Starting on Nov. 28, all Republic of China (ROC) passport holders will be able to enter Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands visa-free for 45 days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.
Ministry deputy spokesman James Chang (章計平) said Taiwan was included in the visa-waiver program because ROC passport holders have demonstrated an excellent track record while traveling abroad.
At present, Taiwanese nationals enjoy 15-day visa-free access to Guam — the only US territory that has extended such courtesy to ROC passport carriers so far, while those heading to the Northern Mariana Islands are required to have a sponsor and show a financial statement before being allowed entry.
Taipei has lobbied Washington in recent years to be added to the US visa-waiver program, but the US has been reluctant to approve it over concerns regarding Taiwan’s passport application process and other security matters.
After the Guam-Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island Visa Waiver Program goes into effect, the visa-free stay privilege to Guam will be extended to 45 days and ROC passport holders will also be allowed to travel to the Northern Mariana Islands with no sponsorship required.
Chang said more details about the program would be announced soon.
In March and June, the governments of the UK and Ireland also granted Taiwanese nationals visa-free access to their countries.
The British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei reminded Taiwanese students who intend to travel to the UK using the visa-free program before their student visa comes into effect to show evidence that they will be leaving the UK and re-entering using their valid student visa.
Those who do not have the required documents, such as e-tickets, to demonstrate that they will be leaving the UK will be refused travel by airlines or be refused entry upon their arrival in the UK.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
RSS