The European Parliament voted in favor of including Taiwan on its Schengen visa-free list on Thursday. Once the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) of the EU Council approves the case, ROC passport holders will enjoy a visa-free entry in 28 countries in the EU by the end of this year at the earliest.

Soon Taiwanese citizens with only their passport in hand can forgo visa applications to visit Europe.

The European Parliament has recently passed an amendment allowing Taiwanese citizens to travel to Europe without having to apply for a visa.

In early December, the EU Council of Ministers will pass a declaration which will take effect 20 days after.

This means that by late December, Taiwanese tourists will be able to travel to Europe without a visa.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Taiwanese travelers last year who applied for visa exceeded 170,500.

This year, Taiwanese tourists will only have to carry their passports, forgo visa application, and travel to Germany, France, and 28 other European countries.

However, tourists are not allowed to stay over a maximum of 90 days.

Tourist agencies say that after the amendment, travelers can more easily travel to East Europe, and thus tourist commissions will increase 20%.

Besides convenience, the EU amendment will also help Taiwanese tourists save an extra 60 Euros, which is equal to about 2586 NT dollars.

However, another regulation had already been put in place since October 1, stipulating that travelers must pay 2000 NT dollars for travel medical insurance.