MOFA urges Taiwanese not to misuse visa-free travel for illegal activities

Taipei, Feb. 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday urged Taiwanese nationals not to misuse visa-free entry privileges to engage in illegal activities while traveling overseas.

The appeal followed a rise in the number of Taiwanese arrested in South Korea since the beginning of 2026 for their alleged involvement in telecommunications scams, MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) said.

Six Taiwanese nationals have been arrested by South Korean police so far this year in connection with such cases, Hsiao said at a weekly MOFA briefing.

In the past, similar cases involving Taiwanese typically occurred only every one to two months, he added.

Taiwanese passport holders are allowed visa-free entry to South Korea for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days.

Hsiao said similar cases have also been reported in Thailand in recent years, where some Taiwanese who entered visa-free were later found traversing onward to Myanmar or Cambodia to engage in online gambling or telecommunications fraud.

To prevent similar cases, Thai authorities have continued to step up screening of visa-free visitors at border checkpoints, he said.

Hsiao reiterated that visa-free travelers should not engage in illegal activities or activities prohibited under visa-exemption rules, including paid employment.