Korea, Taiwan, Japan Arrival Visa?

[troy04]

Hi,

Not regarding Thailand but concerning farangs living here:

what is your experience with arrival visas in Korea, Japan, Phillipines or other countries around here? I am not sure Taiwan got arrival visa because China does not.

Can they refuse? Need cash evidence?

Thai citizen also supposed to get an asean arrival visa for example in Korea, any experience?

[nogutsnoapplepie]

Taiwan Visa Basics

Getting a visa to come to Taiwan is fairly straightforward. The easiest way is to simply buy a plane ticket from your home country (return/roundtrip) and you will be given a ‘Visa Exempt Entry’ or 'Visa Free' entry upon arrival at the airport in Taiwan which allows you entry for up to 2 weeks, or for a small fee you can receive a 30 day ‘Landing Visa’ (depending on your country of origin, but most people qualify...)

HOWEVER, these are not the smartest ways to enter as they are a waste of time and money if you plan to do more than a quick sightseeing tour of Taiwan as neither visa is extendable and you will need to leave again in 2 weeks or 30 days since it is illegal to overstay a visa, thus forcing you to fly to a nearby country (otherwise known as a ‘Visa Run’ - Japan, Hong Kong or Thailand are most popular) and then return in order to replace your old visa with a new one. You may have to visit the Taiwan consulate in these countries and take a whole day off of work (some offices aren’t open on weekends) to apply for a longer visa (plus pay a fee and the expense of travel, plane ticket to the country, etc...)

As a prospective teacher, it is highly recommended that you apply for a ‘Visitor Visa’ in your home country before you come to Taiwan because you will usually get a longer term visa of (from 30 days up to 6 months depending on the country of origin) which will be extendable (allow you to stay in Taiwan without leaving for a period of time simply by visiting the local police station in Taiwan and receiving a stamp on your passport extending your original visa) and you won’t have to worry about spending a lot of time and money coming and going. Plus, if you want to be legal and/or reside in Taiwan for a period of a year or more and are employed in Taiwan (or marry a local) you can apply for a work visa/resident visa from within Taiwan if you have a visitor visa and won't have to return to your home country, although you may have to take a brief 'visa run' to a nearby country and back (or try a cruise to international waters!...) to satisfy the requirements for application.

Another route is to study at a Chinese language school, which will provide you with an extendable 2 month visa (one ‘illegal’ school doesn’t even require you to even attend any classes - more on this later) up to a one year resident visa and you will still be able to work (illegally) on the side although this is a better idea only if you actually want to study Chinese as you will be required to pay for the schooling and attend on a regular basis.

You are not LEGALLY permitted to work in Taiwan without a WORK PERMIT (This includes ‘busking’ on the street corners, or other forms of moneymaking). Furthermore, overstaying a visa (even one day) will force you to stay in the country until you’ve cleared up the situation by paying A FEE at the airport or possibly facing deportation without permission to re-enter EVER for overstays of longer than 30 days. Of course, if you miss a flight or are hospitalized or have some other valid and documented excuse then you probably won’t get into any serious trouble. If any of this happens to you, report it as soon as possible to the Foreign Affairs Police at the main police station in any city. Fines are around NT$600 (for up to 30 days’ overstay), and your name is recorded at the airport. First time offenders you will not be allowed to enter without a visa and could affect your chances of getting one if you apply again.

http://www.eslisland.com/guide/visas.html

[skettios]

I just got here from Taiwan, and I'd like to go back.

Does anyone know if my girlfriend will need a visa to go to Taiwan, or can she just get a landing visa like I plan on doing?

Thanks!

[engrin]

your girlfriend if she is from Thailand will need a visa before going to Taiwan

please report and let us know how it goes!

[skettios]

your girlfriend if she is from Thailand will need a visa before going to Taiwan

please report and let us know how it goes!

I'm having trouble finding information on this. Anyone have a similar experience?