Promulgated and Enforced by Presidential Order Hua Zong 1 Yi Zi No. 8800123460 on June 2, 1999
Amended and Promulgated by Presidential Order of Hua Zong 1 Yi Zi No. 09200011670 on January 22, 2003
The Statute is stipulated to exercise national sovereignty, uphold the national interest, and regulate the issuance of visas in foreign passports.
The issuance of visas in foreign passports, unless as otherwise provided in treaties or agreements, is governed by the Statute. For circumstances not stipulated in the Statute, the provisions in other laws may apply.
The term “foreign passport” in the Statute means any valid travel documents issued by foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations or autonomous governments, and recognized or accepted by the Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the ROC.)
The term “visa” in the Statute means the permission to enter the ROC issued in foreign passports by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or ROC embassies, consulates, representative offices, offices, or other agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter referred to as ROC overseas missions.)
The competent authority of the Statute is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The issuance of ROC visas in foreign passports is administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or ROC overseas missions. Subject to the Statute, resident visa applications shall not be approved by ROC overseas missions unless first approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A foreign passport holder shall enter the ROC with a valid visa. Notwithstanding this visa requirement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may grant visa-exempt entries or landing visas to citizens of specific countries, or in special circumstances.
The eligibilities, requirements, and other related items regarding application for the aforementioned visa-exempt entries and landing visas shall be established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after consultation with other related agencies.
Types of visas issued in foreign passports:
The duration of the visa and length of stay, the number of entries, the purposes, the application requirements, the required documents, and other related items regarding the aforementioned types of visas are stipulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic visas may be issued to the following foreign passport holders in possession of diplomatic passports or laissez-passer:
Courtesy visas may be issued to the following foreign passport holders:
Foreign passport holders who are in possession of foreign passports and intend to stay in the ROC for a short-term period may apply for a visitor visa.
Foreign passport holders who are in possession of foreign passports and intend to stay in the ROC for a long-term period may apply for a resident visa.
When processing visa applications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ROC overseas missions shall take into consideration the national interest, the individual status of applicants, and the relations between the resident countries of the applicants and the ROC. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ROC overseas missions may refuse to issue visas to a foreign passport holder who:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ROC overseas missions are not required to give any reason to a visa applicant for refusal based on any of the above stipulations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or ROC overseas missions may revoke and invalidate a visa under any one of the following circumstances:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may authorize other agencies to revoke or invalidate a visa.
Diplomatic visas and courtesy visas are issued gratis. Application fees and/or other stipulated charges apply to all other visas unless otherwise regulated by treaties or agreements, or approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on the principle of reciprocity, or based on the needs of public duty. The visa fee rates shall be stipulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Regulations for the implementation of the Statute shall be stipulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Statute shall enter into effect on the date of its promulgation.
(In case of any discrepancy between the Chinese and English texts of the Statute, the Chinese text shall prevail)