Job Discussion Forums

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

I'm going to get a visitor's visa in Macau to enter Taiwan. From what I've been reading on various threads on these boards, my understanding is that to enter Taiwan and stay for up to 30 days you need a 30 day visitor's visa, and to enter and stay longer you need a 60 day visitor's visa; also, for either visa you need to show tickets into and out of Taiwan, and a travel itinerary.

But the woman I talked to on the phone at the TECO in Macau told me something totally different. She said because I have an American passport, I can enter Taiwan and stay for up to 30 days with no visa. She also said that to stay in Taiwan for more than 30 days I need a visitor's visa, but with my American passport, I don't need to show tickets into or out of Taiwan.

Does that sound right?

Thanks ..... mep

dvasas · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 138 Location: Taipei, Taiwan

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Well, she didn't even say I needed a landing visa. She said I could stay up to 30 days with NO visa. Even if I get the 60 day visa, which might be a good idea as you suggest, she said I don't need to show any tickets into and out of Taiwan for that, or itinerary. It's just the total opposite of everything else I read. She did keep referring to my having and American passport.

Mep

dvasas · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 138 Location: Taipei, Taiwan

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Thanks, I do appreciate it. You can see why it's a bit disconcerting; what she told me seems to be at odds with everyone's experience.

Anyway, what about the "itinerary?" I've been reading on here that you need an itinerary in addition to the tickets. She said I don't need that either. I want to buy my tickets now, in mainland China (it will be too late when I get to Macau). Any time I've bought tickets here, I don't get a printed itinerary with them; just the tickets.

Also, that your friend had to buy his outbound ticket at the airport suggests that he did get the 60 day visa without it -- which could be consistent with what the woman told me -- but still needed the ticket to get on the plane. I'm just trying to square what she told me with what seems to be the common knowledge about this stuff.

Thanks ..... mep

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

mep3,

You will need to show an onward ticket no matter what kind of visa you have. It is, as dvasas said, the airline that will stop you. I have a US passport and my onward ticket is always checked.

A landing visa can't be converted to a resident visa and if you don't get a 60 day visa before coming here you'll need to make a visa run within the 14 days.

Good luck,
Cat

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

I see, thanks.

What about the whole deal with the "itinerary" (see two posts up)?

Mep

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

mep3,

I'm not sure what they meant by an itinerary. You don't need one. They do require the name and address of someone you're going to visit. Maybe that's what they're referring to.

Cat

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

What do you need to get a 60 day visa for Taiwan? How long does it take?

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Mom Cat -- re: "They do require the name and address of someone you're going to visit."

I'd read on some of the other threads that that was optional? What if I don't know anyone there? Can I put down the name of a hotel? Someone suggested doing that on another thread. (If so, do you need to book a reservation at the hotel beforehand?)

Thx .... mep

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

mep3,

I don't know. I've always had the name and address of a personal contact. My guess is that that's what they meant when they said itinerary; that you needed reservations.

Cat

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

There are no hard and fast rules regarding how these visa offices view your visa. You will hear different things in different offices and even different things from different people in the same office.

Best bet is to follow what the particular office that you are applying at tells you as they are the ones that are going to make the final decision regardless of the past experiences of others.

By itinerary they just mean proof that you have a ticket out of the country within the validity of the visa. So if you show them your tickets that will suffice.

As far as a contact in country I believe that they will accept the contact details of a hotel. Just go online and find the details of a suitable hotel and use these as your contact details. You wouldn't need to make a reservation first but it is probably not a bad idea just in case - don't pay a deposit just book a room in your name even if you don't plan on using it. If you are coming here as a tourist then there is no reason that you would actually know someone here and the visa office will accept this.

You will hear some people say that you can get through without an outbound ticket but I think that the best advice is to have one. As others have pointed out even if you get the visa you could still get refused boarding the plane or problems here at immigration in Taiwan if you don't have an outbound ticket. You would be unlucky for this trouble but it could happen.

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Thanks. Clark, where you write,

"As far as a contact in country I believe that they will accept the contact details of a hotel...If you are coming here as a tourist then there is no reason that you would actually know someone here and the visa office will accept this." (sorry, my quote function doesn't work for some reason)

..do you mean generally for a 60 day visa too?

Thx .... mep