Taiwanese passport holders heading to Europe on short trips would need to be aware of two new entry systems that are to go into effect next month and next year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
However, the two systems would not impact the ability of Taiwanese passport holders to enter European countries visa-free, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of European Affairs Deputy Director-General Lin Chu-en (林主恩) said.
The first system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), is set to be launched on Nov. 10 according to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Lin said.
Photo: Reuters
As part of this program, non-EU travelers would have to register their biometric information the first time they arrive at an external Schengen border.
The system would register the person’s name, travel document type and biometrics, specifically fingerprints, facial image and the date and place of entry.
The EES is to replace the manual stamping of passports by immigration officers, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not help identify overstayers, the EU said.
Meanwhile, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a visa waiver program for non-EU citizens entering 30 European countries, is expected to come into force six months after the launch of EES, said Lin.
ETIAS travel authorization would be required for visa-exempt nationals — including Taiwanese — traveling to any of the 30 European countries.
The authorization, which can be applied for online, is linked to a traveler’s passport and is valid for up to three years or until one’s passport expires.
There is no confirmed date for the ETIAS launch, but the ministry would monitor and share information when it becomes available, said Lin.
Taiwanese passport holders have not needed visas to travel to the EU for short stays since Jan. 11, 2011. However, specific-country visas are required if a traveler intends to stay or study for longer than 90 days or work for any period of time.
Separately, the British Office Taipei in a post on its Facebook page yesterday said that as the UK is implementing the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system in stages, Taiwanese passport holders, who can currently enter the UK visa-free, would be required to get an ETA to do so from Jan. 8 next year.
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