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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS