PRESS RELEASE ROC (Taiwan) announces the extension of the visa-free treatment for Filipinos until July 31, 2019 On behalf of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines has the pleasure to announce hereby that the visa-exemption program for the nationals of the Philippines will be extended for another year.
The trial period will continue until July 31, 2019, and will be reviewed for further extension. This visa-free privilege is a reflection of Taiwan’s goodwill and friendship towards all Filipinos under the “New Southbound Policy” which aims to build stronger bilateral relations and closer people-to-people connectivity between Taiwan and the Philippines. Ambassador Michael Peiyung Hsu, Taiwan’s Representative to the Philippines, highlighted that the Philippines is not the only Taiwan’s closest neighbor, but also an important partner for Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy”.
In recent years, both countries have launched a number of visa liberalization measures which have resulted in a rapid increase of visitors. The number of two-way visitors hit a record high in 2017 wherein Filipino travelers going to Taiwan reached 290,784 while Taiwanese visitors to the Philippines reached 236,777. This mutual relaxation of visa restrictions is indeed an important factor in improving bilateral overall relations and enhancing people-to-people exchange and cooperation between the two countries.