Effective August 28, 2023, the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has announced a relaxation of the restrictions on visits by Mainland Chinese citizens to Taiwan for business exchanges.
From that date, mainland Chinese citizens will be able to apply to enter Taiwan for short-term business exchanges, including participating in business shows, attending exhibitions, and participating in business training programs.
However, a case-by-case review process remain in place for inviting units and mainland Chinese applicants in specific high-tech industries, including the following:
- Manufacture of Integrated Circuits (Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code 2611),
- Manufacture of Discrete Devices (2612),
- Packaging and Testing of Semiconductors (2613),
- Manufacture of Liquid Crystal Panels and Components (2641),
- Manufacture of Light Emitting Diodes (2642),
- Manufacture of Other Communication Equipment (2729), and
- Manufacture of Electronic and Semiconductors Production Equipment (2928)
Additional restrictions will be added to the existing management framework, including eligibility conditions, invitation quotas, and duration of stay in Taiwan:
- Exhibition Participation: The inviting or invited parties must be exhibitors. Depending on the total number of booths leased by an exhibitor, two people are allowed for each standard booth (nine-square-meter), with one additional person allowed for each additional booth, up to a maximum of 10 people in principle. The period of stay is limited to two days before to two days after the exhibition.
- Exhibition Attendance: Inviting exhibitors must be companies that are approved and registered in Taiwan; invited parties must be the partners, potential partners, or potential buyers of the said exhibitors. Each Taiwanese exhibitor can invite up to 10 people, with a maximum of two people from each invited company. The period of stay is limited to one day before to one day after the exhibition.
Business Training Programs: The number of invitees is limited by the annual revenue of the inviting unit, up to a maximum of 100 people in principle (companies with annual revenues under NT$10 million can invite up to 10 people, companies with revenues between NT$10 million and NT$50 million can invite up to 25 people, companies with revenues between NT$50 million to NT$100 million can invite up to 50 people, and companies with revenues exceeding NT$100 million can invite up to 100 people).