Taiwan has suspended accepting visa applications from Moroccan nationals after Morocco halted visa-related processing for Taiwanese travelers, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said the measure was taken under the principle of reciprocity.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, effective immediately, it would stop accepting visa applications from Moroccan citizens, except in cases granted special approval.
According to the ministry, the Moroccan Embassy in Japan notified Taiwanese travel agencies on July 23 that it had suspended the processing of Visa Confirmation Letters (VCLs) required for Taiwanese citizens seeking to travel to Morocco. The ministry added that it had confirmed Morocco allegedly had instructed its embassies and consulates worldwide to suspend processing such applications.
The ministry said Taiwanese citizens who received Moroccan visa confirmation letters before July 20 are still permitted to enter Morocco for business or tourism within the validity period of those documents.
According to the ministry, Taiwanese citizens are currently unable to apply for Moroccan e-visas and have relied on Visa Confirmation Letters for short-term travel to Morocco. It said Morocco’s alleged suspension of the procedure has created obstacles for Taiwanese citizens traveling for business and affected exchanges between the two sides.
“Based on the principle of reciprocity in bilateral exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, starting from July 30, it will suspend the acceptance of visa applications for Moroccan citizens to visit Taiwan, except with special approval,” the ministry said in its statement.
The ministry also called on the Moroccan government to “take seriously and maintain the convenience of business and travel exchanges between the people of the two countries, and to resume normal bilateral people-to-people exchanges as soon as possible.”
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it will continue to closely monitor Morocco’s visa measures and adjust its visa policy toward Moroccan nationals accordingly.
Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the reported suspension of visa-related procedures for Taiwanese travelers or the reasons behind the move.
Following Morocco’s alleged suspension of the procedure, several Taiwanese travel agencies, including Lion Travel, suspended travel services to Morocco, offering customers full refunds or the option to transfer bookings to other destinations, according to Taiwanese media reports.
Some media reports have speculated that Morocco’s decision may be linked to its close diplomatic relations with China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory. However, neither the Moroccan government nor Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially attributed the visa measures to political considerations.
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