Taiwan extends visa-free entry to Filipinos for one more year
As Taiwan extended its visa-free entry for Filipino citizens for one more year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on Friday said Taipei would appreciate it if Manila could also make the Philippines visa-free for Taiwan nationals.
Lin made the announcement about the extension starting Aug. 1, 2025, until July 31, 2026, while celebrating the Philippines’ 127th National Independence Day, putting emphasis on the growing Philippine-Taiwan relations.
“The Philippines is Taiwan’s important neighbor, and we are together in the Indo-Pacific First Island Chain, not only sharing the core values of freedom and democracy, but also supporting each other and moving forward side by side in the face of the challenges,” Lin said.
“We also hope that in the near future, Taiwanese people will be able to travel visa-free to the Philippines under the principle of reciprocity, so that they can start a holiday,” Lin added.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs (Boca) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Friday said this was in line with their New Southbound Policy that included a trial for visa-free entry program for citizens from Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines, from Aug. 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026.
Boca stressed the decision from participating agencies came after “evaluating the effectiveness” of the trial “over the past years.”
While the Philippines currently requires visitors from Taiwan a visa, the government recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) No. 82, which allows local officials to visit Taipei for economic, trade and investment purposes.
Momentum for cooperation
Despite the Philippines not having formal diplomatic ties with the self-governed Taiwan, the MOU now only restricts the President, Vice President, secretary of foreign affairs and secretary of national defense from officially visiting Taiwan.
Lin stressed the new MOU not only lays the foundation for the Philippine-Taiwan economic corridor “but also [provides] momentum for cooperation between the two sides in the fields of agriculture, technology, energy, smart solutions and economic resilience.”
Lin recognized the growing tourism relations with the Philippines, highlighting how 415,000 Filipino tourists visited Taiwan in 2024, making Manila its largest source of tourists in Southeast Asia. There are also 160,000 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan.
“They are working hard in all walks of life to inject new energy into Taiwanese society. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to them,” Lin said.
“[MFA] will continue to review and fine-tune visa policies, with a view to strengthening bilateral relations and attracting more visitors while ensuring border and public security. Mofa will also continue to communicate with the governments of related countries to enhance visa treatment for Taiwan nationals and make their overseas travel more convenient,” the Boca said.
