Taiwanese travelers heading to certan airports in Japan could from Thursday access a border preclearance service at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to facilitate entry into Japan, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) announced on Friday.
The measure, which is made possible through the partnership between the airport operator and Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, applies to Taiwanese tourists flying to Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Komatsu, Morioka Hanamaki, Sendai, Takamatsu or Niigata airports from Thursday to Feb. 29.
Those who enter Japan for tourism purposes, family visits, short-term business travel or would stay in Japan for no more than 90 days would be able to access the service, which would close 30 minutes before takeoff.
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp
Travelers choosing to access the border preclearance service at Taoyuan airport only need to confirm their arrival information at the boarding gates, the TIAC said.
Japanese border control officers would inspect passengers’ passports, take pictures of their faces and collect their fingerprints at the pre-clearance service, it said, adding that passengers could enter Japan soon after the immigration officers there check their passports and complete all entry procedures.
It is to be implemented next month, as the Lunar New Year holiday is the peak time of travel to Japan, TIAC said, adding that more than 6,000 Taiwanese tourists could benefit from the short-term measure.
Prior to this year, Japan’s border preclearance service was available at Taoyuan airport from 2005 to 2009 and was resumed last year with a two-week trial, TIAC said.
This year, the service would extend to one month and apply to flights to the 10 Japanese airports serviced by China Airlines, Starlux Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan, TIAC said.
“As the winter break and Lunar New Year holiday are peak times for outbound travel, we want to remind travelers to arrive at Taoyuan airport 2.5 to 3 hours before the departure of their flights,” the company said. “They should first take out laptops, tablet devices and mobile power banks from their carry-on luggage when they arrive at the security lines,” the comapany said.
“They should also remove water from containers as well as their jackets, hats and waist belts to facilitate the security check process” it added.
The Japan Tourism Agency on Jan. 17 published the results of a survey among international tourists, showing that Taiwan was ranked first in terms off money spent by international tourists in Japan last year.
Taiwanese tourists spent about NT$165.1 billion (US$5.27 billion) in Japan last year, exceeding spending by South Korean and Chinese tourists, the results showed.
Taiwan has signed reciprocal agreements with the US, South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK to facilitate the entry of Taiwanese tourists.
Beijing could eventually see a full amphibious invasion of Taiwan as the only "prudent" way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in a newly released annual report to Congress. The Pentagon's "Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025," was in many ways similar to last year’s report but reorganized the analysis of the options China has to take over Taiwan. Generally, according to the report, Chinese leaders view the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) capabilities for a Taiwan campaign as improving, but they remain uncertain about its readiness to successfully seize
Taiwan is getting a day off on Christmas for the first time in 25 years. The change comes after opposition parties passed a law earlier this year to add or restore five public holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on today, Dec. 25. The day marks the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, as the government in Taipei is formally known. Back then the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) governed China from Nanjing. When the KMT, now an opposition party in Taiwan, passed the legislation on holidays, it said that they would help “commemorate the history of national development.” That
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
RSS