• Created：2010-12-08
• Data Source：Bureau Of Consular Affairs
• Counter：2382

After nearly two years of careful review, the European Commission adopted on July 5, 2010 a legislative proposal to amend Council Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 to allow Taiwan passport holders to enjoy visa free entry into the Schengen area and stay for up to 90 days. The proposal has been submitted by the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for further review. The legislative amendment will enter into effect upon its approval by the two institutions.
The European Commission’s statement asserts, “Today’s decision is the first step towards visa exemption for Taiwanese passport holders.” The Schengen area includes 22 of the 27 EU member states. If approved, the visa waiver will also apply to the EU member states of Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus, even though they have yet to become Schengen members. It will also apply to Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, which are not EU member states but do belong to the Schengen system. In total, Taiwan passport holders will enjoy the Schengen visa waiver treatment for 28 European countries once the legislative amendment is approved. 
The aforementioned legislative proposal bears testament once again to the European Union’s positive recognition of Taiwan’s long-term efforts to obtain the Schengen visa waiver treatment for its citizens. Considering the number of Schengen countries and the size of their territories, the granting to Taiwan citizens of the Schengen visa waiver treatment would significantly facilitate the travel of Taiwan passport holders. This achievement would also confirm the quality of the people of Taiwan as well as the social and economic development of Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) welcomes and appreciates the European Commission’s decision and urges the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to ratify the amendment so as to enable Taiwan passport holders to enjoy the Schengen visa waiver treatment as soon as possible.
In recent years, Taiwan-EU bilateral relations have grown stronger in a variety of areas, including trade, investment, education, science and culture, with Taiwan citizens increasingly choosing European countries as their prime tourism, business and education destinations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the granting of the visa waiver treatment for Taiwan passport holders would further expand and strengthen Taiwan-EU substantial relations and benefit both Taiwan and the EU as a result.
The ROC government has granted visa waiver treatment to the peoples of the Schengen countries and has expressed willingness, based on the principle of reciprocity, to grant the citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus visa free treatment as well, upon the approval of the proposal.（E）