- By Huan Yi-ching and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Chinese-owned yachts have been barred from entering Taiwan’s ports under revised guidelines announced by the Maritime and Port Bureau.
The amendments clarify the rules for foreign-owned yachts seeking permission to enter Taiwan, including application requirements and permit durations. Violators face fines of up to NT$300,000 and might be ordered to depart immediately.
The bureau said the changes were made to standardize the review of applications and approval of permitted stays for foreign-owned yachts.
A yacht sails in Keelung’s Badouzi Yacht Harbor in an undated photograph.Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times
The revisions specify the documents required for applications and outline the grounds and supporting documentation for special extensions. Yachts undergoing repairs or in the process of transferring their registration to Taiwan, for example, may apply for an extension.
The revised guidelines also expand the categories of vessels ineligible to apply. The restrictions covered Chinese-registered yachts and yachts sailing directly from China. Chinese-owned yachts have now been added to the list, making them ineligible to apply for permission to enter Taiwan.
Applicants must provide identification documents for the yacht’s owner, captain or operator; the yacht’s certificate or ship registration certificate; proof of the operator’s qualifications or a certificate of competency; a passenger and crew list; a sailing plan; and other supporting documents.
The initial special permit granted each year is limited to six months. Applications for extensions must be submitted at least 14 days before the permit expires, along with documentation showing that the relevant port management authority has approved the yacht’s continued berthing. Each extension is limited to one month.
The bureau said the guidelines are based on Article 8 of the Ship Act (船舶法), which stipulates that foreign vessels may not anchor at ports or coastal areas outside those designated as international commercial ports by the government unless granted special permission.
Under Paragraph 1 of Article 89 of the same act, violators may be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$300,000 by the maritime authorities. The yacht’s owner and operator may also be ordered to leave immediately.