In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China next year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a “special” passport, the date of issuance being Jan. 1, 2011.
Normally passports cannot be issued on that date because it is a national holiday. The “special” passports will be issued with one condition attached: Individuals must file their application in person, said Thomas Chen (陳經銓), Director-General of the ministry’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Chen said the commemorative passports were in part intended to encourage the public to apply in person rather than through travel agents.
As few as 30 percent of Taiwanese passport holders applying for in person. This has delayed inclusion on the US visa-free entry program because the US considers the practice open to abuses.
In recent years, there have been numerous cases of human trafficking rings using counterfeit national identification cards or pictures of people under 14 years of age to apply for Taiwanese passports for Chinese children, Chen said.
Chen said that about 65 percent of Taiwanese passport holders applied for their passports through travel agents because there are only four offices in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan that provide passport application services.
To increase the number of Taiwanese applying for passports in person, Chen said a proposal had been submitted to the Executive Yuan that people be allowed to apply at household registration offices in Sindian City (新店市) in Taipei County, Jhongli City (中壢市) in Taoyuan County, Changhua City and Tainan City.
The trial program, to be launched at the start of next year, will run for one year before the Passport Act (護照條例) is amended by the legislature, to make applications in person mandatory.
The number of passport service points will increase to 373 nationwide if local household registration offices are incorporated, Chen said.
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