If a foreigner has legally stayed for more than 180 days, the period of stay will be automatically extended again for 30 days
- Location:Taiwan
- Date:
- Update Date:2021/12/28
- Clicks:433
Given that the international epidemic is still severe, the Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior announced that foreigners who entered the country before March 21, 2020 and have not yet exceeded their legal period of stay in Taiwan, will have this legal period of stay automatically extended again.
The Immigration Department emphasizes that to avoid epidemic prevention breaches caused by the movement of people internationally, and to reduce the epidemic prevention load for the community, foreigners who have legally stayed for more than 180 days, were given a previous extension, which was the 14th extension, from July 17, 2020, to August 11, 2021. An announcement has been made to automatically extend the stay period for another 30 days, this being the 15th time an extension has been granted.
NIA further explains that upcoming extension policies will be reviewed and timely adjusted, in accordance with the CECC’s assessment on the COVID-19 pandemic. For detailed requirements and information about this extension policy, please refer to the following “Q&A.”
“Q&A”
Q1: On SEP/10/2021, NIA announced the latest automatic 30-day extension for foreigners. Am I eligible for this policy?
A1: The automatic 30-day extensions are granted to foreigners who entered Taiwan before or on MAR/21/2020 and are currently staying within their allowed duration of stay (starting from MAR/21/2020 or earlier, including all previous MOFA and NIA extensions).
*Foreigners who have violated laws or regulations, or have been ordered to leave due to irregular actions are no longer eligible for automatic extensions, and must depart before exceeding their allowed duration of stay.
Example 1: (Eligible for automatic extension)
Mr. A, Foreign National
Entry: MAR/17/2020, visa-free entry
Initial Duration of Stay = 30 days (until APR/16/2020)
Previous Extensions (30 days each):
5x MOFA (No more than 180 days): +150 days
14x NIA: +420 days
Total Extended Duration: 30+150+420 = 600 days (until NOV/7/2021)
15th NIA Extension: NOV/7/2021 +30 days (until DEC/7/2021)
Example 2: (Eligible for automatic extension)
Mr. B, Foreign National
Entry: MAR/17/2020, visa-free entry
Initial Duration of Stay = 90 days (until JUN/15/2020)
Previous Extensions (30 days each):
3x MOFA (No more than 180 days): +90 days
14x NIA: +420 days
Total Extended Duration: 90+90+420 = 600 days (until NOV/7/2021)
15th NIA Extension: NOV/7/2021 +30 days (until DEC/7/2021)
Example 3: (Renewed Visa, Eligible for automatic extension)
Mr. C, Foreign National
Entry: MAR/7/2020, visa-free entry
Initial Duration of Stay = 14 days (until MAR/21/2020)
Previous Extensions (30 days each):
5x MOFA (No more than 180 days): +150 days
Total Extended Duration: 14+150 = 164 days (until AUG/18/2020)If Mr. C applied for visitor visa at BOCA on AUG/10/2020 and received a new visa with 180-day duration of stay, the last day of his stay is changed from AUG/18/2020 to SEP/3/2020.
NIA Extensions #2~#15: SEP/3/2020 +420 days (until OCT/28/2021)
Q2: Does this policy applies to foreigners who have already exceeded their allowed duration of stay?
A2: This policy only applies to foreigners who have not exceeded the number of days allowed to remain in Taiwan under their initial entry visa and previously announced MOFA and NIA automatic extensions. Therefore, this policy is NOT applicable to those who already exceeded (overstayed), and any overstaying foreigners should depart immediately.
Q3: How can I verify this automatic 30-day extension, if my passport is not stamped the extended date?
A3: This extension is automatically registered on NIA systems, thus no application is required. For those who would like a formal documentation as proof, please submit your passport and relevant documents to NIA services stations. Our officers will stamp the passport to prove this extension
Q4: Upon my departure, would I be considered overstaying and fined by NIA, given I don’t have the documents to prove these extensions?
A4: At airport checkpoints, NIA officers will carefully verify and check for all previous extensions. If you are eligible for this automatic extension, and you are still within the extended duration of stay, there will be NO fines due to overstaying.