Taiwan Announces 5 African Countries Whose Citizens Face Visa Application Restrictions

• Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs published a new visa requirement on 2 October 2026 affecting travellers from eight high-risk polio countries
• Five of the eight listed countries are in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, and South Sudan
• The rule applies not only to citizens of those nations but to any traveller who spent more than four weeks there in the past year

Taiwan has introduced a new health-based entry requirement that affects travellers connected to eight countries identified by the World Health Organisation as high-risk for poliovirus, five of which are in Africa.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs published the directive on 2 October 2026, stating that visa applicants must present valid proof of polio vaccination before their applications can be considered.

Taiwan: Which African countries are affected

The five African nations listed in the notice are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, and South Sudan. The remaining three countries on the list are Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Laos, all in Asia.

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Applicants originating from these nations must show documentation confirming they received either an oral live attenuated poliovirus vaccine (OPV) or an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) within the 12 months preceding their visa application date.

Who else does Taiwan's rule applies to

The scope of the requirement extends well beyond citizens of the named countries. Any traveller, regardless of their nationality, who has spent more than four weeks in any of those eight nations within the past year must also submit the same vaccination proof.

This means that a Nigerian professional who recently worked in Cameroon for over a month, or a Kenyan aid worker stationed in South Sudan for a similar period, would be equally required to provide the documentation when applying for a Taiwan visa.

Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs cited WHO guidance as the basis for the new rule. The WHO has long flagged several of these nations as areas where poliovirus continues to circulate, and Taiwan's move reflects a wider global pattern of destination countries incorporating health entry requirements based on international public health advisories.

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Travellers who fall under the new policy are advised to confirm their vaccination status and secure the relevant documentation well before their intended application date to avoid delays in processing.

Source: YEN.com.gh