Visa-free travel to Taiwan not happening this June. Find out why! ~ SOCIAL PINOY

Earlier this year, many Filipinos rejoiced as Taiwan lifts the Visa requirement for travels coming from the Philippines starting June 2017. Some airline companies even had promotions that offer one-way fares to Taiwan for as low as P899.00 per person as part of celebrating the news. Prior to this announcement, Filipinos are required to apply for a tourist or working visa regardless of how short their stay in Taiwan will be. As the month of June approaches, many Filipinos became excited for their Visa-free travel to Taiwan. But a few days ago, this excitement turned to disappointment and worry as another sad news broke out.

Taiwan government recently announced that the implementation of their visa-free entry policy for Filipinos has been postponed to September 2017. According to an advisory from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, the visa-free policy has been rescheduled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan “in order to complete relevant administrative procedures and inter-agency coordination.”

Moreover, this postponement aims for a smoother transition from the traditional Taiwan-entry guidelines to the revised one. They also added that the postponement also ensures “smooth operations, more effective immigration procedure, and the safeguard of security for all passengers”.

MOFA further added that the public should look forward to the announcement of the exact date when this policy will be fully implemented, probably by September or at any other month that seems appropriate for the matter. This reform was part of Taiwan’s move to strengthen its ties with neighboring countries in the South and Southeast parts of Asia. It may greatly improve Taiwan’s tourism too. It was estimated that at least 170,000 Filipinos have visited Taiwan in 2016, and with the new visa-free entry policy, the numbers are expected to be doubled.

In spite of the postponement, Taiwan offers a few more benefits for Filipino travelers. Filipinos can still avail of the e-visa program if they intend to travel and enjoy a short stay in Taiwan. The new policy also includes the move to further widen the criteria of granting the Taiwan Travel Authorization Certificate to qualified Filipino travelers starting June 1, 2017.