The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it has not received any information about Saudi Arabia planning to reduce its visa application fee, despite a claim by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) that the kingdom has promised to do so.
Returning from a trip to the Middle Eastern country yesterday, Gou told reporters at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) that he was surprised by its high visa fee of US$800.
Gou said that he suggested, and the royal family promised, that if he is elected president, Riyadh would slash the visa application fee to US$80, said Evelyn Tsai (蔡沁瑜), deputy chief executive of Gou’s Yonglin Foundation.
Gou had joined the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential primary earlier this year, but lost to Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
Gou has said he would announce by Sept. 17 whether he would join the presidential election on Jan. 11.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement that striving for more favorable visa terms from Saudi Arabia has always been one of the ministry’s objectives.
If Riyadh plans to cut the application fee, it would be a positive development, it said.
As Saudi Arabia does not offer visitor visas to Taiwan, most Taiwanese have to apply for a commercial visa to enter the kingdom, the statement said.
Taiwan has made electronic visas for Saudi Arabians available since 2016, as part of the ministry’s plan to attract more Muslim visitors from Middle Eastern nations.
Additional reporting by Chen Jou-chen
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