Anybody know which banks currently have available free safe deposit boxes for foreigners in Taipei and how much they cost about, please? Does not need to be big. English language would be a plus. Thanks!
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I know Bank of Taiwan in Tianmu has them.
Surely they would speak English there.
No idea the cost though, sorry.
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Not every branch has them, but you can find the list of locations on the bank websites, for example Cathay:
https://www.cathaybk.com.tw/cathaybk/personal/deposit-exchange/service/other/box/#tab-01
Search for 保管箱業務
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More references:
https://www.tbb.com.tw/safety-deposit-box-rental
https://www.bot.com.tw/English/BankServices/GeneralServices/Pages/sbox.aspx
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Thank you. Unfortunately, approximately two year waiting list😢
And the situation does not seem to be better at a few other Bank of Taiwan branches I contacted. Same for Cathay United Bank in all of Taipei. But thanks anyway
Thank you. Cathay United Bank unfortunately does not currently have any free safety deposit boxes for rent in Taipei at all. But thanks anyway
So I unfortunately conclude that while many banks theoretically provide safe deposit box services in Taipei, in practice there are no free safe deposit boxes available for rent and there are huge waiting lists for getting one.
Maybe a nice little business idea for somebody to start a new business with lots of unmet demand.
Maybe try Union Bank.
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Are boxes insured here?
If not, I got lots of empty real estate that could be transformed.
Exactly the same situation in India 
I would wager the smaller lesser known banks would have space since locals tend to only trust the big government sponsored banks to do business with.
Think things like Sunny Bank, Shinkong, Shanghai commerical, Panshin, JihSun, a credit cooperative etc.
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Didn’t expect that, sorry
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You can try Megabank in Tianmu (the branch on section 6 opposite Sogo). I asked about a year ago, but what put me off is that they tell you that you need to make sure all your papers are kept in some type of waterproof packaging just in case their vault floods. YMMV, but half the stuff I need in a safety box is made of paper, so I declined.
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Ziplock
AFAIK the main reason for having a safe deposit box is for long term security of valuables. I’ve known people who’ve kept them (not in Taiwan) and they rarely open them. For the sake of security, would it be better to try to get one out of town somewhere until one opens up closer by? If documents need to be accessed regularly a home safe would be more practical.
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I wouldn’t recommend a safe. It’s a target. You could however keep an empty one to waste their time
How much do these safety deposit boxes cost?
Depends on size, one that could fit 500 sheets of A4 height/widthwise and a little more depthwise we paid around 900/yr for 10yrs ago. We stopped using it when we realised we only visited it once a year to pay the fee.
Why were you saving those in the safety deposit box?
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We weren’t - it was just a useful frame of reference to give an idea of the size of the box we rented for that money,
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That’s a great price. Mind sharing location?