Taiwan sees triple-digit growth in Filipino arrivals after approving visa-free entry

台灣在批准免簽證入境後，菲律賓人數增長了三位數

The 14-day visa waiver program for Filipinos began Nov. 1, on a trial basis, and will run until July 2018


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The provisions for visa-free entry granted to Filipino citizens by Taiwan has proven successful, as it has led to double the number of visits by Filipinos in November as compared to last year, according to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency (NIA).

As part of the effort to promote the New Southbound Policy, Taiwan began offering 14-day visa waivers for Filipinos traveling to Taiwan on a trial basis beginning on Nov. 1, and running until July of 2018.

In November alone, Taiwan received 31,747 visitors from the Philippines, up 107.66 percent from last year, and up 30 percent from October, the NIA said. During the same period of time, the number of inbound Filipinos visiting for sightseeing purposes rose 241 percent from the same period of last year.

Nearly 24 percent of Filipino visitors used the visa waiver program, the report said.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last month that the trial period for visa-free treatment for Filipinos would expire on July 31 of 2018, at which time the government will decide whether or not to extend the program.

According to NIA statistics, between the months of Jan. to July this year (2017) there were 160,000 more Filipino visitors than the same period last year, representing an increase of 73.51 percent.