Taiwan (China) will resume the issuance of e-visa to Vietnamese tour groups with tightened conditions from March 20.

Taiwan (China) resume issuance e-visa policy for Vietnam.

Taiwan launched e-visa program, which simplifies the process of applying for visas to the territory, for tour groups in certain countries, including Vietnam. The e-visa program was then suspended following the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese tourists in Taiwan in late 2018. Consequently, local tourists have to apply for paper visas with fees included.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism said on March 6 that this agency received an official notification from Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau on applying e-visa to Vietnam visitors from March 20.
Under the new regulation, e-visa is only applied for companies on list of Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau. Thus, the list of Vietnamese tourism companies nominated for e-visa preferences will be revised and shortened to less than 80 businesses.
E-visa applications will be handled within seven days starting from the receipt date, and they must include the full names of tour leaders and round-trip air tickets for the tour members.
Vietnamese tour groups using e-visa must go through customs checkpoints with tour leaders and must arrive and leave the territory at the same time as the group leaders.
In addition, travel firms caught violating the e-visa regulations will be subject to fines. Applications for future e-visas will be rejected for two months if up to three of their tourists exceed the registered length of stay or run away. If the fleeing number exceeds six visitors, the company will immediately be removed from the approved list.
Earlier, the suspension of e-visa had a negative impact on the operation of an honest businesses because the decision was made abruptly, close to the peak season of Lunar New Year. Enterprises that had previously received visitors had to “make up” for the US$50 visa money for guests due to stop by e-visa program.
In addition, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau said that they are preparing for plan to open a Taiwan tourism promotion office in Vietnam, specifically in Ho Chi Minh City, not only in charge of the Vietnamese market but also in Laos and Cambodia.