Taiwan grants visa-free entry to Indians, Filipinos

Dubai - Travellers are advised to apply for a free travel authorization certificate before making the trip.

Indians and Filipinos travelling to Taiwan may soon be able to enter the country visa-free.

As part of its new policy, the Taiwanese government has relaxed visa rules for individuals from Asean countries and India, the Philstar reported.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to decide whether the visa-free policy for Filipinos will take effect in October or November.

Taiwan's plan to grant Filipinos visa-free entry was supposed to take effect last June but was deferred due to the need to "complete relevant administrative procedures and inter-agency coordination".

Nationals from the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos who wish to visit Taiwan for tourism or a short visit are advised to apply for free travel authorization certificate, according to the official website of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

The announcement was made by Winston Chen, director-general of the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, at a press briefing, the CNN reported.

Focus Taiwan, the English channel of the state-run Central News Agency, wrote that Chen said the programme was approved "to promote people-to-people, tourism and commercial exchanges between Taiwan and the Philippines".