I learned some people have done same day visa runs to HK without needing to go through immigration by using an airline transfer desk in the HK airport. This seems to really cut down the hassle involved, and I had hoped to do this on my last run but when I arrived, I learned that the airline I used (HK express) did not have a transfer desk.
Does anyone have info on which airlines do actually have transfer desks at HK?
The big ones, China Airlines and EVA.
With CA, you could even get your return ticket issued in Taipei when you checked in.
Although, they would ask you to do it at the transfer desk the last few times I did it in 2018/19.
I always prefer flying EVA. unfortunately the tickets to HK are always much more expensive, so doesn’t seem to make sense to me for a visa run. I’ll check China Airlines again. HK express always seems to have the cheapest prices now, with “Hong Kong Airlines” coming in second. Do you happen to know if HK airlines has a desk?
No idea.
I would contact the airline and ask.
You could try Cathay Pacific as well.
I did but their customer service told me that because I haven’t purchased a ticket yet, they can’t answer my question! Not sure why that would be… Anyway, I’ll probably just end up going with HK express again for the cost savings, as every other airline’s tickets to HK appear to be 50-100% more expensive!
I remember doing roundtrip taipei to hk in 2016 for around $100 USD. Those were the days…
Is this kind of visa run technically legal?
You have to pay more except (u-connect) if you connect to CX (Cathay), still need clear security and do passport check and photo/ bio data scan at transit (they need your photo/bio data as they do paperless boarding by face scan)
linko to u-connect, though doubt you buy a ticket back to the same place. I fly out of KHH Airport to EU, easy transfer.
I don’t think that Taiwan Immigration care where you go after departing Taiwan. What’s important is that you have passed through Taiwan Immigration Outbound, thus resetting the Clock for when you return.
I don’t think it’s illegal. Even if it is, a Taiwanese Immigration agent will probably still say “welcome to Taiwan!” with a smile.
If US Immigrations find you attempting a visa run there, they will flag you as a suspicious person and take you into the back room. They’ll dump out your luggage, go through your personal belongings, and read through your phone and any notebooks or journals you happen to be carrying. If you’re lucky they might even strip search you.
After all this, they’ll probably still deny you entry.
I don’t think it’s illegal either. Some of the possibly related things might be or are, like misrepresenting the purpose of one’s visit or working without a work permit, but then those are the things they’d have to demonstrate and punish.
And if Taiwan immigration had a problem with visa runs per se, they should decide on a policy then announce and enforce it. They haven’t done any of those things yet, AFAIK.
Well, the language is ambiguous, they just talk about 90 days stay per time max (assuming passport from one of those countries with 90 days visa free). However, after 90 days residence in the country (doesn’t matter if for tourism or working with proper visa and permit) you start having tax obligations in Taiwan, after 2 runs and 183 days residence in the country, you will be considered tax resident here.
Yes 100% legal. It’s up to the EVA check in desk to verify your reentry status since they have to issue both boarding passes.
Makes sense. Keeps the visa-run people from avoiding taxes.
I mean, if you’re already in Hong Kong, you might as well go through Immigration and go to the city and enjoy a nice Cantonese meal which is very difficult to find here in Taiwan.
So you don’t want the hassle of going through HK Immigration but you’re okay with actually flying there? Why not just exit Taiwan Immigration and then purposely miss your flight and re-enter Taiwan? You save yourself a return ticket that way, too.
I mean, just go to Tai Hing at arrival hall, better siu mei than 95% of places here and best cold milk tea in town!
that’s interesting, didn’t realize that. but I also find it a little confusing as it seems like tax obligations should be determined by whether or not you are working and earning income here, not by length of stay, since if you’re not earning income there’s nothing to tax, if you are, I’m not sure why they’re ok with you doing it 90 days tax free?
you may need a ticket to leave hk to get a boatding pass to hk, if you don’t have a proper document.
That sounds great in theory but I’ve never heard this discussed or heard of anyone actually doing it. I do know a few people who did or have done visa runs to HK in the same way for many months or years, but they all did the roundtrip every time, and I assumed it had to be done and there was no way to avoid it.
But now that you mention it, yes, I’d much rather not fly there, and save money on the return ticket. But without any real world experience or report from anyone else doing it successfully, I’d be hesitant to risk it, and be the innovator in a new sort of visa run that might end in disaster!
How exactly would one do this? Once I go through the Taiwan exit procedure, I’ve got nothing but departure gates around me. How would I get back to arrivals to re-enter and go through immigration? Does the airline need to speak with immigration if this happens? I have no idea how this kind of situation is dealt with and if immigration has any kind of special policy in regards to it - because technically I have not “gone over the border” and left the country as I was supposed to, and I’m assuming immigration has to be aware of that.
Do you personally know anyone who has done this successfully or is there a blog/forum where it has been discussed?
nope, check here:
“A non-resident alien residing in Taiwan for more than 90 days but less than 183 days in a calendar year is subject to tax at a flat rate of 18% on Taiwan taxable salary income, regardless of where the remuneration is paid.”
The Income Tax Act also speaks clearly talking only about residence in the State for tax residency:
Art. 7 “The term “person” as used in this Act refers to a natural person or juristic person. The term “individual” used in this Act means a natural person.
The term “individual residing in the Republic of China” refers to one of the following:
…
2. A person who has no domicile within the territory of the Republic of China but resides within the territory of the Republic of China for a period of more than 183 days during a taxable year.”
Taxable year in TW is 1-Jan to 31-Dec.
You stay in the country, you use at some extent the public services here (roads, police, firefighting, public transport, etc…) so 90 days is the threshold between no obligation whatsoever and the 18% flat rate for non-residents.
It’s actually 182 days tax-free. You don’t become a tax resident of Taiwan until you’ve been here for the majority of the year (183 days). They don’t want tourists to have to deal with paying taxes.