Russian citizens will not be able to enter Taiwan without a visa.

Sep. 17 () –

Taiwan has not renewed the test program that it applied in 2018 by which Russian passport holders could enter the country without the need for a visa, after it expired on July 31.

The program included three more countries in addition to Russia, Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines and had been expanded several times. However, in the last extension -in which the term was extended until July 2023-, the country led by Putin has been left out of the agreement, as confirmed by the Foreign Ministry to the Taiwanese agency ‘CNA’.

However, the border controls derived from the pandemic mean that in practice these three countries cannot enter the country without having a visa. Taiwan suspended visa-free privileges for all foreigners except those residing there in March 2020 amid the spread of COVID-19.

This access, as detailed by the Foreign Ministry to ‘CNA’, was offered to “promote tourism and bilateral trade ties”, although Taiwanese have to apply for a visa before traveling to Russia.

In 2022, the Asian country has gradually reduced restrictions including visa-free entry into the country for citizens of its 14 allied countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several European countries.