People planning to travel abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday should make sure they have a valid passport, and meet visa and entry requirements, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
In a video posted on Facebook, Lin urged people to check five items before leaving for the holiday.
First, make sure their passport is valid for at least six months with at least four blank pages, and second, make sure pages of the passport have not been defaced with commemorative, or nonofficial stamps or stickers, he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Third, ensure they meet the travel destination’s visa and entry requirements, and fourth, get fully insured for overseas travel, he said.
Last, people who plan to drive while abroad must have a valid Taiwanese license and an international driving permit, he said.
Those planning to drive in Japan would need a Japanese translation of their Taiwanese driver’s license, Lin added.
People should download the government’s Travel Safety Guidance (旅外安全指南) app or add the Consular Affairs Bureau’s official Line account prior to their trip to learn more about traveling overseas, he said.
People should also register as an overseas traveler with the bureau’s Line account or official Web site before their trip, so that overseas missions can get in touch with them and provide aid in an emergency, he said.
Taiwanese encountering emergencies overseas can call the emergency hotlines of Taiwan’s overseas missions — including those with multiple jurisdictions — or have friends or family call the 0800-085-095 hotline of the ministry’s Emergency Coordination Center for help, he said.
Set up at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the center is open 24/7 throughout the year to help overseas travelers’ in emergencies, the ministry said.
Separately, the Mainland Affairs Council yesterday warned against unnecessary travel to Macau or Hong Kong amid an “orange” level travel alert for the regions, due to local law enforcement and unstable situations.
Those who travel to Hong Kong or Macau must be aware of potential risks due to local regulations that could affect their personal rights and safety, and should be aware that their personal items could be subject to searches, the council said.
For example, personal mobile phones or computers might be examined, confiscated or held as “incriminating evidence,” if they contain sensitive information, it said, adding that such content should be backed up and removed from devices prior to traveling to the territories.
People are also advised against bringing gas canisters, pepper spray, stun guns, expandable batons, brass knuckles, switchblades or comb knives to the territories, the council said.
Taiwanese encountering emergencies in Hong Kong can call the emergency hotline of (852) 6143-9012 of the council’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong, while those in Macau can call the (853) 6687-2557 hotline of the council’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Macau, it said.
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