Taiwan Today
Date: February 3, 2016
A Taiwan-Turkey free e-visa agreement is set to take effect Feb.
Istanbul can expect to welcome more Taiwan tourists after the free e-visa program comes into effect Feb. 10 for both countries. (Courtesy of Turkish Touring and Automobile Club)
10, paving the way for expanded academic, culture, economy, tourism and trade exchanges, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Passport holders from the ROC and Turkey will no longer have to pay visa fees of US$24 and NT$1,600 (US$47), respectively. The move reflects the rising number of local tourists traveling to Turkey following the launch of Taipei-Istanbul direct flights last March.
“Around 50,000 Taiwan tourists visited Turkey in 2015,” a MOFA official said Feb. 2, adding that the figure is projected to reach 80,000 this year. “Elimination of the application fees is expected to reduce total travel costs by NT$70 million.”
The reciprocal privilege marks another step forward in the ROC government’s efforts to create favorable travel conditions between Taiwan and its international partners. A total of 161 countries and territories offer ROC nationals visa-waiver, landing-visa or other visa privileges, according to the MOFA. [FULL STORY]
