How to get Taiwan Citizenship - Primer, FAQ, and Resources

[quote=“coolingtower”]Satellite TV,

Shouldn’t I be able to work freely at this time? I have a card that says “ROC National” on it, but what do you think my chances are of being turned down for a job–based on my lack of HR?

coolingtower[/quote]

Yes you can freeely work without the HR, it’s just that not many people will recognize what it is you carry in your pocket as they’ve never seen one before, Limbo is a lovelly place. You have full working rights but you may have to get a prospective employer to ask the FAP to confirm that.

12 hours ago, I visited Kaohsiung’s MOI office, entitled “Ru Tsu Jing Guan Li Bu” (something like entry/exit affairs, or whatever). I went in and there weren’t really a lot of people there, which is surprising for a Monday. Anyway I found the person that helped me before and she was just finished helping someone else.

I asked the big questions. “What if I were to leave Taiwan before I actually get my ID card?” With a Taiwan-area residence card (and being a Taiwan national), you can leave and come back, but you’ll have to wait another 12 months to get your ID card. The moral of this story is: leaving Taiwan resets your clock. Avoid this if possible. The second option is to leave anytime you want and then after 2 years: prove that you’ve been in Taiwan at least 270 days/year. She told me: “The best thing you can do is simply not leave this year.”

The other question was: “What was this ‘permission’ to leave form that I was given last time?” The answer: Ooops. That’s for other people. Basically, given my passport, I can enter/leave as I choose, but the quickest option is to hang around for another 9 months and get my HR, ID card, etc.

I have discussed this with Satellite TV (outside of Forumosa) and everything jives. What he said and what the person today said are a perfect match. The system hasn’t changed since Satellite TV had his fiasco with leaving and then having to wait to get his ID card.

This is kind-of a bummer, though. I interviewed for a GREAT job in Taipei a few days ago and now I may have to give it up if they choose me because travel was to be one of the necessities of the job. This would eternally reset my clock and/or add a year to my ID card. Don’t wanna do it. The thing that really hacks me off is that the job is/was so great.

coolingtower

I wanted to leave bu then I checked the rules in the back of the book that I had.

So I stayed the 12 months, did another medical and then got my ID Card and Hukou… then I took a vacation.

All in all… it’s done and over with and was worth it.

do you use a Taiwan passport when you enter Taiwan? I got mine without giving my other passport up. and they reffered to me as a dual citizen …or national? (which is which)

Or giving the passport up is in the stage where in you are about to acquire your citizenship?

Another point to consider:

Though it is not clearly written in all of the guidelines, your ARC number needs to remain consistent though al the renewals.

In other words, if you have had an ARC for X (5, 7?) years, each time you renew it, it must have the exact same number.

I know an American woman who has been here over a decade, has excellent ‘guanxi’ and her own business. She was denied citizenship because her ARC number was changed one time during the renewal process.

To answer some questions:

LIM: I have recently acquired an ROC passport. The fine print (so fine that it’s not even written) is that once you get nationality you have to wait a year before you get Household Registry. Satellite TV was right about this. If you leave. you’ll have to wait an extra year before getting an ID card. I have not left Taiwan. I just got a passport because it’s cool to have that. They told me “the best thing to do is just not leave Taiwan this year.” If I were to leave, I could wait another year OR within two years prove that I’d been in Taiwan over 270 days/year.

rooftop: I can’t believe someone would be denied citizenship because of an ARC number problem. Perhaps changing numbers meant that she had left for too long of a time. If she really wants citizenship, maybe she could somehow prove she’d been in Taiwan XXX days per year or something. My first ARC number was D0000524. Then, they changed it to DC00005243. That was supposed to make it more convenient for foreigners to reserve train tickets, etc. but it didn’t work. Now my one-year card begins with “DA”. You know that “D” means Tainan City, right? In May, I’ll finally get Household Registry and my “real” ID card. At that point, I’ll have to worry about military service. My lower left leg is steel and I’ll most likely get off with 2 weeks of paperwork or directing traffic in front of a school or whatever. Can you imagine a huge white guy wearing a uniform in the middle of the road?

My ROC passport says something like “permit the national of the Republic of China named herein…” Blah blah blah. Ok, so I’m a national, but I am still waitiing for my HR. I have to do a health exam too, but that’s easy. All I have to do is go to Tainan City Municipal Hospital–you could pass a health exam there if you were DEAD!!!

coolingtower

[quote=“rooftop”]Another point to consider:

Though it is not clearly written in all of the guidelines, your ARC number needs to remain consistent though al the renewals.

In other words, if you have had an ARC for X (5, 7?) years, each time you renew it, it must have the exact same number.[/quote]
There is no such rule under Taiwan law. Anyone who says otherwise is promulgating incorrect information.

[quote=“rooftop”]Another point to consider:
Though it is not clearly written in all of the guidelines, your ARC number needs to remain consistent though al the renewals.
In other words, if you have had an ARC for X (5, 7?) years, each time you renew it, it must have the exact same number. I know an American woman who has been here over a decade, has excellent ‘guanxi’ and her own business. She was denied citizenship because her ARC number was changed one time during the renewal process.[/quote]

As Hartzell says, this is simply not true. I had 3 different numbers thru the 7 year itch period.

What’s Guanxi got to do with citizenship? Everybody here has guanxi…

Perhaps she didn’t denounce USA and therefor didn’t get citizenship, thats not the same thing as being rejected.

Whoa!

Sorry guys. That’s exactly what she told me.

I made the guanxi remark because she’s in with a few legislators.

If I posted incorrect information, I apologize. I thought it was helpful to know because this lady was hopping mad that despite meeting all the qualifications, her ARC number not being consistent was enough to ruin it for her.

No, I didn’t know the “D” meant Tainan. Guess that makes sense though since mine starts with a “D” as well.

I’d do it after I am too old to serve in the army.

I wonder if New Zealand gives back citizenship after you give it up.

Hey, wait, I am diabetic, does that rule me out of military service OR do I have to serve in some other way?

ID CARD PREFIXES:
I’m sure that “A” is Taipei and “C” is at least Chia-Yi City, “D” is Tainan and “E” is Kaohsiung. Then, “Q” is Chia-Yi Hsien, “R” is Tainan Hsien, and “S” is Kaohsiung Hsien. I said “at least”, because it might include other areas–not 100% sure about that.

MILITARY:
About a year ago, I was told that there were 3 types of military service:
-Regular military: 20 months.
-Optional (Tee Dai Yi): 32 months.
-Two weeks of Tee Dai Yi.
If you are found to be “healthy”, you can choose between regular and Tee Dai Yi. It’s longer, but it’s easier. If you don’t pass something on the military health exam, you’ll get the 2 weeks. If you want to know what kind of military service would be required of you, you’ll have to know a military doctor. The exact stipulations at any given time are not totally made available to the public. A few days ago a guy told me that his brother has steel in his leg and he got off with just the 2 weeks. He told me that’s “a new rule”, but you never know if that might have just been a temporary thing. One paradox about this whole thing is that you can’t take the actual military exam until you have your ID card. However, most people want to have a straight answer about the military before pursuing citizenship.

If you have a graduate degree, you might be able to get a job in your related field. Ask your neighborhood Bing Yi Ke (military service office) about this.

Military service seems to be getting shorter as time goes on, and easier to get the 2 week option. If you really hurry your citizenship process (from day one until actually getting your ID card), you might be able to do it in a year and a half. By then, it’s likely to be even easier to avoid regular military. It’s still a gamble, though, so consider it carefully. I’m pretty confident I’ll get the 2 weeks. (Now watch–knowing my luck, a war will break out the day after I get my ID card and I’ll end up in the military–steel leg and all!!! I’m mostly kidding about that, right?)

coolingtower

rooftop,

I hate to hear that your friend was denied citizenship based on her change of ARC number. I have to agree with Mr. Hartzell in this situation. The number should be irrelevant. Meeting the requirements for citizenship needs to show that you’ve:
1 lived in Taiwan for over 5 years
2 had legal work in Taiwan for over 5 years
3 (blah, blah, blah…_)

These details should be available from your local Household Registry Office. You need to come up with SEVEN forms of documents before you can apply for citizenship–all no longer than 60 days old. However, if your friend has moved or changed jobs, this number could be logarithmic and very difficult to attain.

This boils down to your friend’s Chinese-speaking ability and location. I imagine that the first time someone experiences this request, they will say “no way”. This is because they simply don’t know how to do it. I am the very first Tainan resident to get citizenship and the very first to cancel my US citizenship in the Kaohsiung AIT office. I practically had to smack them in the face and say “this is what I really want to do.”

If you friend is serious about getting citizenship, I may be able to help out because I am familiar with the system. If your friend is “stomping mad” because of being denied, I would like to help–because I love Taiwan and would like to help anyone. I will be in Taipei in the next few months and willl be convenient for questioning, should this need arise.

If your friend has needs outside of Tainan or Taipei, maybe I could personally address that need if you send me a private message. We could talk and resolve this.

Hope to help out:

coolingtower

Thanks Cooling Tower,

She’s a former co-worker of mine.

I’ll give her a call and let her know of your offer. That’s really nice of you.

[quote=“rooftop”]Thanks Cooling Tower,

She’s a former co-worker of mine.

I’ll give her a call and let her know of your offer. That’s really nice of you.[/quote]

You can also tell her to call me as well… As Cooling Tower and I have both gone thru the system with various issues then she can’t get some useful advice from us.

PS to get rejected she must first have applied and have her apllication fee receipt and letters from the government.

What does the medical exam entail? Is it the usual AIDS/drugs/worms/TB- or does it look for pre-existing conditions?

Also, I’d heard talk of instituting a test of Chinese language competence, in response to all the SE Asian spouses- or is that just a trial balloon?

[quote=“MikeN”]What does the medical exam entail? Is it the usual AIDS/drugs/worms/TB- or does it look for pre-existing conditions?

Also, I’d heard talk of instituting a test of Chinese language competence, in response to all the SE Asian spouses- or is that just a trial balloon?[/quote]

A basic level of Mandarin and/or Minnan would be a good idea, I think.

That should be “clinical trial balloon.”

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer … s=10869628

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer … s=10661828

[quote=“MikeN”]What does the medical exam entail? Is it the usual AIDS/drugs/worms/TB- or does it look for pre-existing conditions?

Also, I’d heard talk of instituting a test of Chinese language competence, in response to all the SE Asian spouses- or is that just a trial balloon?[/quote]

Yes to the first part… all the turd tests, blood tests, eyes tests and some other stuff…

I wasnt required to take a Chinese test…

Where is the legislation on what age you have to be to avoid botty camp. Sorry, I mean booty camp. Sorry, I mean…

Go to the Bing Yi Ke… the local military office and tell them you want to become an ROC citizen and they will give you a book on military enlistment rules.