Taiwan is an island country off the northern coast of the Philippines. It is only an hour and a half away by plane from Manila but unlike other Asian countries, Taiwan (Republic of China) requires Filipinos to have a valid visa before entering their territory.
Before anything else...
Filipinos who have valid USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and/or Schengen visas can bypass the visa application of Taiwan. Just head on to this website and fill out the application form, print out the certificate, and voila. The travel certificate will be valid for ninety (90) days (multiple entry), and you'll have thirty (30) days of stay which will start from the following day after your arrival in Taiwan.
But if you don't have any valid aforementioned visas (like me), follow these easy steps:
- Have a valid Philippine passport with a remaining validity of at least 6 months.
- A complete visa application form to be filled out online. After filling out the application form, I printed it for submission. Take note that after printing your application form, please submit it together with all other requirements within fifteen (15) days. Otherwise, you need to fill out the application form online and print it again.
- Two (2) passport sized photos, white background and taken within the last three (3) months. Sign at the back of your photos.
- Original NSO birth certificate issued within the year.
- If married, an original NSO marriage certificate.
Here are the supporting documents for your visa application:
- Recent bank certificate. I submitted one (BPI) but for some reasons, my travel agency asked for another bank certificate from a different bank. There's no minimum show money required in Taiwan but see to it that you have enough funds to cover your trip. If you're planning to stay for a week in Taiwan, expect to have higher savings in your bank. Same banana goes when applying for a Japan Visa.
- Income Tax Return (ITR Form 2316). If you're on a job order status, Form 2307 will suffice.
- Certificate of Employment, if you're employed.
- Photocopy of company ID, if you're employed.
- Certificate of Business, if self-employed.
In my case, after filling out the application form, I submitted all requirements to my travel agency here in Tacloban City. The processing fee costs Php 4400, shipping fee to and from Manila included. It took them three working days to process my application. Three days before my trip in Taiwan, I received my passport from ROC with an approved single entry visa valid for 14 days.
I also submitted the letter of leave approval from my chief supervisor, roundtrip tickets, hotel reservations, and other supporting travel documents. These are not required however, it doesn't hurt to include them just to prove that your trip to Taiwan is a legit one.
If you're in Manila, you can submit the requirements to Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in the Philippines.
41F, Tower 1, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue, MakatiTel: +632 887-6688Website: taiwanembassy.orgEmail: phl@mofa.gov.twOffice Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:45AM-4:45PMFiling: Mon-Fri, 8:45AM-11:45PMReleasing: Mon-Fri, 1:45PM-4:45PM
If you're going to Taiwan for education, business or long-term work, this post might not help you because I haven't had such experiences. I have to admit that the processing fee is a bit expensive compared to Japan and Korea, but I tell you... it's worth every penny! Taiwan is an underrated destination and Filipinos shouldn't get intimidated by the visa requirements.
Read more of my Taiwan adventures (and misadventures aka katangahan)here. Lol
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| Taipei 101 |
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| Jiufen |
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| Yehliu Geopark |
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| Rainbow Village |
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| Shilin Night Market |