We all need more money. The OP is near retirement age and when you get there, you will realize that the money is nice but staying busy keeps you alive.
Thanks for your comments all. Yes, I was thinking about working in my retirement as an English teacher: I also have a law degree, although I hope Taiwan never has the flood of lawyers America does.
I would be happy volunteering part-time at the National Palace Museum too.
Thanks for your comments all. Yes, I was thinking about working in my retirement as an English teacher: I also have a law degree, although I hope Taiwan never has the flood of lawyers America does.
I would be happy volunteering part-time at the National Palace Museum too.
Funny thing! I was just told I was overqualified to teach English in Taiwan! I guess itās the 24 years practicing law!
I think they meant āyouāre too much hassleā, because you havenāt got any teaching qualifications, or certainly no experience, if youāve been lawyering for decades? 
As an English teacher in Taiwan, I consider myself semi retired and loving it. Even working only 24 hours each week gives me more income than most office hacks and it is plenty enough to live on.
Now if I could just convince my girlfriendā¦
Thatās not true! Every hearing or oral argument before a court is a kind of lecture!
I couldnāt think of a worse place on earth to retire to although Im sure parts of India or Africa might be equally shit ! This is a great place to come to when your in your 20s if you want to go out on the piss and work on the local females but THIS IS NO PLACE to retire. :loco: :loco: You might want to consider Thailand with its superior beaches and lots of Western comforts like proper food stuffs in the supermarket.Good luck!
That is entirely a matter of perspective. Taiwan ranks #1 on my list of places to retire. I plan to leave in the next few years but will undoubtedly be back. Rural areas of Tainan, Hualien, Taichung, or Taoyuan top the list of places Iād want to buy and old farm house and raise a pack of å°é».
Can anyone shed any light on pensions åé here? Iāve worked here for the majority of my adult life and my HR department is saying I should be eligible for a pension. I honestly wasnāt aware of this and I would like to ask more about it.
Malaysia a much better place to retire. Much cheaper airfares to nearby countries. Lower COL. Speak English. Multicultural (this is important). Good medical and cheap. Once you stay in a decent condo in Penang you will quickly realize you canāt have that lifestyle anywhere else.
Thereās a discussion here:
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Have you gone back to your HR to explain things?
Get them to work for the money that your company pays them. 
And always take the 1-time payout. Donāt take the layaway.
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Wow, such a huge topic. Iām not sure where to start, or even what to ask!! So, a little background first.
Iām Caucasian (U.S. citizen), my wife is Taiwanese (dual citizenship). We met in Taiwan back in the late 80ās when I was teaching English; weāve been in the U.S. since 1990. Now, we are thinking about moving back to Taiwan as an early retirement (55 for me). Retiring at that age in the U.S. would be a huge financial stretch for us, but between the NHI in Taiwan and a lower cost of living (we are able to live with family), we THINK we might be able to swing it in Taiwan. Thatās what Iām trying to figure out.
I would like to do some work while in Taiwan, and I suspect the only thing available to me would be teaching English again (and my Mandarin is terrible and Taiwanese non-existent). But I need to evaluate the feasibility of this venture as if neither my wife nor I are working.
We are visiting Taiwan for 3 weeks in November when we plan to really evaluate this idea, but Iām hoping to get some info and insights before we go ā thatās a lot to digest in 3 weeks, and we hope to still do some visiting and vacationing while there (I havenāt been back in 15 yrs). So, any input would be greatly welcome.
I know A LOT has changed since we left in 1990. Iām definitely not the same person, and from what I can tell from afar, neither is Taiwan. Not to dwell on the āwarā stories, but it was difficult for me when I was there in the 80ās and I can only imagine how different it would be now. Our town is a smallish rural place in the hills outside of Taichung. Back then there was no English-language T.V. to speak of, no personal computers, no internet/email/skype/etc. (of course; it was practically the stone age!!), international phone calls were incredibly expensive, English newspapers were few and scarce, and I was the only non-native for many, many miles. And then there was the overwhelming pollution and the generalized street-level chaos, both of which I understand have improved greatly.
But, I digress 
So, a couple of specific financial questions (Iām focused on the financials because if we canāt get that to work, the whole plan is deadā¦ā¦and I keep working for another [xx] years) :
Regarding the NHI for spouses of Taiwan citizens (and assume Iām unemployed).
- How much does it cost?
- Will the insurance cover me while out of the country (say, on trips back to the U.S.)?
- If so, how long can I be out of the country before the insurance lapses?
Regarding work:
- Heck, Iām an old man now, and keeping in mind that we will be living in a relatively rural area (Dongshi ę±å¢å), what are the prospects of finding ANY work?
Other financial considerations
- Are there other taxes, fees, or other cost of living expenses that I should take into account?
Thanks much for any input you have.
I know it would be cheaper and closer to family but why do you have to live in a rural area?
Depending on your professional skillset you might be able to find online work that would pay decently (but not great).
[quote=āEricSactoā]
Regarding the NHI for spouses of Taiwan citizens (and assume Iām unemployed).
- How much does it cost?
- Will the insurance cover me while out of the country (say, on trips back to the U.S.)?
- If so, how long can I be out of the country before the insurance lapses?
Regarding work:
- Heck, Iām an old man now, and keeping in mind that we will be living in a relatively rural area (Dongshi ę±å¢å), what are the prospects of finding ANY work?
- Are there other taxes, fees, or other cost of living expenses that I should take into account?
Thanks much for any input you have.[/quote]
My wife and I are dual citizens (Taiwan, and US). We lived in US for close to 30 years and now plan to come back home and retire.
You and your wife, as a US citizen, are required to carry health insurance other wise you will need to pay a fine, unless you plan to stay out of US for at least 330 days. We carry health insurance in both countries since we plan to go back and force. Our elder relatives are in Taiwan, but children are in US. Comparing to US cost, Taiwan NHI premium is very cheap.
NHI payments are based on income so yours should be low, probably around NT1000 a month or less. But note that NHI does not cover a lot of cancer treatments and other diseases of aging so you will need a supplemental insurance to cover these plus better care within hospitals (such as private rooms, etc).
NHI does cover you when abroad. Edit, it appears to be limited.
Lastly, dude, you are 55, not an old man by a long shot. Youāre seven years older than me and I am just starting with my lifeās work.
Oh yeah and get the Lonely Planet Taiwan to get up to speed on how things have changed. Even your wife wonāt know 90% of the places that are now worth visiting and also the changes to society.
Dongshi can be a very beautiful place. Daxueshan Forest is just up the road, a spectacular area for birding and spotting wildlife. Great bike ride up too. In fact lots of excellent bike riding in that area.
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Iām sure youāve already found this link below, but just in case here is a link to the English version. I think you would need to also use your wifeās resources (family, Mandarin ability) to get more detailed information about who is eligible for insurance and who is not. I would not take my information below or anyoneās on this forum as āgoldā
http://www.nhi.gov.tw/Resource/webdata/25549_1_NHI%20Handbook%20English.pdf
In terms of being NHI ācoveredā when overseas, as I know there are ālimitsā. An emergency room visit might be capped at 3200NT. Most USA emergency room visits are at least 500USD and sometimes over 2000USD even if you are only there for 1hr and need to tests. A doctor visit is capped around NT1500-2000NT. An actual hospital night stay is capped at around NT 7300. (but please do your own confirmation as these figures may have changed and Iām not sure if there are exceptions, ect)
Obviously the NHI will reimburse you for a small amount overseas, but if you get into a serious accident and need expensive medical care, the NHI will not cover you beyond a very minimum amount of money, but again have your wife do some actual research in Chinese to confirm all of this. Any overseas travel you should get travel insurance. Or perhaps once you are here you can find a āprivateā supplemental insurance plan that includes overseas travel benefits if you travel a lot.
Living outside of taiwan for 6 months will make you lose the NHI coverage. Also do your research on the medical costs for major illnesses and potential hospital stays. NHI does not 100% cover it all. Co-payments vary.
One issue that you may not have considered is the Social Security benefits of the US. Can you still access those once you hit 67yo from Taiwan?
iām sure you can get your social security delivered outside the usa.
acs.ait.org.tw/social-security.html
though you appear to need and hsbc account to do so.
Dongshi town aināt great but the surroundings are pretty spectacular, with some of the best views Iāve seen in Taiwan. It also had some great bike riding like MM said.
You could pick up at least part time work teaching English to adults, and maybe other work too if you desire.
Dongshi is quite close to Taichung city and the road network is very good now, you could also consider living in Taichung city, and if you have a car you can get around easily. Rents in Taichung area are pretty cheap. You donāt have to be glued to one house.
Taichung city is coming along nicely in many areas, there is a big gulf between the city and the satellite towns.