Hi, this was posted in the Feedback Forum
Is it really illegal to volunteer – or what kinds of volunteering are not legal.
I would like to post a disclaimer of some kind for the Volunteer Forum. Can you help me draft something appropriate 
Cheers
No kinds of volunteering are illegal as there is no visa that would accomodate this kind of beahviour, except for maybe missionary. That is not say that all volunteers will prosecuted. I think the police use this vagary of the law at their convenience to get rid of anyone they do not like.
My understanding is that foreigners are not allowed to work without a permit, regardless of whether they are getting paid or not (unless it is under emergency circumstances, such as when the quake workers came). Doing volunteer work is work. Sure the police are more likely to deport some guitar-playing dude than an expat housewife at the community services center whose husband employs hundreds of locals. The Fred Frontier search party? Would they arrest people for playing a scavenger hunt? I doubt it.
Was Richie Walker arrested for his CD years ago, even though his work permit was probably with ICRT? Nope. Was that creepy foreign piano player deported for playing without a permit at the Hyatt’s lobby? Yup. English teaching hippies bad, rich cleancut middle-aged expats good, in their tiny, make that microscopic, minds.
Thank you for the replies.
How should we re-word the introduction to the Volunteer Opportunities forum?
How does this sound for a start? [quote]The laws of the ROC nominally discourage volunteering by foreign nationals because it is considered “work” (so foreigners would need a “work” permit). Despite this law, there are foreigners who do volunteer their time in Taiwan. This forum is for them[/quote]
This may seem overly “nit picking”, but . . . . . Perhaps there needs to be an additional mention of that fact that —
Since Taiwan has “minimum wage laws”, and the application for a work permit does need to conform to those laws, so THEREFORE it will be, by definition, impossible for a FOREIGNER to get a work permit to undertake volunteer services . . . . . .
By that token, it should be o.k. to engage in non-salaried occupation or activities when & if these conditions are fulfilled, i.e. on top of or in addition to an exisiting job that is covered by a work-permit. ? Tha t’s a question, sorry. 
Xpet.
employment services act. art. 73
evta.gov.tw/english/lawevta. … wevta1.htm
“un-permitted”…not having a permit.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but if people would like to assist others in need (a.k.a. volunteer) I would imagine that it would be beneficial to both society and to the volunteer. Especially considering that I continually read of various organizations here in Taiwan that have a lack of funding or staff. I didn’t realize that it is illegal to help others as a part of an organization without a permit. :fume: :fume:
Sorry, bu hao yi si, I forgot that I wasn’t a “part” of society. This makes me mad. :fume:
As I said in my post about volunteering for the Youth Hostel Association, I have been volunteering for them for 10 years so far. I could have been deported for it, but instead I got to shake hands with A-Bian - twice, and he gave me a necktie each time. I’ve done other kinds of voluntary work, too, and never had any trouble.
It’s a grey area.
Just send potential volunteers over to the Human Rights forum to take a look at the threads about Scott Ezell.
Put a big warning on the Volunteer forum, because I can guarantee it is not going to occur to anyone that volunteering is illegal. Even when you tell them, they still say, “But it’s good for society.” I agree, but logic and reason are not going to sway the police when they come to arrest you.
My suggestion for the warning: It is illegal for foreigners to do volunteer work in Taiwan without a work permit. This forum is for those who are legally entitled to do volunteer work in Taiwan.
I was told once by someone who understands the law quite good that indeed for volunteer work in Taiwan one must have a work permit. All of those emergency people who came over for the 9-21 earthquake relief supposedly were supposed to have a work permit, but none of them did. To my understand it is agaist Taiwan law for a foreigner to do volunteer activies without a work permit.
That is a very good example of how absurd the current situation is.
I am assuming that BABABA posted his concerns after the situation with Scott and the Fred Frontier Concert.
Do Scott’s problems relate directly to his participation in the concert, or has this just been used as an excuse by those wanting him out of the country. I am assuming that Scott is one of the foreigners from Taidong that an overzealous policeman is trying to run out of town. Has it been stated by anyone in authority that his deportation order is a result of his ‘volunteering’ or is that just something that has sprung up on the rumor mill?
I worked for more than a year as a volunteer for a government organization here in Taipei, and this was all documented. It doesn’t seem to me that the problem is with foreigners volunteering per se, but more with a certain individual being dogged by a another person.
White collars who come here for contract signings and other important business dealings who stay less than 14 days don’t need a work permit.
Flicka, your info is different than what I know, is there a reference you can provide?