Taiwanese Travelers Can No Longer Visit '1 Country'? Travel Agencies Confirm Visa Application Suspension, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Responds!

Travel plans by Taiwanese citizens to North Africa are now affected. On the 30th, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, in response to Morocco's recent directive ordering all its overseas diplomatic missions to temporarily suspend processing visa confirmation letters (VCL) for Taiwanese applicants, Taiwan will implement reciprocal measures effective immediately. Except for cases specially approved, Taiwan will fully suspend processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals, based on the principle of reciprocity in bilateral exchanges.

Why has Morocco suddenly halted applications? What is the impact on Taiwanese travelers?

This diplomatic visa dispute originated on July 23, when Morocco's embassy in Japan notified Taiwanese travel agencies that it would temporarily stop accepting applications for 'visa confirmation letters' for travel to Morocco. Lion Travel, a major domestic travel agency, announced on its official website on the 23rd that it had suspended services for handling 'tourist entry visa letters for Morocco' effective immediately. This news quickly drew attention from travelers planning overseas trips.

After verification, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Moroccan government has issued instructions to all its diplomatic missions worldwide to comprehensively suspend related application procedures.

Currently, Taiwanese citizens cannot apply for Morocco's e-visa online. Therefore, those planning short-term business or tourism trips to Morocco previously had to apply for a 'visa confirmation letter' through Moroccan embassies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Morocco's sudden suspension has created substantial obstacles for Taiwanese citizens traveling to the country and directly affected bilateral exchanges.

What if travelers have already obtained a visa confirmation letter? The Ministry explains applicable regulations.

For Taiwanese citizens who have already planned trips and submitted applications, the Ministry clarified that although Morocco has suspended new applications, those who successfully obtained a Moroccan visa confirmation letter before July 20 can still use it to enter Morocco for business or tourism within the document's validity period, according to relevant regulations.

The Ministry advises travelers with planned itineraries to confirm the issuance date and validity of their documents to avoid disruptions to their travel plans.

How is Taiwan responding? The Ministry calls for maintaining bilateral exchange convenience.

In response to Morocco's sudden action, the Ministry stated that, based on the principle of reciprocity in bilateral exchanges, Taiwan will, starting July 30, temporarily suspend processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals, except for special cases approved on a case-by-case basis.

The Ministry also issued a message to the Moroccan government, urging it to recognize and maintain the convenience of business and tourism exchanges between the two peoples and to restore normal civilian exchanges as soon as possible. The Ministry emphasized that it will closely monitor the latest developments regarding Morocco's visa measures toward Taiwan and will dynamically adjust its visa policies for Moroccan nationals accordingly.