Foreigners travelling to Taiwan will be able to apply for visitor visas online starting January 2016, deputy director-general of the foreign ministry's Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) Roger Luo said on Thursday.

To simplify the procedure of visa applications as well as for the convenience of overseas friends, the BOCA’s e-visa system will finally be ready for public use starting January 2016. According to Luo, Taiwan will be the 24th country in the world to allow foreigners to apply for visas online, following a precedent set by countries, including the US, Canada, Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Currently, foreigners are required to apply in person at the nation’s overseas consulate for visas. With this new system, visitors planning to travel temporarily to Taiwan for business or tourism can simply register online for an e-visa that allows a maximum of 30 days duration in the country.

The system will be preliminarily open to citizens of 27 nationalities, including Taiwan’s 21 diplomatic allies, as well as Brunei, Macedonia, Turkey and three other Central and South American countries, Luo said.

For future events held in Taiwan, such as international competitions or exhibitions, foreign participants from nations where Taiwan has yet to set up overseas offices can also apply for an e-visa, according to Luo. The bureau expects an estimated 25,000 visitors arriving in Taiwan to use the new e-visa system within the first year of the new system.