The EU decision to lift visa requirements for ROC passport holders was promulgated Dec. 22 in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The arrangement, which is set to take effect 20 days from notification in the journal, was welcomed by the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This visa waiver will help open a new chapter in the Taiwan-EU partnership,” MOFA said.
The European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei said those with ROC passports valid for at least three months at the intended time of departure could travel to Schengen Area countries for up to 90 days without a visa.
The office said that the 90-day period would not include time spent in non-Shengen member states covered by the visa waiver, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the U.K.
Guy Ledoux, director of the EETO in Taipei, said the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand has increased by between 35 percent and 40 percent since those countries lifted visa restrictions.
He expressed the hope that more ROC citizens would select Europe as a travel destination after the EU visa waiver comes into effect.
The EETO announced the visa-waiver decision at an event marking the launch of a comic publication by cartoonist Wan Wan detailing her tour of Europe this past summer. Wan Wan is serving as a good-will ambassador promoting the EU as a travel destination. (SB-JSM)