Taiwan opens up e-gate use to Singapore passport holders: How to enrol

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The use of the e-gate is valid uptil six months prior to the passport expiry date. Upon passport renewal, the individual will be required to enrol for the system again.

Singapore passport holders can now use the automatic customs clearance system (or, e-gates) when entering Taiwan, according to the The National Immigration Agency (NIA) of the Ministry of the Interior. 

Per a website update on 28 July (Friday), the Agency has added Singapore its list of 'countries using automatic customs clearance for reciprocity' (apart from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macao): the US (limited to Global Entry members), South Korea, Australia, Italy, and Germany. Individuals from these six countries must hold chip passports issued by the country's government.

According to a report byThe Straits Times, shared by the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore on Facebook, these passport holders would need to register to use the e-gate in Taiwan. As cited in the report, Wu Jung-hui, Deputy Interior Minister of Taiwan, said this move to add Singapore to list "reciprocates Singapore's decision to extend the usage of its automated immigration lanes to Taiwan passport holders in April".

How to enrol for Taiwan's e-gate system

In line with the announcement, Singapore passport holders may note the following steps to register for automatic customs clearance in Taiwan:

Criteria to meet

1. A Singapore passport holder visiting Taiwan on tour, for business, and more,
2. The individual is aged of 12 and above, and at least 140 cm tall, and
3. Does not have adverse record in Taiwan.

Enrolment process

A Singapore registrant should visit one of the enrolment centers for enrolment in Taiwan:

• The immigration arrival and departure halls at Taoyuan Airport, Terminal 2 and Terminal 1.
• The immigration arrival and departures halls at Songshang Airport, Taichung Airport, Kaohsiung Airport, Kinmen Seaport, Keelung port, Kaoshsiung port.
• National Immigration Agency service centers at Taipei City, Taichung City, Chiayi Country, Kaohsiung City, and Hualien country.

The location of enrolment centres can be found on the NIA's website.

The registrant is required to provide his/her passport, which must have at least a six-month validity, to the enrolment officer, and will then be required to submit an electronic application form displayed on-screen by the enrolment officer, following which the officer will take a photo and the fingerprints of the individual.

If adverse record is found, the registrant will be not be allowed to enrol in the system. When grounds for disqualification are found, the registrant would be terminated from using e-Gate. If the enrolment is successful, a stamp will be affixed to the last page of the passport for identification. No enrolment fee is required.

Should an individual wish to opt out of the e-gate service, they are required to visit one of the enrolment centres in person to cancel the enrolment, free-of-charge.

It should be noted that the use of the e-gate is valid up till six months prior to the passport expiry date. Upon passport renewal, the individual will be required to enrol for the system again. Additionally, existing users of the e-gate will lose their membership once they have obtained an 'Alien Resident Certificate' (ARC) in Taiwan.

The NIA shared that there may be instances were an individual is required by an immigration officer to use the manual counters.

How to use the e-gate

For using the e-gate upon successful enrolment, the NIA shared the following steps:

The NIA highlighted that individuals will still need to complete an online arrival card before using e-gate, for every visit to Taiwan. Those who do note do so will have to head to the manual counters.

Photo: The National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan