A Step-by-Step Guide for Taiwan eVisa
If you belong to an eVisa-eligible nation, you can travel to the country by obtaining a Taiwan eVisa. It is an official document issued electronically by the Republic of China (ROC) overseas missions.
In the below-mentioned Taiwan eVisa step-by-step guide, you will learn what documents are required for it. Read on to learn how to fill out the Taiwan eVisa application form. Learn about the issues involved in applying for an electronic visa for Taiwan.
Getting a Taiwanese Visa
You must visit a Taiwanese foreign mission in person to obtain official entrance permission, known as a ROC visa. If you are a citizen of an eVisa eligible nation, then keep in mind that Taiwan eVisas are given for brief stays, such as:
- granted to visitors
- business
- tourist visas for Taiwan
An electronic permit for Taiwan is only available to some nationalities. However, the Taiwanese eVisa’s main benefit is that it can be obtained swiftly and inexpensively compared to a paper-based one.
Part 1: Navigating the Eligibility Criteria
On the first page of the Taiwan eVisa official website, we could see a set of instructions highlighting:
- the eligibility criteria
- Taiwan eVisa requirements and procedure
- purpose and duration of stay
We’ll cover them in detail in the sections below.
Taiwan eVisa Eligible Countries
Remember, the eVisa for Taiwan is not available for everyone. Only citizens from specific countries are eligible for a Taiwan eVisa if they fulfill certain criteria. You are an eligible for an online Taiwan visa if you belong to any of the following countries:
- Montenegro
- Solomon Islands
- Oman
- Kiribati
- Saudi Arabia
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Qatar
- Peru
- Mauritius
- Ecuador
- Bahrain
- Kuwait
- Turkiye
- Burkina Faso
- U.A.E.
- Colombia
- Kosovo
If you are a Citizen from Another Nation
In addition, if you belong to other nations who have received invitations to partake in international events, such as:
- conferences
- sports gatherings
- trade expos
- or other activities sponsored or co-organized by the Taiwanese central government agencies
Then also, you are eligible for a Taiwan eVisa. Moreover, if you are a foreign national, you must procure an Ecode from your Taiwanese host organization (not the Bureau of Consular Affairs) before applying for a Taiwan eVisa online.
If you are a Korean National Applying for Taiwan eVisa
Only in the context of sports events are nationals from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea eligible for an eVisa for Taiwan. So, if you are a Korean national, we’ll advise you to contact the embassy.
Southeast Asian Nations eligible for Taiwan eVisa
If you belong to any of the travel groups from Southeast Asian countries listed below, then you are eligible for a Taiwan eVisa. This is through the "Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries." :
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Cambodia
- India,
- Myanmar
Please note that the project is managed by the Tourism Bureau and the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. It works with selected travel agencies.
eVisa for Taiwan for Nationals of TAITRA
If you are a citizen of the following countries intending to conduct business endorsed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) local offices, you are qualified for an eVisa for Taiwan. :
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Pakistan
- Bhutan
- Iran
- Bangladesh
- India
If you are a US citizen
As a citizen of the United States, you are visa-exempt to enter the ROC( Taiwan) for short stays. However, your reason to travel must be tourism and for less than 90 days. A six-month remaining validity is not a requirement for US nationals for traveling during visa exempt period (less than 90 days).
You must apply for a Taiwan Resident Visa at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission in the US if your trip to Taiwan is more than 90 days and it is for job, study, or another purpose.
As a US citizen, you are eligible for a Taiwanese eVisa if you wish to stay for more than 90 days in the country, but you will need to provide an ecode or leave it blank on the form ( if applicable.)
For the most recent information on visas and eVisa, you can check with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US.
If you do not Belong to a Visa-exempt Country
If you are a foreign national wishing to travel to Taiwan but are not eligible for a Taiwan eVisa, then you must complete a form under General Visa Applications on the Bureau of Consular Affairs official platform.
Thereon, you can then submit this form to a Republic of China, Taiwan overseas mission.
Requirements and Procedure for Taiwan eVisa
If you are a Taiwan eVisa eligible citizen, then you must own one of the following:
- an ordinary passport
- official passport
- diplomatic passport.
It must be valid and have a minimum of six months validity from your intended entry date into Taiwan.
Purpose of Visit to Taiwan
You must keep in mind that Taiwan eVisas are only issued for:
- tourism purposes
- business-related visits
- attending international conferences
- to attend sports events in Taiwan
- visiting relatives
We would like to emphasize that an appropriate long term visa application must be submitted at ROC overseas mission ( for stays more than 90 days). It can be for employment, studying, living with family, or Mandarin language courses.
Validity and Duration of Stay
Your eVisa for Taiwan is valid for three months beginning on the date of issuance. The Taiwan eVisa is a single-entry visa. It has a 30 day maximum stay limit. Moreover, you cannot extend or change it to a different kind of visa.
After clicking on Terms and Conditions, we were able to navigate to the next page. However, you can "Cancel and Exit" or "Confirm and Continue."
Part 2: Taiwan Visa Types
You need to choose the type of Taiwan visa you are applying for. The choices are:
- General visa applications
- Foreign Visa Applications
- eVisa Applications
All three application buttons have a "Q&A" section. If you click on it, you will be directed to a pdf in Taiwanese. Don’t worry, you need to keep scrolling through it.
Thereon, you will find the questions and answers are also answered in English. There are also two buttons, "New" and "Edit| Status." You can now proceed to fill out the eVisa form for Taiwan.
Part 1 and Part 2 are just preliminary sections to broaden your understanding of what is going to ensue. We are now going to going to take you through the step-by-step process for Taiwan eVisa:
Step 1: Your Travel Details
You need to answer the following on the Taiwan eVisa application form:
- Travel Purpose: In the drop-down menu, you can select the purpose of your visit to Taiwan.
- Duration of Stay: We filled in the purpose of travel for our eVisa form for Taiwan as "Tourism." This field automatically displayed thirty days.
- Number of Entries: Your Taiwan eVisa form will automatically display a Single-entry visa. This is because the purpose of the visit to Taiwan is chosen as tourism.
Choices on the Application Form
Taiwan Evisa applicants have the following choices:
- Cancel and Exit
- Proceed to Page 2
Hence, we chose to go to the next section.
Step 2: Applicant’s Details
On this page, you will find that certain required fields are mandatory to fill.
Photo Upload Instructions
If you are uploading your photos on the Taiwan eVisa portal, you must ensure it is:
- taken within six months
- must be a colored photograph and a half-length
- must cover 70-80% of the front face
- Hats should be off
- must depict clear facial features with a white background
There is an image sign on the left-hand corner of your online visa application form for Taiwan. Once your photo is uploaded, it will show how it will be depicted in the Taiwan eVisa application form.
Document Upload Guidelines
You will come across a set of instructions for uploading the documents on the Taiwan eVisa application form. They are as follows:
- Files must be uploaded in JPG/JPEG form
- Your documents must be of high-quality resolution
- There cannot be any remarks on your Taiwan eVisa application form
- You should not upload a copy or photocopy of the travel document
- Maximum upload file size must be less than 1024k
- You must upload the original-size scan documents
Remember, both sides must be scanned individually. Even if your document is double-sided, you can upload it.
Personal Details
You can then proceed to fill in the following information on the Taiwan eVisa form:
- Data Page of Your Passport: You can choose the file to upload on the form. In case it does not appear correct on uploading, you have the option to delete the file. Afterward, you can reupload the new file. Please note it is a required field.
- Surname: It states, "English Letters Only," and is a mandatory field. We could browse "Sample Surname." You are advised to keep the surname within fifty characters or leave it blank if it is not applicable.
- Given Name: This is also a required field, and we had to fill this field in English as stated on the form. We could check "Give Name Sample." We could keep it within fifty characters or leave it blank (If not applicable.)
- Former or Any Other Name (if any): Please note it is not a mandatory field, and while filling eVisa form for Taiwan, you need to keep it within fifty characters. We could leave it blank as it was not applicable to us.
- Date of Birth: It is compulsory to fill this field. We filled it in YYYY/MM/DD format.
- Place-City of Birth: This is a mandatory field; you must provide information within fifty characters.
- Place-Country of Birth: It is a required field, and you must again fill in the information within fifty characters.
- Gender: This, too, is a mandatory section. For Taiwan eVisa, you must select from the following options:
- Male
- Female
- Other
Now this marks the end of Page 2. Tourists applying for the Taiwan eVisa can return to "Page 1" or "Page 3" after filling in all the above-required sections.
Step 3: Applicant’s Passport Details
In this section, all the segments of the Taiwan eVisa application form are required fields except for the last question. You need to provide the following information:
Passport Number: You are required to fill out your passport number.
Passport Type: There is a drop-down Menu, and you can choose the "regular" option if applying for tourism.
Issuance Date: You must fill it in YYYY/MM/DD format.
Expiration Date: You will again fill it in YYYY/MM/DD format.
Place of Issuance: It must be within fifty characters.
Nationality: You need to mention your nationality.
Other Passports: The last section, which is not a required field, poses a question for you. As a Taiwan eVisa applicant, you need to declare if you are holding or have ever held a passport from another country. It can be for regions other than indicated in the eVisa for Taiwan application. You can answer the question depending on your case type.
Please note that 1-6 are mandatory fields on the Taiwan eVisa application form. You must fill them in to proceed to the next page.
Step 4: Contact Details
The following sections were marked as mandatory fields on Page 4 of the electronic visa form of Taiwan. They are as follows:
- Address in Home Country: We had to answer this within one hundred and fifty characters.
- Telephone Number in Home Country: Our answer had to be within twenty characters.
- Current Address: This section had to be answered within one hundred and fifty characters.
- Current Telephone Number: We had to answer it within twenty characters.
- Email address: We had to provide a valid email address.
The last section was (stated below) not a required field:
- Mobile Phone Number: You are advised to keep it up to twenty characters. If not applicable, you can leave it blank.
Step 5: About Travel Details
All the sections on Page 5 of Evisa for Taiwan are required fields. You must answer the following:
- Estimated Date of Arrival in Taiwan (YYYY/MM/DD)
- Estimated Date of Departure from Taiwan (YYYY/MM/DD)
- Hotel name or Address of Applicant in Taiwan (within 150 characters)
- Phone Number of the Applicant in Taiwan (within 20 characters)
- The Name of the Company/ Agency the Applicant serves (within 100 characters)
- The Address of the Company/Agency the Applicant serves (within 150 characters)
- Phone Number of the Company/ Agency Applicant serves (within 120 characters)
For the sections mentioned below, you can write N/A (not applicable) if you do not have a Contact person in Taiwan.
- Name of the Contact Person in Taiwan (within 20 characters)
- Phone Number of the Applicant in Taiwan (within 20 characters)
- Relationship of the Contact Person in Taiwan (within 20 characters)
At the end of page 5 of the visa for Taiwan, you can go back to page 4 or proceed to Page 6 of the online visa application form for Taiwan.
Step 6: Questionnaire
Remember, all the sections on Page 6 of the Taiwan eVisa are required fields. To proceed to the next page, you must answer all questions in Yes/No format.
As a Taiwanese eVisa applicant, you are advised to answer the following questions truthfully:
- If you have a criminal record within or outside the territory of the Republic of Taiwan. You need to answer if they have ever been deported or denied entry by the ROC Government.
- If you have ever entered Taiwan illegally
- If you have ever had a disease of public health significance, a dangerous mental or physical disorder. You also need to declare if you have ever been a drug abuser or drug addict.
- Have you ever worked or overstayed illegally in Taiwan?
- If you have ever been a controlled substance (drug) supplier
- If you have ever been refused a visa at ROC Overseas Mission abroad.
- If you have ever applied for a ROC visa using a different name.
We could navigate to the next section as our answer to all the above questions was "No."
Disclaimer
While filling out the form, you will come across a disclaimer with the heading "Attention." You must note that answering "Yes" to any of the above questions does not make them ineligible for a Taiwan eVisa.
If you have answered "Yes" or have any questions, you may be required to visit the Taiwan Overseas Mission to discuss it in person. If you can’t apply in person, you need to include a statement with your eVisa application for Taiwan.
In our case, the answer was "No," and we could easily go to the next section.
Step 7: Fill in the Details
You need to know that there is one question on page seven of the Taiwanese visa application form. However, it is a required field. You need to answer if you have filled in the eVisa application form in Taiwan yourself or if some other person has filled it out.
You have the following options to choose from:
- "Myself"
- "Agent "
If the answer is "Agent," you will need to fill in the following fields:
- Agent’s Full Name
- Agent’s Relationship to the Applicant
- Agent’s Telephone Number
- Agent’s Address
Again, you have the option to go back to Page 6 or proceed to Page 8.
Step 8: Taiwan eVisa Edit Successful
The following information was displayed:
- Application Number: Our application number was displayed on the webpage.
- Status: To complete the Taiwan eVisa submission, we had to click "Submit and Payment."
A disclaimer section states that you cannot edit the Taiwan eVisa information after submitting it. To learn more about the visa regulations of Taiwan, you are advised to visit the BOCA official website.
At the end of the page, you have four options. You can choose any of the following:
- Page 1- It will direct you to the beginning of the Taiwan eVisa application form.
- Page 7- You can go back to the previous page.
- BOCA Home- You can learn about visa regulations governing Taiwan.
- Submit and Payment - You can proceed to the next page of the Taiwan eVisa application.
Section 9: Acknowledgement
We chose the "Submit and Payment" option on the previous page. Then a set of terms and conditions followed, and we had to agree to them. The following assertions were made:
- Full understanding and accurate completion of all the questions in this application are confirmed to the best of your knowledge.
- We were made aware that possession of a ROC visa did not guarantee our entry into the Republic of China.
- Awareness that false or misleading statements may lead to a visa refusal or denial of entry into the Republic of China.
- Understanding that the government of the Republic of China retained the right to withhold the reasons for rejecting our visa application and to retain non-refundable fees.
- Acknowledgment that the submitted Taiwan eVisa application form becomes the property of the government of the Republic of China and will not be returned.
- Awareness that citizens of the ROC who have previously held household registration in Taiwan will be subject to the laws of the Republic of China while in its jurisdiction.
- As per Article 14 of the Regulations for Exit of Draftees, a draftee maintaining household registration in Taiwan and having dual citizenship must enter and leave Taiwan using a ROC passport.
- Male draftees subject to conscription entering Taiwan with a foreign passport will face departure restrictions. So if you are one, then you must consult the Taiwan Overseas Mission or official website containing further details regarding conscription laws.
- Under the criminal law of the Republic of China, drug trafficking is punishable by death.
Notice
Before payment, you need to ensure that the information provided matches the details on your passport. You need to be mindful of the following.
- You are liable for any errors in your Taiwan eVisa application form.
- The eVisa for Taiwan becomes invalid if the submitted details do not align completely with the information on your travel document.
- Payments made for an invalid eVisa are non-refundable.
- A new application and payment of the visa fee and related charges will be required for a new visa.
Remember, if you possess an invalid Taiwan eVisa, then you will not be allowed entry into the nation by immigration officers at ports of entry. Alternatively, you may be advised, subject to approval, to apply for a regular visa, incurring additional fees.
Section 10: Review Your Taiwan eVisa Application Form
This is the "Confirmation" Page. You will need to review the Taiwan eVisa application before making the payment. The following sections will be displayed:
- Your Application Number
- Country Code
- Full Country Name
- Passport Number
- Date of Birth
- Surname
- Given Name
- Expiration Date
- Gender
- Estimated Date of Arrival in Taiwan
- Estimated Date of Departure from Taiwan
- Your Email Address
- Purpose of Travel
After reviewing the above information, you can click on "Next" and navigate to the next page of Taiwan eVisa.
Step 11: eVisa Enroll Data
The same set of data as in section 10 will be displayed if you choose the option "Next" on the previous page of the Taiwan visa application form. There is a disclaimer that you should check whether the information you have submitted on the eVisa form of Taiwan matches that of the travel document.
In our case, there was no mismatch so we could go to the payment page. However, if your information does not match, you are advised to fill out the new eVisa application for Taiwan. You can proceed with the application if the information in this section is correct and identical.
Step 12: Credit Card Information
We don’t know why this page is called "Credit Card Information," as there was no information sought related to it. This page of the Taiwanese eVisa application form displays the following:
- Visa Fee
- Service Charge
The rest of the fields displayed on this eVisa page are the same data as Section 10 of the visa application form for Taiwan.
In the end, you can recheck the information provided previously. It is clearly stated here that you will be held responsible for any mistakes made on the Taiwan electronic application form.
As a Taiwanese eVisa applicant, you are cautioned in the following way:
- Your Taiwan visa fee is non-refundable
- You will have to submit the fees again to obtain a new visa for Taiwan.
If you hold an invalid eVisa for Taiwan, you will be denied entry by immigration officers at the port of entry. In such cases, you must pay a landing visa fee with an additional fee.
You can either "Go Back" or proceed to the "Next" section of the Taiwan eVisa application form.
While filling out the Taiwan eVisa form, you will note that on the "Credit Card Information" Page, no credit card details are sought. Instead, information related to the visa fee is displayed. Hence, we believe this section is a misnomer.
Step 13: Payment Information
The last segment is the payment page. It displays the following fields:
- Merchant Name: BOCA
- Order Number: It will be displayed in this section of your Taiwan eVisa application form
- Currency: NTNT Dollars
- Purchase Amount:1646 ( Please note this amount can change without further notice)
- Credit Card Information follows it. You will also need to provide the following:
- Credit Card Number
- Card Validation Code
- Expiration Date of the Card
You have the option to "Cancel" or "Pay Now."
Instructions for Online Payment
At the bottom of the page, instructions are listed for anyone trying to make a secure payment. The advice for individuals making payment for Taiwan eVisa is as follows:
- To make online payments, you must choose a credible online merchant to prevent fraud.
- The eVisa for Taiwan platform adopts an online transaction security mechanism.
- MasterCard, JCB, and VISA are acceptable credit cards for paying eVisa fees for Taiwan.
- You are advised to take a printout of your order number before clicking the "Pay Now" button. If the webpage displays the message "timed out," you can return to the online merchant to pay again later.
- Your credit card transaction is deemed failed if payment is not made within the required timeframe. It is advised not to close the browser button to cancel the transaction but to click the "Cancel" button. It will ensure that your transaction for Taiwan eVisa is not authorized.
- If the payment is successful, it marks the end of your Taiwan eVisa application form. It will be sent to your email address after the concerned authority has reviewed it.
- Print the eVisa Application Form for Taiwan
- After successfully submitting the eVisa application form for Taiwan, we received our Taiwan eVisa in our email. The online visa processing time is three to seven working days. We recommend you take a printout of your Taiwanese eVisa to present on arrival if needed.
Issues Faced with the Form
We admit that the Taiwan eVisa process was challenging. Most of the time, it displayed a "404" error. Despite multiple attempts, the official website failed to load the online application form. Hence, we believe interested individuals may be unable to access it.
Moreover, the "Edit|Status" button on the second page to edit partially filled forms and check the visa status query did not work. It, too, displayed a "404" error.
We recommend trying repeatedly at different hours to check if the official website is working. Additionally, we found no video guides, helpline numbers, or chat assistants to help us in filling out the eVisa form.
If you have trouble filling out the Taiwan eVisa form, you can contact our experts at Natvisa Team. We can help you in updating all the required fields by meeting all character limits on this online form.
Taiwan eVisa Application Process and Journey to Taiwan
At first, we had to provide all the necessary personal details. Additionally, we had to pay the fee online with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard) to get an eVisa for Taiwan.
Now it depends on your nationality and the purpose of your visit that ROC overseas missions might request additional documentation. You can do so via email, but it has to be submitted within a certain deadline. Failure to do so could result in application denial.
Upon approval of your Taiwan eVisa application, you will be notified via email. It will have a link to download and you can print the eVisa for Taiwan. In our case, we had to provide a paper copy of the eVisa for Taiwan at the Immigration Checkpoint for verification ( as mandated by the National Immigration Agency of Taiwan).
Remember, immigration officers at Taiwan’s entry points reserve the right to deny entry to Taiwanese eVisa holders without further explanation. Thankfully, we were not denied entry and could explore this beautiful nation!
Conclusion
To summarize, online electronic visa applications for Taiwan are only available if you belong to an eVisa-eligible country. Moreover, you can apply for eVisa for Taiwan if you receive an invitation from Taiwanese officials to attend an event.
You are advised to keep a copy of the documents mentioned in this step-by-step guide for the Taiwan eVisa application ready. Thereon, you can proceed to fill out the eVisa form online. We hope you find this Taiwan eVisa guide helpful when you try filling out the application online.