Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung announced that Taiwan will extend the visa waiver for Philippine nationals for another year and hopes to establish reciprocal visa-free entry for Taiwanese citizens traveling to the Philippines. Starting July 1 of this year, holders of the Republic of China passport will be able to enter the Philippines without a visa for 14 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warmly welcomed this announcement.

The Ministry emphasized that enhancing convenience for citizens traveling abroad for business and promoting interactions with friendly nations are key priorities. During a national day event hosted by the Philippine representative office in Taiwan on the 13th, Minister Lin announced the one-year extension of the visa waiver for Philippine citizens. Currently, the Philippines has also opened its doors to visa-free entry for Taiwanese nationals, which will facilitate deeper cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism.

The Ministry stated that this development came after years of negotiations between the two governments and thanked the efforts of various Taiwanese government sectors and citizens. Minister Lin also commended the Philippine government for practically advancing Taiwan-Philippines relations. Furthermore, the Ministry urged Taiwanese citizens to comply with local laws during their stay in the Philippines and to contact the representative office in the Philippines or the Ministry’s emergency contact center if assistance is needed.

The launch of mutual visa exemptions is seen as a significant milestone in Taiwan-Philippines friendship. Last year, over 415,000 tourists from the Philippines visited Taiwan, making it the top source of visitors from Southeast Asia, while 200,000 Taiwanese traveled to the Philippines. It is anticipated that these numbers will increase further with the implementation of the visa waiver policy.