Traveling has never been so easy. Taiwanese residents can now hop on the plane to Canada, without having to worry about their visas. From today on, we are free to visit Canada for up to six months, liberating us from the long application process, and the pricey visa fees.

Following more than one year of negotiations, Canada officially granted visa-waiver status to Republic of China passport holders on Tuesday, which allows ROC citizens to stay in Canada for up to six months without a visa.

Taiwan now has visa-waiver status with 40 nations, including England, Japan, Ireland, and South Korea, and visa-on-arrival status with 21 nations, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.

The visa agreements with individual nations range in length from stays of seven to 180 days.

Travel agencies say that the new agreement with Canada won't affect tour groups in the short term because airfare between Taiwan and the U.S. and Canada rose recently, but travelers are happy that they will be able to save 2,250 NT dollars on the visa application fee.

When Taiwan receives Schengen visa waiver privileges next year, ROC citizens will be able to travel to 89 nations around the world without first applying for a visa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes to increase the number to 100 next year in time for the ROC's centennial celebrations.

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