Where to go to get a 60 day visitor visa?

Has anyone had any recent experience getting a visitor visa somewhere close to Taiwan?

My friend just got back from the Philippines. He went into the visa office and they told him that they are not giving out visitor visas there. He had to come in on a landing visa so he has to leave again in two weeks.

What offices close by are the easiest to get a visitor visa?

[quote=“Lo Bo To”]Has anyone had any recent experience getting a visitor visa somewhere close to Taiwan?

My friend just got back from the Philippines. He went into the visa office and they told him that they are not giving out visitor visas there. He had to come in on a landing visa so he has to leave again in two weeks.

What offices close by are the easiest to get a visitor visa?[/quote]

I heard Shanghai was a good place to go to

Shanghai is a bit expensive to fly to

Any recent experience with one of the following places?

Thailand
Okinawa
Macau
Hong Kong
Malaysia

I have two words for your friend: Hong Kong.

That’s where I go when I need a 60 day visa. They’ve never given me any bullshit, they’re very professional. Make sure your friend has all his supporting documents in order (ie: bank statement).

How to get there:

Take the MTR to Admiralty. Take Exit B. When you come out onto the street, turn left, go up the stairs and through the doors just past the taxi stand (It’s in the Lippo Centre).

Take the escalator up one floor, take the elevators on the left (Tower One) to the 40th floor. It’s the office on the left as you come off the elevator. For some reason the Taiwan gov’t office in HK is called the Chung Hwa Travel Service <-- Oh no, the auto-editor is at work again :unamused: C.h.u.ng. H.w.a. (without all the dots).

The office opens at 9am. The earlier your friend gets there, the faster he’ll be through. Pick up is the next day after 4pm.

It’s 2pm…I’ll be picking mine up in a couple hours.

Or the same day if you pay a bit extra.

50% extra to be exact.

What about the Thailand office?

I just got a 60-day visitor’s visa from the TECO in Bangkok last week. I dropped off my passport and it was ready the next day. I wasn’t even asked for bank/financial paperwork or flight itinerary. I was dressed nice and have never been to Taiwan before.

Yeah, Bangkok should be okay. I got mine (the first) there in November of last year. They did ask me quite a few questions about what I was planning to do there. They also asked for a bank statement, but a downloaded statement from my US bank for one month was plenty.

I don’t know if my case was an exception, or due to the fact that I got it in June instead of during high tourist season, or because it was my first visa to Taiwan, but I literally said only “hello” and “thank you” when dropping off and picking up my passport. There were no questions involved at all. It felt like dropping my clothes off to be washed and then picking them up the next day. No complaints here. :slight_smile:

Maybe you got the nice one… They didn’t specifically ask me for anything, but when I gave the woman at the counter the application, she looked at me as if expecting something and sarcastically said, “You don’t have any supporting documents?”

I said, “What documents do I need for a tourist visa?” But I had the bank statement and return flight ready, so I handed them to her anyway. Then she started asking why I needed a visa, when Americans could stay for 30 days without a visa.

My situation was probably different than yours though, because my passport was filled with dozens of Thai/Cambodian stamps as I’d stayed in Thailand for three years without a long term visa. I think this raised some red flags.

I emailed the Bangkok TECO beforehand and this is what they sent back regarding applying for a visa:

"Visa Procedures and Required Documents for Alien Applicants
Intending to Travel to the Republic of China (Taiwan)

  1. Visitor Visa: for the purpose of transit, sightseeing, attending an international meeting, visiting relatives, attending a training course, or engaging in business other activities, applicants are required to provide the following documents:
    (1) Passport: at least six months and over of the validity.
    (2) One Visa Application Form.
    (3) Two 2 inches size photos taken within six months.
    Additional information concerning individual applicant might be required, he (she) may be requested to provide one or several of the following documents:
    (4) Certificate of Employment.
    a. Owner or person in charge of a company:
    Company registration or license, original and copy one each. (The original will be examined and returned.)
    b. Evidence of employment ( job certificate )
    c. Student: Certificate of enrollment.
    (5) Certificate of financial status.
    a. Bank deposits passbook with at least six months deposit and withdrawal records: original and copy one each. (The original will be examined and returned .)
    b. Personal ownership of real estate or certificate of taxation can be supplementary if certificate of bank deposit is not sufficient or unavailable.
    (6) Technician dispatched by business establishments to receive short term training or skills to install machines or equipment: In addition to the L\C, invitation letter, related business correspondences are required for examination.
    (7) Applicants with newly issued passports are requested to present the old, out of date passports for our reference if there is one.

  2. Resident Visa: For the purpose of joining family, pursuing studies, accepting employment, making investment, receiving medical treatment, doing missionary work or engaging in other activities, applicants are requested to provide one or several of the following documents.
    (1) Up to (5): same as mentioned as for visitor visa.
    (6) Marriage Certificate and copy of the household registration in R.O.C. of the person the applicant intends to join, Certificate of enrollments, Certificate of employment or permit of working in R.O.C. issued by the Council of Labor Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs or other authorized agencies.

  3. Matters need to know:
    Visa Fee: Single Visitor Visa: 1,800 Baht Express Fee: 900 Baht
    Multiple Visitor Visa: 3,500 Baht Express Fee: 1,800 Baht
    Single Resident Visa: 2,300 Baht Express Fee: 1,200 Baht
    Multiple Resident Visa: 4,600 Baht Express Fee: 2,300 Baht

Visa Reciprocity Processing Fee: 4,600 Baht Express Fee: 50% of Visa Fee
( American Passport only)

Visa hours: Monday through Friday (except holidays)
9:00 A.M.-11:30 A.M. (for application)
12:30 A.M.-15:00 P.M. (for collecting)
Visa Office: 20th Floor, Empire Tower, 195 South Sathorn Road,Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, BTS Station:Chongnonsi Tel: (02)6700200~ Visa Division
Submit the visa in the morning only and get the visa on the next day afternoon. If you want to get visa within one day, you are required to pay EXPRESS FEE (50% of your visa fee) .
If special permission has to be granted from authorized agency in Taiwan, time taken of this procedure could be about 7 working days, the expense for sending special request telegram will be charged to the applicant.
Applicants providing with all the documents mentioned above must be aware that this office reserves the right to refuse issuing visa without any explanation to them."
You also need two copies of the photo page of your passport - one for the lobby to get a ID badge (along with a 100 baht deposit) and one for TECO.

I mistakenly emailed the PRC embassy about getting a visa for Taiwan, but never got a response. I wonder how they reacted to seeing the email.

Here is the visa application form: teco.org.au/form/Visa.pdf

The process went so smoothly that I wish I had pushed my luck and checked the multiple entry box. Then again, if I did she might have grilled me with questions and demanded to see lots of documents and possibly deny me the visa.

I definitely got the old angry one in Bangkok. My advice for anyone getting the Visa there is to just get your number from the nice security guy, walk into the next room and immediately hang a left. Do not glance, turn, or even acknowledge the “info” desk with the angry Taiwanese lady. She will hassle you and tell you that you will not be able to get the 60 day Visa and try to talk you into just arriving on a landing visa. I had all my documents ready, photos, photocopies, etc… and this seemed to piss her off even more. She takes herself very seriously, but I honestly doubt she has any real authority and is simply the info desk girl.

Just get your docs, a number, and walk into the main part of the office hang a left and have a seat. The people at the windows are all Thai, and therefore quite nice, friendly, and helpful. If the old hag does manage to stop you, just ignore most of what she says and proceed anyway. She is like the Taiwanese welcome committee, just to give you a taste of what is to come when you arrive in Taiwan.

I need to go back in a few days to get the work Visa, hopefully I can sneak right by her and I don’t have any problems.

[quote=“Dr Zoidberg”]I have two words for your friend: Hong Kong.

That’s where I go when I need a 60 day visa. They’ve never given me any bullshit, they’re very professional. Make sure your friend has all his supporting documents in order (ie: bank statement).

[/quote]

What supporting documents do you need? Is the bank statement for an account in Taiwan or in US?

Check out my long post about four posts above this one. As for the bank statement, I believe either will do as long as you show enough funds.

Hello do I need a visa to go to Thailand ? with USA passport? I will go there not more than 1 month.

If you have a U.S. passport you do not need a visa to enter the country. You can arrive at the airport or border and get a 30-day visa exemption stamp. If you need to stay longer, than you could go to the Thailand Embassy in the States and apply for a 60-day visa.

60-day Tourist Visa Info: thaivisa.com/immigration/vis … -visa.html

30-day Visa Exemption Info: thaivisa.com/313.0.html

How much does the multiple entry visitor visa cost in Hong Kong Dollars if I get it in Hong Kong? Do they accept other methods of payment such as credit card?

It’s a cash only deal. I don’t remember the exact amount, it’s 400 odd HKD. The only supporting documentation they asked me for when I applied for a visitor visa was a bank statement. I’m assuming they didn’t ask about an outward bound ticket because the bank balance was substantial.