Travel between the US and Taiwan just became much easier, as the two countries signed an expedited travel cooperation agreement earlier this week. The agreement will allow eligible US and Taiwanese nationals to bypass long lines and check through customs electronically.

This is great news for travelers. The Taipei Times reported that e-Gate, Taiwan's electronic immigration process, takes merely 11 seconds to be completed.

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Taiwan joins a short list of countries that are eligible for the US electronic customs process, which is called Global Entry. Global Entry is currently available to approved visitors from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, and Mexico.

In Taiwan, e-Gate is only available to Taiwanese nationals, alien residents with multiple re-entry status, and foreign diplomats. The US is the first country to be granted e-Gate access.

The agreement was signed in Washington D. C. by representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). It has been praised by officials as validation of strong relations between the US and Taiwan.

"This is another example demonstrating that Taiwan-US relations are now at their best since the Taiwan Relations Act was adopted in 1979," said Shen Lyu-shun, the TECRO official who signed the agreement.

AIT representative Joseph Donovan echoed Shen's sentiments, calling the cooperation a "sign of the deep and expanding ties between the people of the US and the people of Taiwan."

According to the AIT, 2015 saw almost 14,000 travelers enter the US from Taiwan four or more times, while about 150,000 Americans entered Taiwan two or more times. These frequent travelers stand to benefit the most from the agreement, as occasional visitors may want to avoid the fee required to apply for eligibility.

Global Entry requires a $100 application fee. However there is no information indicating that there will be a fee implemented for US travelers who wish to use e-Gate.  

The new program should be open before the end of this year.

TagsUS, Taiwan, Travel, e-Gate, Global Entry, US-Taiwan relations, AIT, TECRO