Taiwan passport

This article deals with passports issued by the Republic of China (Taiwan). For passports issued by the People's Republic of China, see People's Republic of China passport.

Cover of the Republic of China biometric passport issued in 2009. The word "Taiwan" was added in English (but not in Chinese) in 2003. The DPP government at the time stated this was to facilitate travel, not to change the name of the nation.

The Republic of China passport (traditional Chinese: 中華民國護照; simplified Chinese: 中华民国护照; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó hùzhào) is the national passport issued to citizens of the Republic of China (ROC) with household registration in the Taiwan Area and eligible Overseas Chinese. It is more commonly known as the Taiwanese passport, as the ROC has been commonly known as 'Taiwan' since the 1970s.

Eligibility for holding ROC passport

Republic of China passport issued in 1946

Republic of China passport issued in 1982

The ROC was founded in 1912 governing the whole of mainland China. (Taiwan, though having been invaded by Japan in 1895, was still included in the Chinese national territory in that era.) Since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, ROC has only retained occupation of the territory of Taiwan and sovereignty over two counties of Fujian (Kinmen and Matsu), while the mainland Chinese areas have come under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The ROC constitution does not recognize the PRC so the ROC still legally considers itself as the sole government of China. All the territory under ROC control are constitutionally defined as the Free Area (also known as "Taiwan Area"), while the territory outside of the Taiwan Area is defined as the "Mainland Area". The ROC constitution allows the ROC government to make laws for one Area of the country without affecting the other Area.

ROC nationals who also hold household registration in the Taiwan Area are eligible for the ROC passport. While the passport shows the holder is a ROC national, it is not conclusive evidence that the holder is a citizen of the Republic of China as, according to the nationality law of ROC, there is no implication of citizenship. Overseas Chinese are eligible to receive the ROC passport. Additionally, not all ROC passport holders have the right of abode in the Taiwan Area.

Most ethnic Chinese residents in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are also legally ROC nationals (but not citizens), and they may also obtain an ROC passport under special circumstances, provided they have permanent residence status in a country outside the ROC constitutional claims. The special circumstances are, from Article 18 of the Enforcement Rules of the Passport Act of 2002, "Special considerations for political, economic, social, educational, technological, cultural, athletic, overseas Chinese, religious, and humanitarian reasons."

Before the revision to the Enforcement Rules of the Passport Act in 2002, ethnic Chinese who obtained Overseas Chinese Identity Certificates (on the basis of having Chinese ethnicity) could use these Certificates to claim ROC Nationality and obtain passports, regardless of whether they have lived or even set foot in the Taiwan Area. (see here for an explanation on its rationale) After 2002, these Certificates are no longer recognized as proof of ROC Nationality if they were granted on the basis of Chinese ethnicity alone, by Article 13. Note that under Article 3 of the Overseas Compatriot Identity Act, residents of mainland China were never eligble to obtain this Certificate.

The ROC passport does not automatically grant the holders right of abode in the Taiwan Area. Only ROC passport holders who also hold household registration in the Taiwan Area are exempt from immigration restrictions in Taiwan. Other ROC passport holders are issued landing visas upon arrival in Taiwan and are subject to deportation.

It is the Republic of China National Identification Card, which is only issued to ROC citizens with household registration in Taiwan, that is used to exercise citizenship rights such as through voting. Passports of overseas Chinese (as opposed to passports of ROC citizens with household registration in Taiwan) are issued only in ROC embassies, consulates, and Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices and not in Taiwan itself and contain a special stamp indicating overseas Chinese status (which also exempts the holder of conscription). Passports holders with household registration will also include the holder's national identification number. Similarly, not all British passport holders have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

The validity of an ROC passport is 10 years for general holders, 5 years for minors aged under 16, or 3 years for young male adults who have not yet served the ROC conscription.

Style

Regular passport's cover is dark green in color with gold lettering. The National Emblem of the Republic of China and the wording "Republic of China" and "Passport" in Chinese and English are printed on the cover. Because the "Republic of China" has been far better known as "Taiwan" since the 1970s, many Taiwanese travelers have experienced difficulties with immigration officials overseas mistakenly believing that they were from "China" (People's Republic of China). In September 2003, under the administration of President Chen Shui-bian and with widespread popular support, the word "Taiwan" was added to the ROC passport cover because "immigration officials may confuse citizens of the Republic of China (ROC) with citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC)". The premier when asked during question time in the Parliament stated that this was to facilitate travel and did not change the name of the nation.

The first page of the passport is the passport note page and printed:

中華民國外交部部長茲請各國有關機關對持用本護照之中華民國國民允予自由通行，並請必要時儘量予以協助及保護。
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China requests all whom it may concern to permit the national of the Republic of China named herein to pass freely and in case of need to give all possible aid and protection.

The interior is in traditional Chinese and English. Until the mid-1990s, the passport also contained an entry for provincial citizenship, stating the Chinese province and county of one's ancestral home, but this field was eliminated amid the Taiwan localization movement. However, the Chinese province and county of birth is still listed in the birthplace entry if the passport holder was born in either mainland China or Taiwan.

ROC passports identify the issuing country with the ISO code "TWN" for "Taiwan", where PRC, HKSAR and MSAR passports all bear China's code "CHN".

On November 25, 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of China announced that it will be starting to issue biometric passport on December 29, 2008. The "Taiwan" wording on the cover will still be kept.

Limitation in usage

Even though the Republic of China maintains official relations with only 23 countries, the ROC passport is still accepted as a valid travel document in virtually all the countries of the world, although in practice some countries (e.g. Laos, Nepal and Vietnam) opt not to directly stamp on it. Instead, these countries issue the visa on a separate sheet which is stapled to the ROC passport, and only stamp entry and exit stamps on the visa, as a compromise to the People's Republic of China. Malaysia also had this practice until March 2009 when the Malaysian government decided that Malaysian visas be directly issued to and stamped on the ROC passport.

The ROC passport is required for a visa application to the PRC, but is not sufficient by itself for travel to the mainland China. Taiwan residents must obtain an additional travel document, the "Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit" to enter the PRC. A valid ROC passport is required to apply for the Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit, and may be required to be presented to PRC immigration officials to further confirm its holder's identity.

The Government of Hong Kong accepts either an ROC passport or a Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit for ROC nationals to enter Hong Kong. For ROC passport holders, a pre-arrival visa which is separated from the passport is required and will be stamped, while the ROC passport is not stamped. For Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit holders, a valid entry permit was formerly required for entry, but since April 27, 2009, Hong Kong grants 7-day visa-free access to Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit holders without an entry permit, and the Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit is stamped.

During both Portuguese and the PRC administration, Macau authorities regard ROC passports as valid travel documents, although Macau immigration officers do not stamp ROC passports. Instead they place an entry and exit stamp onto the Arrival/Departure card, which shall eventually be recalled upon the visitor's departure from the territory. Macau authorities unilaterally grant ROC passport holders 30-day visa-free access to Macau.

The ROC passport is not accepted by mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau authorities, as Taiwan travelers are considered by the respective authorities as Chinese citizens and the travel is not considered international. These authorities never stamp ROC passports, but still require them to be shown with the Taiwan Compatriot Pass.

(Exception: The Macau authority stamps on ROC passports only when the Taiwanese travelers exit Macau (through airport checkpoint) for a place other than mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. Such action may seem violating "one China Principle", however it has been said that Macau authority does so in order to comply with international rules and regulations and does a favor to Taiwanese travelers in case such travelers are questioned by an immigration officer about their origin of boarding city.)

Schengen Area (EU member states (except UK and Ireland) and Switzerland) and Canada

The European Union Schengen area will likely waive visa requirements for Taiwanese citizens sometime in early to mid-2010 (the European Union member states (except for the UK and Ireland) and Switzerland. The status of visa free travel to Canada are ongoing.

Visit to the USA

The US B1/B2 visa refusal rate of ROC passport was 3.1% in 2006. However, the rate increased to 4.6% in 2007. Both figures are lower than the 10% requirement for the Visa Waiver Program. The lower rate of declined US B1/B2 visa applications does not automatically qualify the country for the visa waiver program. Every countries must pass other regulations set by US government, "To be admitted to the VWP, a country must meet various security and other requirements, such as enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States and timely reporting of both blank and issued lost and stolen passports. VWP members are also required to maintain high counter terrorism, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards." There is speculation that the ROC passport may be added to the visa waiver program in the somewhat intermediate future.

See also

• Taiwan Compatriot Pass
• Visa requirements for Republic of China citizens
• Foreign relations of the Republic of China
• People's Republic of China passport

External links

• Bureau of Consular Affairs
• Visa-free access for Republic of China passport holders
• ROC(Taiwan) Passport
• Picture of the covers of the old and the new passports
• Taiwan Reciprocity Schedule, USA
• IATA Passport and visa information provided by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Canada edges close to granting visa-free travel
• Taiwanese expected to gain EU visa-free treatment early next year