Before martial law was lifted in Kinmen in 1992, travelers between Kinmen and Taiwan had to go through the same entry / exit procedures as anyone going abroad. Travel documents had to first be approved by the Bureau of Immigration. Even a native of Kinmen living in Taiwan had to go through the application process just to visit home. Adding to the difficulty of returning was a dearth of transportation.
民國八十一年金門解嚴前，進出金門當地，在台灣是比照入出境辦理，必須經過入出境管理局核發證件，不只一般人難窺其堂奧，連金門人要回家都得先申請。