A 'visa run' is the need to exit and re-enter Taiwan because of the time restrictions on visas used by foreigners (either to apply for a new visa stamp at a Taiwanese consulate office overseas or simply to fly out to another country and return directly to Taiwan, depending on the type of visa. When you don’t leave the airport boarding area it is called 'staying in transit’.)

     In many cases this process occurs monthly, because of the issuance of 30 day visas (although the norm for most people is a 60 day/2 month visa) and can be an expensive and time consuming process, especially if you live in more remote areas of Taiwan which are not close to an airport. Still, some look forward to the trips as they will use them as an opportunity to visit other Asian countries for a short vacation and are excused by school management (‘illegal’ schools) for this need (without pay usually if you miss a school day). The average foreigner won't spend more than a couple years in Taiwan but you will find some that have been around for quite a while and still do visa runs!

     Regardless of where you go or what you do, over time these visa runs tend to become very tiring and many people end up taking one of two other popular options: They decide to find a job/school that offers a work visa (but you must pay taxes) or sign up for Chinese language study classes and receive a visitor visa as a language student.

      Most people doing ‘visa runs’ end up taking day trips (flights) to Hong Kong, Okinawa (Japan), or Bangkok (Thailand) since they are the closest and least expensive roundtrip tickets. Many foreigners try to coordinate their schedules with friends so they can have company on the all day (or longer) visa runs. There is a cruise boat option called “Star Cruises” (see 'Cruises') but it sometimes only runs for part of the year (because of typhoons and bad weather.) It leaves from Keelung Harbor in Taipei County, and can get booked up months in advance. The cruise operates like a “booze cruise” where everybody gets loaded on the gambling cruise out into international waters and back, lasting overnight or longer, depending on the cruise you choose. This can be an inexpensive alternative to flying out on a ‘visa run’ if you bunk with a group of friends as each cabin holds many people and you basically pay by the room not per person (it can be half the cost of a plane ticket in most cases.)

If you are going to do a visa run then here are some points to remember:

* Get your passport photos the day before you leave. This can save you time in whatever country you decide to visit. (Always bring at least four 2” photos, just in case…)

* If you are off to HK then try to get on the earliest possible morning flight. The visa office is about 45 minutes from the airport by high-speed train (about HK$100 return to HK island) and a cheap, (about HK$30) short, taxi ride. The train runs every 20 minutes so don't stress too much if you find yourself waiting. Try to arrive at the visa office before noon so you’ll have plenty of time in case there’s a line and to give the visa officers time to process your visa (they don’t close for lunch.) And when you enter don't forget to take a number from the ticket machine. It is required so the computer will call your number in the queue. (Get the ticket before you start filling out the forms!)

Visas are usually processed within the day, but if you arrive after noon, you’ll be forced to pay a “rush” processing fee if you want to get your visa by 4pm closing time the same day (even still you may be told to return the following day so it is recommended to be EARLY. All said and done you won't have to worry about not getting your visa back in the afternoon, which can be picked up at 4pm with show of receipt. If all else fails, stay one night in a hostel and go out on the town for the night and finish the process in the morning. Don't worry about flights not being available the next day because if you get to the airport before early afternoon getting a standby seat is almost never a problem (although you may have to hang around the airport for a few hours.)

Note:

Appearance and courtesy are also factors so it is recommended that you shave, wear nice clothes, and be polite.

Taiwan ‘Consulate’ in Hong Kong:

KWANG HWA INFORMATION & CULTURE CENTER
Address: 40th Floor, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong.
Tel 25235555
Fax 2522 2801 , 2522 2768
Website:www.taiwaninfo.org
email: service@taiwaninfo.org

Opening hours:
Mon - Fri : 9:00a.m. - 7:00p.m.
Sat : 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m.
Closed on Sunday and public holidays

Foreign Affairs Offices in Taiwan

Offices are usually closed during lunch 11:30am-2pm so plan accordingly!
Taiwan Visitor’s Association (TVA): (02) 2594-3261
Tourism Bureau: (02) 2349-1635, (02) 2717-3737

Department of Consular Affairs: (02) 2343-2888
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
3rd Floor, 202 Chinan Rd, Taipei City

Make sure your passport has at least 6 months of validity remaining and plenty of extra blank pages remaining (see your country’s embassy or consulate in Taiwan or before you leave your home country for refills.)