SHAH ALAM: Malaysians visiting Taiwan can now use the island nation’s e-Gate system for quicker immigration clearance.
The Taiwanese embassy in a statement said its authorities have granted the allowance since Nov 7, making Malaysia the seventh country to collaborate with Taiwan on the use of autogates immigration facilities, following the United States, South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, and Singapore.
It added that previously, Malaysia had implemented autogate access for Taiwanese citizens beginning June 1 this year, reported Sinar Harian.
“From now on, Malaysian travellers who meet the eligibility criteria can use Taiwan’s e-Gate for entry and exit. We welcome all friends to share and spread this good news to the public.
“Among the eligibility conditions are holding an electronic-chip passport valid for at least six months, being at least 12 years old, having a minimum height of 140 centimetres (cm), and having no criminal records in Taiwan.
“They can register once at the registration counter in the arrivals hall (re-registration is required if obtaining a new passport in the future) and subsequently use Taiwan’s e-Gate for entry and exit procedures,” the statement said on Wednesday (Nov 13).
The statement added that Malaysians require just one minute to register, with the inspection process taking just 10 seconds, reducing the need for long queues at immigration counters.
“Compared to manual checks, which take between 10 to 25 minutes (including waiting time), this system significantly speeds up the check-in process, a major benefit for Malaysians travelling to Taiwan,” it noted.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese nationals visiting Malaysia with an electronic-chip passport valid for more than six months and a minimum height of 120 cm need only fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online within three days before arrival.
“Upon arrival, they can use Malaysia’s autogate free of charge without any additional registration,” it added.