Taipei, June 22 (CNA) Australia will offer Taiwanese tourists free Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) services from July 1, the Australian Commerce and Industry Office (ACIO) announced Friday.
Taiwanese tourists who apply for ETAs -- the equivalent of visas -- will no longer be charged the NT$1,000 application fee, ACIO Visa Services Director Catherine Genn said.
An ETA is issued electronically by a computer system and there is no stamp or label in the passport. Applications for ETAs can be submitted through travel agencies or airlines.
"This is good news following Australia's approval of the import of Taiwanese mangoes last week. And the timing of the announcement is wonderful because of the summer vacation, " said Yu Teh-sheng, deputy director of the Department of East Asia and Pacific Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to an ACIO tally, Genn said, 77,000 of the 80,000 visas the office authorized to Taiwanese tourists in 2006 were ETAs. The free ETA service is expected to boost tourist numbers.
However, tourists who apply for ETAs online instead of through ACIO's visa service will still be charged the transaction fee of A$20, she noted.
Taiwan is among a limited number of countries in the Asia Pacific region, which include Japan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, that are eligible for ETA services as "low-risk countries" as defined by the Australian government, Genn said.