Representative Office in London
• Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan
• Taiwanese Centers for Disease Control

Migrant populations

Refugees and asylum seekers