Online Visa Application System to be Implemented in Stages

Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) is phasing in an online application system for certain mainland Chinese nationals entering Taiwan for business travel or work assignments.

The system began accepting multiple-entry Entry/Exit Permits and extensions for mainland Chinese business travelers and intracompany transferees from multinational companies on September 1, 2013.

Starting on November 1, 2013, the system will accept initial and extension applications for mainland Chinese professionals who work in the agriculture, education, trade and transportation industries. Both independent consultants and current employees of an overseas affiliate of the Taiwanese company are included in this group. After January 1, 2014, all mainland Chinese professionals in all industries will be required to apply through the online system; paper applications will no longer be accepted.

The application must be submitted by the sponsoring entity or a third-party representative in Taiwan and should be processed in two weeks, provided that all documentation is complete. Currently, the processing time for paper applications is four to six weeks.

Previously, a Chinese national residing outside of mainland China had to submit an Entry/Exit Permit application to the NIA in Taiwan. Following the submission with the NIA, the individual was required to present supporting documents to an overseas Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, and in some cases, also had to attend an interview at the same office.

Fragomen worked closely with Lee & Li (Taipei) to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global or send an email to [email protected].