Taiwanese travelers to countries in the Schengen Area should set aside more time for customs clearance through the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
The EES, which was first implement on Oct. 12 last year and progressively rolled out at border crossing points in Europe, would be fully operational on Friday, Department of European Affairs Director Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) said.
The EES is an automated system aimed at enhancing the bloc’s border management, which would collect biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, upon a traveler’s first entry to a Schengen country, he said.
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“MOFA advises citizens to reserve sufficient time for customs clearance and flight transfers when entering or leaving Schengen countries to protect their rights and interests,” Huang said.
Travelers should closely check the official Web sites of the EU and the Schengen countries they are visiting before their trip to stay informed of the latest announcements, regulations and travel advisories, he added.
Taiwanese passport holders can use eGates in the Czech Republic, Italy and Germany for faster entry, but with the launch of the EES, registration of fingerprints and facial biometrics would be required during a visitor’s first entry, before they can use eGates, he said.
As the Czech Republic is temporarily suspending eGate access for non-EU citizens, including those from Taiwan, due to system integration issues, travelers should check with representative offices in Taiwan for further details and updates before departure, he added.
Meanwhile, based on the reciprocity principle and for further promoting exchanges between the two countries, Taiwan and Austria have agreed to increase the quota for the Taiwan-Austria Youth Working Holiday Program to 100 from 75 participants per year, effective from Friday, Huang said.
Taiwanese aged 18 to 30 can apply to the Austrian Office Taipei for a working holiday visa with a stay of up to one year, he said, adding that more information can be found on MOFA’s Youth Taiwan Web site (https://www.youthtaiwan.net).
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