MANILA, Philippines — The visa-free privilege for Filipinos entering Taiwan has been extended for another year, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) announced Tuesday.
On its website, Teco said the privilege was extended up to July 31, 2020. The visa-free privilege was supposed to expire on July 31 this year.
According to Teco, Filipinos may enter Taiwan without a visa for up to 14 days. This, however, cannot be extended.
Filipino travelers also have to meet the following requirements:
- Possess an ordinary/regular passport with remaining validity of at least six months from the date of entry
- Hold a confirmed return plane or boat ticket, or a confirmed plane or boat ticket, along with a valid visa, for an onward destination
- Provide the confirmation of hotel reservations or an address and contact details for their stay in Taiwan, as well as a financial statement
- Have a clean criminal record, as verified by immigration upon arrival at an airport or seaport in Taiwan
- Teco explained that the extension of the visa-free privilege “is a display of Taiwan’s amity with the Philippines as the country continues to boost the travel convenience for Filipinos to visit Taiwan for leisure, business, or other short-term purposes,” adding that the privilege seeks to deepen Taiwan’s relationship with the Philippines in various fields
“The Philippines is not only Taiwan’s closest neighbor but also a priority partner for Taiwan’s ‘New Southbound Policy’ which aims to build stronger bilateral relations and closer people-to-people connectivity with its neighboring countries in the region,” Teco said.
The visa-free privilege was first implemented in 2017 and immediately reflected an increase in the number of Filipinos visiting Taiwan.
“In 2018, visitors from the Philippines reached 419,000, recording a 44% percent increase as compared to the number in 2017,” Teco said.
“Furthermore, regional airlines both from Taiwan and the Philippines have launched more direct flights and opened new routes to the major cities between the two countries,” Teco added.
(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)