Moroccans barred from applying for Taiwan visas in diplomatic tit-for-tat

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Taiwan on Thursday stopped accepting visa applications from Moroccan nationals with immediate effect in retaliation for a similar move by Morocco last week.

In a news release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the decision was made after it confirmed that the Moroccan Embassy in Japan had suspended its Visa Confirmation Letter (VCL) review process for Taiwanese travelers starting July 23.

MOFA said the Moroccan government's decision had seriously affected two-way exchanges, noting that Taiwanese passport holders can obtain a VCL only through the Moroccan Embassy in Japan and are ineligible for a Moroccan e-visa.

According to MOFA, Taiwanese travelers who received a VCL from the embassy before July 20 could still travel to Morocco as long as their VCLs remain valid for entry.

Citing the principle of reciprocity, MOFA said Taiwan had decided to suspend processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals, effective Thursday, except for special projects approved by the government.

"Taiwan's government calls on Morocco to address the issue seriously and maintain convenient travel arrangements for business travelers and tourists on both sides, with the aim of restoring normal bilateral people-to-people exchanges as soon as possible," the ministry said.

MOFA added that it would closely monitor the Moroccan government's subsequent actions before deciding whether to resume processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals.

Last week, several Taiwanese travel agencies reported that the Moroccan Embassy in Japan had informed them it was no longer accepting visa applications from Taiwanese nationals, prompting the agencies to suspend their visa authorization letter application service for Taiwanese travelers to Morocco.

The Moroccan government had not made a public statement on the issue as of press time.