2025 Statelessness & Citizenship Review 7(2) not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state or see Taiwanese as a nationality.64 In principle, the UK Government should apply para 9.15.2 of pt 9 of the 2025 Immigration Rules to refuse entry permission for Taiwanese passport holders.65 However, the UK Government grants electronic travel authorisations, or travel permits for individuals who are eligible for visa-free travel to the UK, to holders of ordinary Taiwanese passports. Additionally, the British Government requires Taiwanese individuals using diplomatic passports or passports without a household registration and ID number (typically those with dormant Taiwanese citizenship who reside abroad and are not registered in the household system)66 to apply for permission to enter under the form ‘IS 116’, which is meant for political entities not recognised by the British Government.67 In general, the majority of Taiwanese people have no difficulty visiting the UK. Many states allow entry by Taiwanese passport holders even without the further checks they may require for citizens of other states. While they do not officially recognise these passports as documents of a recognised sovereign state, Taiwan is seen as an exception among other unrecognised states regarding international mobility. A Denial of Taiwanese Citizenship: An Analysis of Liu and Others v Norway The following section delves into the complex challenges faced by Taiwanese individuals residing in European countries, shedding light on their persistent struggle for recognition of their Taiwanese nationality and identity. These individuals find themselves at the crossroads of geopolitics and personal rights, as they grapple with discrepancies in how different countries label their nationality on residence permits. 68 The denial of Taiwanese citizenship in Norway demonstrates not only the vulnerability of Taiwanese citizenship due to its contested nature, but also the arbitrary nature of the Norwegian Government’s decision to ‘strip’ Mr Liu’s Taiwanese citizenship. The following discussion 64 United Kingdom (‘UK’) Home Office, ‘Suitability: Refusal of Entry on Arrival in the United Kingdom and Cancellation of Extant Entry Clearance or Permission’ (Report, Version 4.0, 1 June 2023) 13: Taiwan is not recognised as a state by the UK government, nor is Taiwanese recognised as a nationality. However, you can endorse ordinary Taiwanese passports as long as they contain an ID card number. Holders of these passports do not need entry clearance to enter the UK. Holders of Taiwanese passports which do not have an ID card number need a visa to visit the UK. You must not endorse official or diplomatic Taiwanese passports. In such cases, you must ask holders of these passports for their ordinary Taiwanese passports. However, you may grant permission to enter on an IS.116 as an alternative to endorsing official or diplomatic Taiwanese passports. Taiwanese officials based in the UK must have an entry clearance endorsed in their ordinary passport. 65 66 67 68 According to the rule, ‘[p]ermission to enter may be refused if the person seeking entry produces a passport or other travel document which: (a) was issued by a territorial entity or authority which is not recognised by Her Majesty’s Government as a state, or is not dealt with as a government by them’: Immigration Rules 2025 pt 9 s 3 [9.15.2] (United Kingdom). This provision allows for the refusal of entry to individuals holding passports issued by political entities that the UK does not formally recognise as states. Taiwan clearly falls into this category, and its citizens should, in principle, face uncertainty when seeking to enter the UK. However, in practice, Taiwanese nationals can travel to the UK without such restrictions. The household registration system works as a citizenship registration system in Taiwan especially for practice of citizenship; it also relates to the right to vote and the welfare system. See Chen and Huang (n 36). UK Home Office (n 64) 10, 12–3. One notable aspect is the varying approaches adopted by European nations. For instance, in most European countries, Taiwanese individuals who are international students or long-term residents receive a residence card that explicitly states their nationality as ‘Taiwanese’. This practice is observed in the UK, despite the UK Government’s official stance of not recognising Taiwan as a de jure nationality. 114