From August next year, the annual review of the visa-free program for tourists from Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines and Russia is to be extended to once every three years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
“The visa-free treatment granted to the four countries is to expire on July 31, 2020. By that time, the evaluation on whether to extend that privilege will be conducted every three years,” MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.
In August 2016, Taiwan began allowing citizens from Thailand and Brunei 14-day visa-free entry into the country as part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) New Southbound Policy.
The program was expanded to the Philippines in November 2017 and Russia in September last year.
In past reviews, the four countries had their visa-free privileges extended due to their citizens’ low involvement in illegal activities while in Taiwan. The maximum number of days Russians are allowed to stay in Taiwan was extended from 14 to 21 in July.
The government decided not to include Indonesia and Vietnam in its visa-free program “due to border management and national security considerations,” the ministry said.
However, the approval procedures for visa applications from citizens of the two countries would be simplified.
“Visa applications by citizens of Indonesia and Vietnam are to be reviewed by Taiwanese tourism officials based in those countries instead of the applications being sent to Taiwan, and visas are to be issued by local Taiwan representative offices to shorten the processing time,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that agencies are discussing ways to attract more tourists from six countries in the Middle East that are covered in Taiwan’s electronic visa program — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Taiwan is eager to develop tourism markets in the Gulf states, as tourists from there have high spending power, it said, adding it is confident of achieving this goal, because Taiwan was ranked third on this year’s Global Muslim Travel Index, which lists the most Islamic-friendly destinations.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS