Hong Kong and Macau residents can once again travel to Taiwan for tourism purposes. This change went into effect on Monday morning, allowing residents to apply for visas online.
For many Hong Kong and Macau residents, the last time they were able to visit Taiwan was about three years ago. That’s because the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Taiwan in March 2020 to ban all foreigners from entering without a residence card or special entry permit.
Some Hong Kong residents say they plan to visit Taiwan as early as March, in order to visit friends and family that have moved abroad or for other personal reasons.
One Taiwanese immigration company says exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong have been cut off for the past three years. The company says this has negatively affected Hong Kongers’ opinions of Taiwan’s immigration policies, but opening up again may encourage people to consider moving to Taiwan.