NHI will work the same as it always has and there isn’t any difference in the way NHI operates between ARCs, TARCs and ID card holders
They cannot
Any Taiwanese citizen whose household is registered in Taiwan must enroll in the National Health Insurance program when their six-month residency has been established.
The way it works for everyone is.
Everyone must have either an ARC, TARC or ID card.
If you’re born in Taiwan, immediate registration.
If you become employed, must register .
If you have resided in Taiwan for 6 months, must register.
The way the 3rd points works is based on when your ARC/TARC/ID card was issued or when your returned to Taiwan after having stopped NHI for 2 or more years while living overseas.
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NIH is the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. You’re asking about the NHI, not NIH.
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The answer is no. Unless, of course, you’ve been away for more than two years and your NHI was cancelled.
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NHI, not NIH.
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The TARC is NOT being phased out!
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No change to NHI under the new law.
Thanks for the clarification. My abbreviations were all over the place, and I appreciate your patience. Now that it’s clear, I understand that the 6-month residency requirement isn’t necessary each time someone returns to Taiwan to activate the NHI program. As for the TARC, I heard it is going to be unnecessary for certain NWOHR holders.
Thanks for this. It seems like I would have to come back every 2 years. My question is, do I need to continue paying the NHI premiums during my time away? I saw the links: “If you reside abroad for more than two years without returning, your household registration will be automatically terminated, and you will no longer be eligible to participate in the National Health Insurance program. You will also be required to complete the necessary procedures to withdraw from the program. When you re-establish residency in Taiwan at a later date, you can apply for enrollment again.”
Why?
You can choose. If you’re leaving Taiwan for 6+ months you can withdraw from NHI. Less than 6 months you must continue paying.
If you withdraw then enter Taiwan within 6 months you will need to pay all missed premiums
Or you can choose to keep paying into it for up to 2 years while living outside Taiwa. If you would like to maintain NHI coverage while living overseas you would need to enter Taiwan at least once every 2 years
Could you help clarify the rationale behind maintaining NHI coverage while overseas? I’m curious about the scenarios where someone might choose to keep their NHI coverage even when residing outside of Taiwan. What considerations or benefits are typically associated with this choice?
That is probably an individual choice. I do not maintain NHI now that I’m not living in Taiwan because Australia’s equivalent public health system is good enough for me.
I think it is most suited to Americans where health insurance costs are ridiculous. Self funded NHI is only $1200NTD a month. It would make sense for people from or who live in countries that do not have a great health system.
If you don’t pay into the system, you cannot claim benefits from the system.
Wow, $1200NTD a month for self-funded NHI sounds remarkably reasonable, especially when considering the often high health insurance costs in certain countries, like the United States.
I’ve also heard that Taiwan’s NHI may even reimburse partially for medical bills incurred abroad, treating them as if you were in Taiwan. Not sure if it is still in place.
that’s correct. I’ve never done it. Probably not a benefit worth considering though as even out of pocket health costs in Taiwan are very low so any refund you got wouldn’t make much of a dent for most health bills incurred overseas
And you don’t even pay for all of that. You only pay like $800/month, and the government covers the other $400.
Of course, NHI coverage is only useful in Taiwan. If you’re overseas, the coverage will be severely limited. They will only cover emergency visits, and only up to a certain amount. Also, you will still need to pay the full amount first, and then return to Taiwan to be reimbursed.
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I’ve been considering applying for the Taiwan Alien Resident Certificate (TARC) from the US, and I’m a bit confused about the process. I’ve heard that it might be easier to apply for TARC from Taiwan, but there are certain documents like the FBI background check that need to be produced in the US.
Can anyone share their experiences or insights on applying for TARC from abroad? Did you apply from the US, and if so, how did you handle the required documents?
Additionally, I’ve heard about changes in the immigration process, with the Taiwan Area Resident Certificate possibly being phased out and the NWOHR holders having a direct route to obtaining HHR. Does anyone have updated information on this? I heard it was supposed to be implemented shortly, but I’m not sure about the current status.
Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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It would be helpful to try and keep everything in one thread.
I am in the process of applying for my TARC from TECO Melbourne Australia. Note I am a NWOHR by way of naturalisation.
Just a forewarning that TECO (and every department of the Taiwanese government) are not helpful. They will do their best to throw you out and act as if you did something wrong by making requests within their scope.
TECO kept trying to pressure me to apply for an entry permit rather than a TARC. Stand your ground. I sent complaints to BOCA and MOFA about TECO Melbourne because they asked me to provide proof of my parents ROC citizenship despite me being a naturalised citizen and also told me I could not apply for a TARC at TECO which I knew was not true. They seemingly got in big trouble for that because they have been very cautious not to provide me incorrect information since that complaint.
You will apply for the NWOHR passport and TARC at the same time if you don’t already have a passport. They need the NWOHR passport before they can submit the TARC application.
You need to provide all supporting documents to TECO including a health check if needed. The TARC application is then forwarded to NIA in Taiwan. I would strongly recommend you do your own research including reading Taiwan’s laws online around what supporting documents need to be provided. It is highly likely that TECO will give you incorrect information then blame you when things go wrong.
This is where I’m up to.
Here’s my understanding of the next steps in the process
When NIA approves the TARC application, TECO will give you a ‘carbon copy’ print out of your TARC which you can use to enter Taiwan. You need to enter Taiwan within 6 months of getting this paper.
When you get to Taiwan you exchange this for the TARC card. I’m not sure if the TARC card is just sitting there waiting for you or if you need to submit all the documents again and then they print the card. - I’d love it if someone knows!
It’s not really easier to apply within Taiwan, it just avoids having to deal with TECO
When you are in touch with TECO, this is the form they need to give you. If they try to force another one on you they are probably tricking you into applying for an entry permit
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Obviously, you get the FBI background check before moving to Taiwan, and apply for your TARC after moving to Taiwan.
If you’re still unsure about the logistics or the order in which you need to do each part of the process, this post might be helpful to you.
This was answered several times in many other threads. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Anyway, I’m not sure why you’re starting new threads essentially asking related questions (and repeating questions you’ve already asked before, which were already answered). Wouldn’t it be easier to keep everything related to your NWOHR/TARC application in one single thread?
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My apologies for any confusion or overlap in my questions. I appreciate your guidance, and I’ll make sure to consolidate my inquiries into a single thread for clarity. Thanks for your understanding!
Thank you for sharing your insights into the TARC application process, especially with TECO Melbourne Australia. It’s unfortunate to hear about the challenges you’ve faced. I’m curious about a couple of points:
- Why do you think TECO is pushing for an entry permit instead of a TARC? Are there specific advantages or considerations they are taking into account?
- You mentioned applying for the NWOHR passport and TARC simultaneously. Can you provide more details on the required supporting documents and any pitfalls to watch out for in this process?
Also I’m curious about the term ‘NWOHR by way of naturalization.’ Could you elaborate on what this means? I’ve heard that most NWOHR situations involve being the child of a Taiwan national, so I’m interested in understanding the distinction and implications of the naturalization aspect in your case.
Thanks again for sharing, and I hope your TARC application progresses smoothly from here on
I don’t know but I have 2 theories. One is that they didn’t know how to process a TARC application so just pretended they couldn’t. The other is that it is just easier for them to process an entry permit so they were being lazy.
No real pitfalls. My supporting documents were my naturalisation certificate, ARC from before I naturalised, and a copy of my Australian passport (which has since been cancelled) to show my English name. As well as proof of a Taiwanese address which in my case was my husband’s national ID card as he is a Taiwan citizen with household registration and I am listed on his household registration. I’m not sure what proof is acceptable if you were flying solo.
It’s the supporting documents that are different. There are several categories you can apply for a TARC under, naturalisation is one of them.
You would need to provide supporting documents of the category you fall under. Often this is harder when you’re born overseas to Taiwanese parents as they often change their names and you need to find documents proving your relationship and the change of names.
I should note that neither of my parents possess ROC nationality and I had told TECO that I was a naturalised citizen and they still requested proof of my parents ROC nationality which is what caused me to complain. It really pissed me off.
That’s going to be different for everybody depending on why you qualify for a TARC, and also on your individual situation.
Justintaiwan qualifies because they are a recently naturalized Taiwanese national which is obviously completely different from the reasons you qualify, so it isn’t going to help you to know what supporting documents they provided.
Remember, a TARC is just a form of ID card for many, many different types of ROC nationals living in Taiwan without HHR. All of those types of people are going to have different requirements for TARC application, and require different supporting documents.
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Hello all,
I’m in need of some serious advice regarding recent developments in Taiwan’s residency policies. Specifically, I’ve heard discussions about the Taiwan Alien Resident Certificate (TARC) possibly phasing out and NWOHR holders getting offered a faster track to obtaining Household Registration (HHR).
Now, my concern lies in understanding the implications for individuals without household registration (NWOHR) and how this might affect residency in Taiwan.
As I understand it, the HHR is linked to household registration, and with the TARC possibly going away, I’m uncertain about the new avenues for residing in Taiwan without being subject to conscription.
I’ve come across information about the Overseas Compatriot Identity Endorsement, but there seems to be a mention of “adults aged 18 or minors under 18 years old.” Can someone provide clarity on how this might impact males in the 18-36 age range trying to avoid conscription while seeking residency in Taiwan.
Any factual information or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all for your insights and assistance.