As travel enthusiasts, we dream of stepping foot in every country in the world and of course the mesmerizing mainland China is one of the countries in our bucket list. Sad to say that not everyone who likes to visit China is blessed with the financial capacity required to get a visa. However, not all hope is lost since China is exercising jurisdictions in other 2 self –governing regions namely  Hong Kong and Macau. It also claims sovereignty over Taiwan. So being on those countries, we still have the opportunity to see a part of China.  For the meantime, while we are saving for our trip to mainland China, let’s go to Taiwan first.

E-VISA APPLICATION

Starting October 7, 2016, a simplified visa application policy for all Philippine Passport holders can be done online without the need to physically appear at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).

E-visa is applicable to visitors who are visiting Taiwan with the main purpose of tourism, business, visiting relatives, attending international conference and participating in sports event.

E-visa Eligibility:

• The applicant’s passport must have remaining validity of at least six months starting from the date of arrival in Taiwan.
• The applicant must possess an onward/return air or ferry ticket.
• The applicant has never been employed as a blue-collar worker in Taiwan

E – Visa Fee, Approval and Validity

A credit card is needed for the non-refundable visa fee (debit card not applicable) however, you can use someone else’s credit card to pay for your application if you don’t own one. Application fee in Philippine currency depends on the exchange rate.

Application fee NT$1,600 including the NT$32 processing fee for the online credit card payment.
Total amount – NT$1,632 (Currency conversion)

I mistakenly processed my application which charged me 2738.00 pesos. Supposed to be, I only need to have the Travel Authorization Certificate since I am qualified for visa free entry. (Check on how to enter Taiwan visa-free on the bottom of the page.)

Visa approval depends on the application submitted. I submitted my application February 17 (Friday  – 6:00pm), I got a confirmation of the approved application via email,  February 21 ( Monday – 5:00 PM) No additional documents  were asked from me.  If there is a need to further review your  submitted application,  an email request for the necessary documents should be sent to you. E-visa is valid for 3 months and maximum of 30 days per stay.

E-visa Application Here.

The E-visa application is put on trial for a year, any changes soon will be announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Taiwan. Please keep posted. Regular application at Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) is still applicable.

Travel Authorization Certificate Application for Visa Free Entry

If you are an applicant who possess:

– a valid resident or permanent resident card
– a valid entry visa (electronic visa included)
– a resident card or visa that has expired less than 10 years prior to the date of
arrival in Taiwan

Approved by the following countries:

Australia
Canada
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
Schengen Countries
United Kingdom
United States

your application is qualified for the ROC (Taiwan) Travel Authorization Certificate (do not apply for the E-visa)  Make sure that you are applying for the correct entry to avoid unnecessary fee. If you met the qualifying requirements for the Travel Authorization Certificate, then you are good to go. Approval is less than 30 mins. Once application is approved, print out the certificate for immigration purposes. Validity of the certificate is 3 months, maximum of 30 days per entry.

( For any further information, please visit http://www.boca.gov.tw )