English Translation
Being a “Taiwanese” Is So Difficult (Part 2): The Lady of the Lake Asks If You Dropped an ID Card, a Residence Permit, or a Permanent Residence Permit?
March 20, 2025
Society • Erya Hsue
What We Want You to Know
In Taiwan, people who hold residence permits or permanent residence permits do not have household registration. Without household registration, residents face numerous frustrating issues in daily life, from applying for official documents to opening bank accounts and getting mobile phone numbers. So, isn’t improving the rights of permanent residents enough to replace naturalization?
“In Taiwan, those with permanent residency are essentially second-class citizens unless they are willing to give up their original nationality and apply for naturalization.” A few months ago, independent journalist Clarissa Wei, who holds dual Taiwan-U.S. citizenship, published a blog post discussing the many inconveniences foreigners in Taiwan face, which caught my attention.
Around the same time, the Crossroads Taiwan Global Connection Development Association launched a petition on the public policy online participation platform. Their appeal was to relax the requirements for naturalization, allowing foreigners with permanent residence permits to apply for naturalization after five years of residence in Taiwan without renouncing their original nationality.
However, in Taiwan, which adheres to the principle of “single nationality as the rule, dual nationality as the exception,” foreigners find it difficult to apply for naturalization. The vast majority must renounce their original nationality before obtaining Taiwanese citizenship.
The Lady of the Lake: Did You Drop an ID Card, a Residence Permit, or a Permanent Residence Permit?
Taiwan’s administrative and legal system has inherited much from Japan. Unlike many English-speaking countries, Taiwan’s household registration system is not the same as nationality, yet it plays a crucial role in the lives of residents. While this comprehensive system offers administrative benefits, those without household registration face numerous challenges.
Among the interviewees in this article, many expressed that life in Taiwan is very inconvenient without an ID card. But before explaining these difficulties, we first need to understand the difference between a residence permit and an ID card.
First of all, only those who have Republic of China nationality and a registered permanent residence in Taiwan can apply for an ID card. Only those with an ID card are official citizens of the Republic of China and enjoy full citizenship rights (such as voting and participating in politics). Non-registered citizens (NWOHR, such as children of Taiwanese born overseas) can still obtain passports, but cannot vote and must first apply for citizenship in Taiwan before they can obtain an ID card.
Next, the Residence Permit (ARC) is applicable to foreigners, Hong Kong and Macao residents, mainlanders, etc., allowing them to legally reside in Taiwan for a long time, but they cannot enjoy full citizen rights such as voting. In many situations where Taiwanese people are required to fill in their “ID number,” they use their “residence permit number” instead.
In the category of residence permits, residents who meet certain conditions can apply for “permanent residence” (APRC) after living in Taiwan for a certain period of time (usually five years). There is no longer a limit on the length of residence, and they do not need to go to the Immigration Bureau regularly to renew their residence permits. They can also work freely in Taiwan.
What About the Plum Blossom Card and the Employment Gold Card?
These are special residence categories introduced by the government to attract foreign talent.
The Plum Blossom Card is a type of permanent residence permit issued to foreigners who have made special contributions or investments in Taiwan. Holders can retain their original nationality and apply for naturalization after five years. However, the application process is extremely strict, requiring recommendations from government agencies or approval from a special committee. According to the Central News Agency, from 2009 to the end of 2023, only 281 people obtained Taiwanese nationality through the Plum Blossom Card.
The Employment Gold Card, on the other hand, is a residence permit led by Taiwan’s National Development Council for foreign professionals in fields such as technology, finance, education, culture, and sports. Unlike standard work-based residence permits, applicants do not need to be employed by a Taiwanese company beforehand. Holders can apply for permanent residency after three years but must still renounce their original nationality to naturalize.
Why Naturalization? Isn’t Permanent Residency Enough?
In Taiwan, people with residence permits or permanent residence permits do not have household registration.
Michael Fahey, an American lawyer who has lived in Taiwan for over 30 years, points out that Taiwan’s household registration system forms the foundation of administrative services. Without household registration, residents face many obstacles despite recent government improvements, such as the inclusion of residence permit numbers in some systems. However, issues persist in private sector services.
For example, children born in Taiwan to two foreign parents do not automatically receive Taiwanese nationality or household registration. When opening a bank account, Taiwanese citizens can use a household registration document to prove parent-child relationships, but foreign families must use alternative documents like birth certificates, which many officials are unfamiliar with.
Fahey adds that community activities often restrict participation to registered residents. Public swimming pools and senior citizen discount cards in some areas are limited to those with household registration. While education is accessible, lack of household registration can affect school competitions and tuition fee subsidies.
Additionally, foreign residents do not qualify for employment insurance (unless married to a Taiwanese national), national pensions, public housing, rent subsidies, or government-managed rental housing programs.
An Irish resident, Tomas, highlighted additional issues, such as difficulties obtaining disability certification when aging or ill, higher banking loan requirements compared to locals, being taxed at 18% on income for the first six months of each year, and not being able to receive unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Tomas concluded: “If you’re only staying in Taiwan temporarily, then APRC might be enough. But if you’re here for life, it absolutely isn’t.”
Can Improving Permanent Residency Replace Naturalization?
To be fair, some policies have improved thanks to advocacy efforts.
In 2023, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare clarified that some foreigners with APRC can apply for disability certification. However, this applies only to nationals of countries that offer reciprocal benefits (e.g., the U.S., Japan, Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, and Singapore). Others must go through complex verification processes.
Whether a foreigner needs a guarantor to open a phone account depends on the telecom provider. Chunghwa Telecom requires a Taiwanese guarantor, while FarEasTone and Taiwan Mobile do not.
The 18% tax rate applies only to foreigners residing in Taiwan for less than 183 days in a tax year. Those staying longer pay the same income tax rates as locals.
However, foreigners remain the “exceptions” in policy design.
Michael Fahey stated: “Every time the government introduces a new policy, they often forget those without household registration—whether it’s rental subsidies, senior discounts on high-speed rail, or electric vehicle subsidies.”
More serious cases include two foreign senior citizens who died alone in March 2025. Because they lacked household registration, they weren’t on Taiwan’s social welfare lists.
In contrast, countries like Germany require foreign residents to register their residence, allowing the government to provide services without imposing nationality-based barriers.
Professor Yang Congrong from National Taiwan Normal University commented: “Taiwan’s policies are open in principle, but lack detailed implementation. What we need is to reduce bureaucratic obstacles for immigrants.”
