No, I am white from Scandinavia.
Anyway, I cannot speak for other banks but SC had no problem issuing me a credit card. In general, I havent noticed any big issue with getting either credit cards or mortgage her, other than the language barrier and the general hassle.
I found it is easier to get credit cards through banks used by your employer for salary payment . Also some banks will just give you a debit card without any hassle.
The first cc I had was cosigned by the chairman of my company but later I left the company and can’t remember it’s status. Huanan…they suck, consistently refuse to raise it’s limit beyond 50k TWD for about 15 years and don’t even ask me for financial records!
My main biz cc is through my current employers bank, first bank, no co signer , pretty good credit limit and service. They also gave me a debit card.
I have a debit card from Taishin.
I find it highly unlikely that taiwanese banks access us credit ratings, so your us credit rating is irrelevant.
If you defaulted, or were often late, on taiwanese bills you could have a low credit rating here although your us credit rating is high.
And I can speak, read and write Chinese.
Well then, it must be a conspiracy against only me or I must just simply be a total fucking asshole if all of you can get credit cards and debit cards so easily.
I actually keep a list of places, dates and services denied to me due to the reason being given that I’m a FOREIGNER. I’m integrating every instance into the book I’ve been writing about the Taiwan experience.
Not every bank will refuse but many or possibly most will. I think it helps if you are currently employed in Taiwan . @dan2006 is the guy to ask about credit cards!
Totally agree that this is bullshit but it’s like banging your head against a brick wall. There are some kind of digital overseas banks that will issue credit cards now I believe which may negate some of the need for local cards, bit of course you don’t get special discounts then.
Perhaps they notice your desperation and thats a red flag right there 
Just play it cool, like you dont want it or need it, and good things will happen.
Dude. Nothing is in my name here. It’s all in my wife’s name. We’ve never been late for any payments for anything. Ever. I’ve never violated the law, never cheated taxes, I don’t drink, I’m not a scumbag cigarette smoker and I don’t use drugs and I’ve never gone over the speed limit in my car. In fact, I absolutely positively use my turn signal indicator every single time I turn or even make a lane change!
This is definitely part of the problem, you don’t have an individual financial record here.
Being a scumbag or bad driver has nothing to do with accessing credit in general 
. Banks are mostly impersonal institutions they don’t care about that stuff.
But…but that’s not the reason I’m given. They say it’s because I’m a FOREIGNER. End of story. They don’t offer to have me fill out an application, they don’t do a local credit check, nothing.
Fair enough. Some banks and bank branches will refuse all foreigners , you need to try other banks.
Now you if you went up with your bank book, your arm cards, accounts info , this and that, they at least have to give you time to go through the process.
So, perhaps they just take the easy route and say its a foreigner thing instead of arguing with you about your driving ?
The way they state it right out from the start ‘because you are a foreigner’ is discrimination , but legally speaking they may be able to say this without repercussion unfortunately .
But, I don’t really want a credit card or debit card. I didn’t even want to open a bank account in Taiwan again. But, I did and I casually asked for a visa card to go with my huge initial opening deposit. Denied. Then, she had filled out the part for the debit card and ATM card and when she went to the boss to get it approved, he made her do the application all over again because I can’t even have a debit card because it had the Visa logo on it. That’s what really got me hot. My money…I can only use an ATM card, not a debit card to access MY MONEY, not credit…because I’m a FOREIGNER. Seriously. This just happened recently.
There could be some arcane justification to block the debit card application , that shouldn’t have happened.
By the way my CC is only valid until my arc expiry date , so has to be extended every three years, simple process but I must go there personally and present the documentation . Why it is linked to my arc expiry…I don’t know the justification .
At any rate. I start to hype out when other foreigners come on here and express how simple it is to get a debit card or a credit card when that hasn’t been the case for me EVER. I should video my experience and post it on YouTube…every single time it’s explained because I’m a foreigner. Seriously. It’s ridiculous.
Where’s Icon? Auntie Peng…you around? She knows what I’m talking about.
Very few people say it is easy to get a cc or debit card, I guess they omit they have co-signers for the cards.
I think has more to do with that most foreigners here are fairly low paid.
If you are sent over by say Costco from the us to overseas xyz with a expat package, all this is taken care of for you …
There are very few on those packages. You do~t need to be one of those to get a cc or debit card. You need to go to different banks .
Agree, there are. But if you are on one of those this is not and issue, so this is more a blue collar issue, just as it would be in the west as well if you came as migrant worker
But…but…The Bear started this whole thing. He’s the one who is responsible for my rant. It’s all his fault. Check out his blanket statement. The Bear is a button pusher…trigger, trigger. He made a blanket statement…“Any major bank…”
This has never, EVER been my experience. Like EVER.