Exit & Entry Permit

Exit & Entry Permit for the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China
中華民國臺灣地區入出境許可證
Current version of a single-entry Exit and Entry Permit.
Issued by  Taiwan
Type of document Travel visa (de facto)
Purpose For travelling to ROC-controlled territories
Eligibility requirements Nationals of the People's Republic of China
British Nationals (Overseas)
Exit & Entry Permit
Traditional Chinese 中華民國臺灣地區入出境許可證
Simplified Chinese 中华民国台湾地区入出境许可证
Exit and Entry Permit
Traditional Chinese 台證 or 入台證
Simplified Chinese 台证 or 入台证

The Exit & Entry Permit for the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China, commonly shortened to Exit & Entry Permit, is a de facto travel visa issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Republic of China to Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China residents with nationality of the People's Republic of China and/or British National (Overseas) status for entering areas controlled by the ROC government. It can also be issued to a former PRC national under limited circumstances. Despite its name, the permit must be used in conjunction with a valid travel document when entering Taiwan, as the permit itself is not a travel document.

History

Prior to the handover of Hong Kong and Macau, the permit was a passport-like booklet, with the flag of the Republic of China imprinted on the cover. Holders of PRC passports, ROC passports or any travel documents not issued by Hong Kong or Macau were not eligible for the permit.

When Hong Kong was under British rule, holders of British Dependent Territories citizen and British National (Overseas) passports were required to apply for the permit to visit Taiwan, but British citizens were eligible for visa-free access. The permit was also required for holders of Hong Kong Certificate of Identity. Prior to 1997, the permit had to be applied at the Chung Hwa Travel Service in Hong Kong or the Taipei Trade and Tourism Office in Macau. Since the handovers of sovereignty, the application procedures has been eased overtime. In 2010, Hong Kong and Macau residents can apply for the simplified Entry Permit which is free and can be approved instantly, or they can use the permit-on-arrival service.[1]

As travelling to Taiwan for tourism purposes was not legalized until 2008 for Mainland residents, very few of the permits were issued before then.[2] Since then, travel restrictions for Mainland Chinese have been gradually lifted by the Taiwanese government, although a quota system remains in place.

Eligibility

Hong Kong and Macau residents

For Hong Kong and Macau residents, only holders of HKSAR, MSAR and BN(O) passports with no other travel documents issued by any other country (thereby excludes anyone with multiple citizenship, except persons with both BN(O) and HKSAR passports) are eligible for the permit. Under Taiwanese law, those with nationality or citizenship in another country are no longer considered as "Hong Kong and Macau residents" and must comply with the visa requirements of their non-Chinese (or BN(O)) nationality or citizenship.[3] For example, a Hong Kong resident with both HKSAR and British citizen passports must use their British citizen passport to enter Taiwan. Likewise, a Macau resident with both MSAR and Portuguese passports will need to use the Portuguese one as well. Those with HKSAR, MSAR or BN(O) passports who also have nationalities or passports from a non-visa-exempt country (e.g., Brazil) are required to apply for a Taiwanese visa.

Unlike their Mainland Chinese counterparts, Hong Kong and Macau residents are not subject to a daily quota of this permit regardless of place of application.

Mainland China residents

Mainland China residents who apply from Mainland China are subject to the quota set forth by the Taiwanese and Chinese governments. As of May 2016, Mainland resident visitors applying from Mainland China are subject to a daily quota imposed by Taiwan of 14,600 persons per day, with half of the quota available to individual tour applicants.[4] It was reported that the Chinese authorities also has an unofficial "soft cap" on the numbers of individual and group tourists, ranging from 40% to 50% of the Taiwanese quota.[5] If the daily quota is met, then subsequent applications will no longer be processed until the day with sufficient spaces is reached. In contrast, Mainland residents who hold permanent or non-permanent residence status in a third country or region (including Hong Kong and Macau) are not subject to the quota.

Although Mainland residents automatically lose their Chinese nationality when they acquire nationality or citizenship of another country (unlike Hong Kong and Macau, which have special exemptions to this rule), Mainland residents who reside outside Mainland China for less than four years will need to apply for the permit to visit Taiwan before they can comply with the visa requirements of their country of citizenship. An example is those who acquired citizenship or nationality through one of the Immigrant investor programs, as these programs normally do not require lengthy physical residence in the country before granting citizenship.

Application

Online application for Hong Kong and Macau residents

Since 2017, persons who were not born in Hong Kong or Macau and are visiting Taiwan for the first time since they became residents of Hong Kong or Macau can apply for the permit online. From 1 July 2017, it is no longer possible to apply by person at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong or Macau.[3] After they have entered Taiwan for the first time with the permit, they are eligible for the simplified online Entry Permit or can alternatively obtain the Exit and Entry Permit on arrival.

Those who were born in Hong Kong or Macau are not required to apply for the permit for tourism purposes. Instead, they are automatically eligible for the no-fee Entry Permit or the permit-on-arrival service by virtue of being born in Hong Kong or Macau.

Application procedures for Mainland China residents

Chinese nationals with (hukou) in Mainland China (including those who are non-permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macau and have relinquished their hukou in Mainland China) face restrictions placed by ROC and PRC governments when applying for the permit.[6] As of August 2016, Mainland residents can only obtain the permit for pre-approved group tours unless they qualify for one of the exemptions:

  • They have hukou in one of the 47 cities that are designated by the Taiwanese and Chinese authorities as eligible for individual tours;[7]
  • They reside outside Mainland China and hold temporary or permanent residence status in Hong Kong, Macau or a third country (prior approval from the Chinese authorities is not required when departing from a place other than Mainland China);[8] or,
  • They only visit Quemoy, Matsu and Penghu Islands (in which case a 15-day Exit and Entry Permit can be obtained on arrival provided holding certain travel documents) and will not proceed to other parts of Taiwan.[9]

All Mainland China residents cannot travel to Taiwan on their passports when departing from Mainland China and must hold a Travel Permit to and from Taiwan (往來台灣通行證), colloquially known as Mainland Resident Travel Permit (大通證), issued by the Chinese authorities. Before 2017, it is a pink, passport-like travel document, the current permit is an ICAO Doc 9303 TD1 card with an embedded biometric chip, and it must be used along with the appropriate exit endorsements (similar to exit visas).[6] Although travelling with the Mainland Resident Travel Permit is not mandatory when departing from Hong Kong, Macau or a third country, the Exit and Entry Permit itself is usually linked to the document used to apply for the permit, hence travelers are still required to carry the specific travel document they used to apply for the Exit and Entry Permit when travelling to Taiwan.[10]

From 28 March 2017, Mainland Chinese residents are able to apply for the Exit and Entry Permit online if they are residing in a third country.[11]

Issues

Stamps

The ROC government does not stamp either Chinese, BN(O), HKSAR or MSAR passports, or Mainland Resident Travel Permits (although the passports and permits themselves are routinely inspected as would any other passports). The ROC does recognize British National (Overseas) status as a form of British nationality under its law.[12]

Consular Protection for BN(O) passport holders

Although BN(O) status is not recognized by the ROC as a form of British nationality, the British Government has indicated that it provides the same consular assistance for BN(O) passport holders as other British nationals, with the exception of BN(O) holders who are ethnic Chinese and physically in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. Thus, the British Government does not indicate that BN(O)s travelling to ROC cannot enjoy British consular protection. This implies that BN(O)s do enjoy British consular protection in Taiwan, even the status is not officially recognized by the ROC.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "移民署自2010年9月1日實施簡化港澳居民網路申辦作業程序". TECO New York. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "陸客來臺自由行政策說明" (PDF). Mainland Affairs Council. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 "香港、澳門永久居民申請入出境證 (Application of the Exit and Entry Permit by Permanent Residents of Hong Kong and Macau)". TECO Hong Kong. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  4. ↑ 中時電子報. "陸客自由行少65％ 打趴台觀光業".
  5. ↑ 中時電子報. "急凍！農曆年後 陸客再減半".
  6. 1 2 办理台湾自由行需知及台湾自由行个人注意事项
  7. ↑ 大陸地區人民來臺從事個人旅遊觀光活動線上申請須知
  8. ↑ 大陸地區人民自國外或香港澳門來臺從事觀光活動線上申請須知
  9. ↑ 內政部入出國及移民署 (16 December 2014). "公告大陸地區人民以旅行事由於入境金門、馬祖、澎湖時向內政部入出國及移民署申請發給臨時入境停留通知單，其適用對象、限制方式、人數及應備文件，自中華民國104年1月1日生效。".
  10. ↑ "大陸人士 - 申辦「觀光」須知".
  11. ↑ "我要申請 - 旅居海外大陸地區人民申請來臺觀光". National Immigration Agency.
  12. ↑ "《臺灣心 港澳情-─臺港澳交流Q&A》" (PDF). Mainland Affairs Council.
  13. ↑ SUPPORTING BRITISH NATIONALS ABROAD: A GUIDE TO CONSULAR ASSISTANCE
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