(FWA 2025/6/24) The “Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens” expired on June 30, 2023. To protect the rights of the public, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) amended Article 74-1 of the “Communicable Disease Control Act” before the special act’s expiration. This amendment extends the application deadline for epidemic prevention compensation to June 30, 2025. Applications will no longer be accepted starting from July 1, 2025, at 00:00.
The MOHW stated that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the government has provided daily epidemic prevention compensation of NT$1,000 to encourage the public to cooperate with epidemic prevention measures and comply with isolation or quarantine regulations.
This compensation is for individuals certified by health authorities as requiring isolation or quarantine, and for family members who took leave to care for isolated or quarantined individuals unable to care for themselves. Confirmed COVID-19 patients themselves are not eligible for this compensation. The original application period was within two years from the end of the isolation or quarantine period.
Eligible Applicants: Taiwanese Nationals and Residents, Including Foreign Migrant Workers
Since June 17, 2020, only Republic of China (Taiwanese) nationals or those holding a Taiwan resident certificate are eligible to apply for epidemic prevention compensation. Non-nationals, people from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau residents without resident certificate are not eligible. Foreign migrant workers working in Taiwan who hold a valid resident certificate are also eligible to apply.
Taiwanese nationals or resident certificate holders who underwent isolation or quarantine, or who cared for an isolated or quarantined individual unable to care for themselves, must still adhere to epidemic prevention regulations. To be eligible for epidemic prevention compensation, they must not have violated any isolation or quarantine regulations, not have violated any epidemic prevention measures implemented by the Central Epidemic Command Center, not have received a salary, and not have received similar subsidies under other laws during their isolation or quarantine period.
According to statistics, epidemic prevention compensation applications began on March 23, 2020. As of May 2025, a total of 2,685,481 applications have been received, with 1,994,372 individuals having received a total of NT$11,097,866,000. Reasons for denied applications include: not being an isolated or quarantined individual, violating quarantine or isolation regulations, duplicate applications, incomplete documentation, or failure to submit missing documents by the deadline.
The MOHW explained that those who were eligible for epidemic prevention compensation before the special act expired on June 30, 2023, but did not apply within two years from the end of their isolation or quarantine period, can still submit their applications by June 30, 2025. For example, if someone’s isolation ended on May 20, 2022, they should have applied by May 19, 2024. If they did not apply before the special act expired on June 30, 2023, they can still apply by June 30, 2025.
Individuals in Self-Health Monitoring Not Eligible for Epidemic Prevention Compensation
Taiwan implemented a new “0+7” border entry management policy on October 13, 2022, which eliminated home quarantine for arrivals, replacing it with “7 days of self-health monitoring.” From November 7, 2022, close contacts also transitioned to “7 days of self-health monitoring,” and home isolation notices were no longer issued. Individuals undergoing “self-health monitoring” are not subject to restrictions on their personal freedom and therefore are not eligible for epidemic prevention compensation.
The MOHW further clarified that applicants must fill out an online application form and attach relevant supporting documents, such as a photocopy of their financial institution passbook cover, proof of leave and unpaid status for employed individuals, or a sworn statement of inability to work and lack of compensation/remuneration.
The number of days of home isolation varies for each person, depending on the notification received. Workers who were unpaid during these days can receive NT$1,000 per day in epidemic prevention compensation. Employers are still responsible for paying salaries for national holidays, regular holidays, and rest days as stipulated by the Labor Standards Act.
The MOHW reminds those who meet the application criteria for epidemic prevention compensation to apply as soon as possible via the “Epidemic Prevention Compensation Application System” (website: https://swis.mohw.gov.tw/covidweb/). The system will close after the deadline, and no further applications will be accepted. For inquiries, please contact the township (or city/district) office in the area where the isolation or quarantine took place.
