Morocco-Taiwan: Travelers Caught Up in Visa War
Taiwan suspended, on Thursday, July 30, visa applications submitted by Moroccan nationals. This reciprocal measure responds to Rabat’s freezing of the authorizations essential for Taiwanese travelers wishing to visit Morocco.
The decision took effect immediately. Moroccan nationals can no longer submit visa applications for Taiwan, except in certain cases approved on an exceptional basis, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
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The response follows the interruption, since July 23, of the processing of visa confirmation letters intended for Taiwanese travelers. These documents are issued through the Moroccan embassy in Tokyo and subsequently allow travelers to obtain a visa upon arrival in the kingdom.
Taipei says the Moroccan measure was taken without prior notice and is disrupting tourism and commercial exchanges between the two territories. Taiwanese authorities say they attempted to obtain explanations from Morocco through their representations abroad, without receiving a response.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that confirmation letters issued before July 20 remain valid until their expiration date.
Trips canceled overnight
The Moroccan announcement had already forced several Taiwanese travel agencies to suspend their tours to the kingdom. Lion Travel, one of the island’s leading tour operators, offered its clients a full refund of their deposits or a postponement to another destination.
The procedure imposed on Taiwanese travelers was already particularly lengthy. In the absence of direct diplomatic relations between Rabat and Taipei, applications had to be forwarded to the Moroccan embassy in Japan and then reviewed by the Moroccan authorities. The process could take up to around fifty working days for a stay generally limited to two weeks.
Morocco has not yet publicly communicated the reasons for this suspension. Taiwanese analysts suggest possible pressure from Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, but this hypothesis has not been confirmed by any official source.
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Taipei is now asking Rabat to quickly restore travel procedures. Taiwanese authorities warn that they will continue to monitor Morocco’s visa policy and may adjust their own measures depending on how it evolves.