9 countries added to eVisa program

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Taiwan has added nine countries to its electronic visa program.

What does the change mean? Nationals of the following countries may apply for visitor visas online: Bahrain, Dominica, Kuwait, Montenegro, Oman, the Philippines (for a one-year trial period), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: Visitor visas.
• Who is affected: Nationals of the designated countries.
• Impact on processing time: Processing times for e-visas are faster than regular processing, as e-visa applicants apply online and print out their visa before travel.
• Business impact: Business visitors for the designated countries may apply for the visas if they are going to Taiwan to attend international conferences or trade shows organized or sponsored by central government agencies.

Background: Taiwan introduced its eVisa program last year to nationals of 27 countries. eVisas are appropriate for business visitors, tourists and those visiting family members or attending a conference, trade show or other event sponsored by the Taiwanese government or nongovernmental organizations. Work permits are still required for engaging in productive employment.

BAL Analysis: The expansion of Taiwan’s eVisa program will benefit additional nationals visiting as tourists or for certain business purposes.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Taiwan. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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