A trial program that offered Russians visa-free entry has not been renewed after it expired on July 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
Russia was part of the trial launched in 2018 offering citizens of Brunei, the Philippines, Russia and Thailand visa exemptions.
The program has since been renewed several times, but Russia was removed when it was in July extended for another year, the ministry said.
Taiwan suspended visa-free entry for all foreign nonresidents in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a move to ease restrictions, the Bureau of Councilor Affairs on Tuesday announced that travelers from select countries would from tomorrow again be allowed to enter the nation on visa exemptions, but Brunei, the Philippines, Russia and Thailand are not on the list.
However, the trial program would remain in place, the ministry said.
The reintroduction of visa exemptions followed similar moves by countries around the world. So far, it covers citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several European countries.
Japan, South Korea and other countries that offered visa-free entry to Taiwanese before the pandemic are not on the bureau’s list.
The ministry said Russia was included in the trial to boost tourism and bilateral trade.
The ministry is reviewing the effects of such measures, it added.
Russia does not grant visa-free entry to Taiwanese, the country’s representative office in Taipei says on its Web site.
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such