People walk past food vendors along a street in Taipei on May 26, 2024. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The visa-free entry of passport holders from the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei had been extended until July 2025 by Taiwan.
The decision was made in line with their efforts to promote the New Southbound Policy (NSP). This was according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a statement.
READ MORE:
Taiwan extends visa-free entry for Filipinos to July 31, 2024
Why is Taiwan so exposed to earthquakes and so well prepared to withstand them?
Over 123,000 Filipinos benefit from Taiwan wage hike — Meco chief
In a meeting last April 12, MOFA and relevant government agencies “conducted a comprehensive review of existing visa and entry measures, focusing on the trial visa-free entry program for nationals of Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines; the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries; and conditional visa-free entry through the Online Application for R.O.C. (Taiwan) Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC) scheme for nationals of Southeast Asian countries,” the statement read.
Citing the effectiveness of the aforementioned measures over the past years, Taiwan said it decided to extend the trial visa-free entry program for another year — solely for the nationals of Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines.
This means that visa-free entry to Taiwan will be extended from its original deadline of August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.
READ MORE: Young travelers drive surge in global demand for ‘experiential’ tourism
“In addition, the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries will be extended for a further year through December 31, 2025, and the conditional visa-free entry through the TAC scheme will remain in place,” said MOFA.
It added that it will also continue to communicate with the governments of related countries to enhance visa treatment for Taiwanese nationals and make their overseas travel more convenient.