Many Filipino travellers rejoiced two years ago, when Taiwan announced that it will no longer require a visa for Philippine passport holders for a year (trial period). However, as the effectivity of this ‘trial’ period is about to end this month, many Filipinos, in a similar fashion, expressed their regret and disappointment that they were not able to take advantage of this benefit while it lasted.
Nevertheless, with the renewed ties made by the Philippine government with its Chinese counterpart, the benefit may remain in effect than we all expected.
Visa-Free Travel for Filipinos to Taiwan Extended Until July 2020
As per recent announcement by the Taiwan government, Filipino travelers can enjoy visa-free entry in the country for another year as the East Asian nation has extended the privilege until July 31, 2020, as shared in a report by the Philippine Star.
This means that Filipinos may enter Taiwan and stay for up to 14 days without visa beginning Aug. 1, 2019.
In a statement released on Tuesday (July 2), the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) shared, “This privilege is a display of Taiwan’s amity with the Philippines as the country continues to boost the travel convenience for Filipinos to visit Taiwan for leisure, business, or other short-term purposes.”
It further noted, “The visa-free privilege also aims to deepen Taiwan’s multifaceted relations with the Philippines, particularly in the fields of tourism, trade, investment, education, agriculture, fisheries and healthcare, etc.”
For Philippine passport holders interested to visit Taiwan until July 31, 2020, here are the following conditions that you must meet:
- Possess an ordinary/regular passport with remaining validity of at least six months from the date of entry;
- Hold a confirmed return plane or boat ticket, or a confirmed plane or boat ticket, along with a valid visa, for an onward destination;
- Provide the confirmation of hotel reservations or an address and contact details for their stay in Taiwan, as well as a financial statement;
- Have a clean criminal record, as verified by immigration upon arrival at an airport or seaport in Taiwan.
Of note, the duration of the 14-day visa-free travel in Taiwan is not extendable and begins on the following day of arrival in the island nation.
It can be recalled that the East Asian nation introduced the visa-free program in November 2017 to increase visitors coming from countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The privilege was extended in 2018, and with this, the number of Filipino tourists increased to 419,000 in 2018 from 290,784 in 2017.
On this regard, the TECO also urged the Philippine government to grant visa-free treatment to Taiwanese “on the basis of reciprocity.”
Should the decision from the Philippine government granting visa-free treatment to Taiwan nationals push through, the TECO said that the move will surely strengthen the bilateral ties and mutually benefit the two countries.”
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