The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) gave Taiwanese passport holders a heads-up Tuesday about new rules taking effect in March after Romania and Bulgaria officially join the Schengen Zone, where Taiwanese are allowed to enter visa-free.
Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of European Affairs, said Romania and Bulgaria will officially become part of the Schengen area on March 31.
Since Jan. 11, 2011, Taiwanese passport holders have not needed visas to enter the Schengen area -- currently consisting of 23 European Union (EU) member states and Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway -- as a tourist or for business purposes.
The maximum length of stay is 90 days within a six-month period.
Taiwanese passport holders can currently enter both Romania and Bulgaria visa-free for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, Huang said, but after March 31, time spent in the two countries will be included in the Schengen zone's 90-day limit within a 180-day period.
Huang said the upcoming Schengen-area expansion to include Romania and Bulgaria would also come with more streamlined border control procedures.
Starting March 31, Taiwanese passport holders arriving in Romania or Bulgaria from other Schengen countries by air or sea will no longer need to present their passports upon arrival.
This exemption applies to individuals on flights, cruises and ferries, Huang said.
Travelers entering Romania and Bulgaria from Schengen countries by road, train or bus, however, will still require identification documents, he said.
According to the EU, the regulations for land border crossings remain unconfirmed due to Austria's veto.
The European Council noted on its website that a future decision will be necessary to determine a date for the removal of land border controls.
According to EU, this integration into the Schengen zone facilitates unrestricted movement among member countries for approximately 400 million citizens.
Despite being EU members since 2007, Romania and Bulgaria were outside the Schengen's borderless region until recently. Consequently, travelers had to present passports at those countries' entry points.
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