Taipei:Taiwan has reinstated the acceptance of visa applications from Moroccan nationals as of Monday, following a suspension that began in July. The suspension was initially put in place after Morocco unexpectedly stopped processing visa applications from Taiwanese nationals.
According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced the decision after receiving confirmation that Morocco resumed accepting visa applications from Taiwanese nationals on September 21. In response, MOFA expressed approval of Morocco's move and committed to reciprocating by processing visa applications from Moroccan nationals once more.
The initial suspension of visa applications for Taiwanese was executed by the Moroccan Embassy in Japan on July 23 without an explanation. This move led MOFA to halt visa processing for Moroccan nationals on July 31, with exceptions for special government-approved projects, citing the principle of reciprocity.
MOFA highlighted the negative impact of the Moroccan suspension on bilateral exchanges, noting that Taiwanese travelers could only secure Visa Confirmation Letters (VCLs) through Moroccan embassies overseas, and e-visas were not an option for them.
In late September, Taiwan's office in Tokyo confirmed with the Moroccan Embassy in Japan that the processing of VCL applications for Taiwanese travelers had resumed on September 21. However, MOFA was still awaiting clarification from Moroccan authorities on whether the resumed processing applied solely to tourism or also included non-tourism applications.
