The UK has included Taiwan in its Registered Traveler service program, allowing holders of Republic of China passports who travel frequently to Britain to get through UK border controls faster.
The British government on Monday announced that Taiwan was one of the new program participants, along with South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
To be eligible for the program, one must be 18 or older and have a UK visa that is valid for more than six months or have had visited the UK four times or more (including visa-free entries) in the previous 24 months, the ministry said.
It costs £70 (US$75.95) to apply for the service for one year. Applicants will receive £50 back if their applications are not approved.
Applicants will still need to enter the UK through ordinary lines at border controls on their first visit after their application is approved so that British immigration officers can confirm and activate their registration, the ministry said.
After that they will be able to enjoy faster entry to the UK on successive trips by using the UK/EU entry lanes and the ePassport gate at Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester and Stansted airports.
The service is also available at Eurostar terminals in Paris, Brussels and Lille.
Those registered under the program do not need to fill in a landing card upon arrival in the UK and will also be exempt from leaving fingerprints or being interviewed by immigration officers, the ministry said.
The new facility would create greater convenience for Taiwanese travelers to the UK and promote bilateral people-to-people exchanges, the ministry said.
The UK granted Taiwan visa-free entry in 2009 and signed a reciprocal working holiday agreement with Taiwan in 2011.
The UK’s Registered Traveler program was launched last year, with those holding passports issued by Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the US the first to be eligible for the service, the ministry said.
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