Taiwan resumes processing of visa applications from Moroccans

Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) Taiwan has started accepting visa applications again from Moroccan nationals, effective Monday, ending a months-long suspension imposed after Morocco abruptly halted visa applications from Taiwanese nationals in July.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement Monday that it made the decision after receiving official confirmation that Morocco had resumed accepting visa applications from Taiwanese nationals on Sept. 21.

MOFA welcomed the Moroccan government's decision and said it would reciprocate by resuming the processing of visa applications from Moroccan nationals.

The visa dispute began in July when the Moroccan Embassy in Japan, where Taiwan's travel agencies most frequently submitted visa applications for travelers heading to the North African country, suspended its review of Visa Confirmation Letter (VCL) applications from Taiwanese on July 23 without providing a reason.

Citing the principle of reciprocity, MOFA later announced that it would suspend processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals effective July 31, except for applicants involved in special projects approved by the Taiwan government.

MOFA said at the time that the Moroccan government's suspension had seriously affected bilateral exchanges. It also noted that Taiwanese passport holders could obtain VCLs only through Moroccan embassies abroad and were not eligible for Moroccan e-visas.

In late September, MOFA said that a staff member at its office in Tokyo had confirmed with the Moroccan Embassy in Japan that it had resumed processing of VCL applications from Taiwanese travelers on Sept. 21.

However, MOFA said, it was still seeking confirmation from Moroccan authorities on whether the resumption covered only tourism-related applications or also those for non-tourism purposes. It therefore had not yet resumed processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals at that time, it told CNA.