September 10, 2018
No.226
The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg completed the signing of an Arrangement on a Working Holiday Program on August 21, 2018, making Luxembourg the 11th European nation to implement a working holiday scheme with Taiwan, and the 16th worldwide. The program’s official launch date and related guidelines will be published before the end of the year.
Among European nations, Luxembourg follows in the footsteps of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom in signing this arrangement with Taiwan. Based on this agreement, Taiwan and Luxembourg will provide each other with an annual quota of 40 visas for young nationals aged between 18 and 30, allowing them to complete stays of up to one year in each other’s country. This will enable program participants to visit the other country for tourism, temporary employment, or short-term self-funded educational projects, thus allowing them to build friendship and gain an in-depth understanding of the language, culture, customs, and society of the host country.
Luxembourg is a landlocked nation located in the heart of Western Europe, and has borders with Belgium, France and Germany. With French, German, and Luxembourgish as its official languages, the country is known for its rich cultural heritage and artistic manifestation. It is also one of Europe’s major financial hubs, and hosts several European Union institutions in its capital, Luxembourg City.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is keen to assist young Taiwanese in connecting with the world, and the signing of this arrangement by Taiwan and Luxembourg demonstrates once again that the Ministry’s promotion of international youth exchanges is yielding concrete results. MOFA hopes this youth working holiday program will deepen the friendship between the people of Taiwan and Luxembourg, promoting interaction in such areas as culture and tourism, and looks forward to further strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchange with Luxembourg going forward.(E)