Change of chinese name on ARC

Legal Visa & Residency
1

My first employer here got me an ARC, and someone picked a chinese name for me without bothering to speak to me about it. The name has since been transferred to my new ARC, and I was wondering if I was stuck with it.

Can I just go to the police station and ask for a change? Do I have to go through some special process? Or do I have to live and die with the name chosen for me?

Thanks

2

Same thing happened to me. Funny thing is, I had a different Chinese “name” formally registered under my wife’s household registration. (I chose to have the same Chinese surname as my wife, so that any future kids wouldn’t be stuck with a phonetic approximation of my Dutch surname.) I guess I’ll have to change the name on my ARC sooner or later. What pisses me off is that they did it without asking me.

3

Since when can you get a Chinese name put on your ARC? I was never given that option. I would definitely like to register an official Chinese moniker, because I have several things (like my gym membership) under my Chinese name, and if ever called upon to prove that I was the same person, I doubt I could scrape together enough documentary evidence to do it.

4

They don’t ask for any evidence, AFAIK. It’s a tiny rubber stamp they stick on your ARC, and then write in your Chinese name by hand (if it’s an amendment). In my case, as I’ve been using the same Chinese name for 20 years, it’s on the front in computer type. (Whooo-ee!)

I think you would just fill out one of those “multi-purpose application forms for foreigners”, take a number, and Bob’s yer shu-shu.

5

I was quite surprised to see my old Chinese name (like from when I first arrived!) on the front of my new ARC . . after I’d returned from picking it up in Ban Qiao :imp: As my household rego and then work permit thingy had another Chinese name (and only my Chinese name) I thought it best to race back and get it altered. Basically I had to show them my household registration and they wrote in the changes on the back and chopped it.

I imagine the same could be done as Ironlady suggests . . . . however . … . visa cops, hassle free … . . mmmmm.

HG

6

I changed my Chinese name on my ARC last month at the main Taipei police station. They didn’t ask for any proof or documentation, it was all very simple, didn’t even need to fill out any forms.