I’m so excited to share that starting June this year, Filipinos can enjoy visa-free entry to Taiwan, as declared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

UPDATE: According to Rappler, the visa-free entry privilege for Filipinos is rescheduled in September 2017.

Beginning on June 1, visitors from Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines can stay up to 30 days without a visa. There will be a one-year trial period for this policy. According to this news article from Focus Taiwan and other news outlets, this decision to expand Filipinos’ visa privileges is part of the government’s “New Southbound Policy,” which aims to strengthen the country’s ties to other nations in South and Southeast Asia.

In October last year, Taiwan relaxed its visa requirements for Filipinos and several other countries in Southeast Asia.

The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila has yet to announce further details about any travel requirements for Filipinos.