Taiwan Eases Visa Regulations In Immigration Laws

Taipei City – Taiwan’s government has implemented revisions to the immigration policy effective March 1st, resulting in the relaxation of certain visa regulations.

Under the amended policy, foreigners are now eligible to apply for an extension of their visitor visa at the National Immigration Agency, provided they were initially granted a stay of 60 days or more, and their visa permits extension. Notably, the fee for this extension is 300 New Taiwan dollars (approximately US$9.39), whereas previously, extension of visitor visas was prohibited.

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It should be noted that the extension period allowed cannot surpass the originally permitted duration of stay and must not exceed a total stay of more than six months.

Furthermore, individuals holding an Alien Resident Certificate are now permitted to apply for an extension of their status up to three months before its expiration, an increase from the previous one-month allowance.

Additionally, amendments include granting foreign nationals who entered the country under a resident visa on or after January 1, 2024, a 30-calendar-day window to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate, previously limited to 15 calendar days.

Despite the general relaxation of visa rules, Taiwanese authorities have implemented stricter measures in certain aspects of immigration policy, particularly for foreign nationals born in mainland China, as reported by BAL. These applicants are now required to submit additional supporting documents when applying for an alien residence card or alien permanent residence card to verify their lack of household registration in China or possession of a Chinese passport.

Furthermore, the government has revised overstay penalties, increasing them to NT$10,000–NT$50,000 (from NT$2,000–NT$10,000), and enhancing the maximum ban from entering the country due to overstay from three to seven years.