Chunghwa Telecom requiring foreigners to reverify their ID?

Life Technology
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So the mobile data on my Chunghwa Telecom prepaid SIM card I’ve had since 2016 suddenly stopped working last Friday, with the little exclamation mark on the signal bar and no internet access. I was on my way out at the time so figured it was a temporary signal issue and couldn’t do much about it, but I finally got around to dealing with it today and called them up.

Apparently I need to take my APRC and passport to a Chunghwa office to do a new KYC process, which the lady on the phone said had been requested by the National Immigration Agency as a new regulation “because you’re an immigrant not a Taiwanese citizen” (her words).

They’d apparently notified me of this by SMS at some point in the last 2 weeks, saying that I needed to do this before the 26th, but I was in the Philippines at the time so didn’t receive the message. So they just disabled my SIM with no further notification. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

This is despite the fact that I already registered my APRC with them a year or so ago as my primary ID, which the lady insisted didn’t matter and I need to do this new KYC process anyway.

Has this happened to anyone else?

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No. Not yet anyway.

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I looked into it a bit. It seems like it’s related to some new laws introduced last year:

Regulations for Telecommunications Enterprises Using Designated Databases to verify User Identity

Article 4:
Telecommunications enterprises shall process applications for telecommunications services as follows:
[…]
3. For non-ROC nationals: Verify the entry and exit status and the validity of the document using the designated database specified in Subparagraph 3, Paragraph 1 of the preceding article, based on the passport number and nationality code, or the Residence Permit number.

Article 5:
When processing applications for telecommunications services, telecommunications enterprises shall, in addition to verifying the subscriber information pursuant to the preceding article, further assess the subscriber’s risk level using the Integrated Anti-Fraud Risk Database with the following identification information:
[…]
3. For non-ROC nationals: Passport number or Residence Permit number.

Article 8:
After the implementation of the Act, telecommunications enterprises that provide prepaid card services to non-ROC nationals in accordance with Article 22 of the Act shall conduct monthly batch inquiries via the Immigration Database to confirm the subscriber’s entry and exit status and whether the subscriber has overstayed or exceeded the permitted residence period.

For prepaid card services provided to non-ROC nationals prior to the implementation of Article 22 of the Act, telecommunications enterprises shall notify subscribers to provide the identification information required for verification via the Immigration Database within two weeks. Once the subscriber provides the required information, telecommunications enterprises shall verify and register the information, and thereafter conduct regular inquiries in accordance with the preceding paragraph.

The notification procedure specified in the preceding paragraph shall be outlined in a notification plan, which telecommunications enterprises shall submit to the competent telecommunications authority for recordation within two months of the implementation of these Regulations. Any changes to the plan shall also be submitted for recordation. Telecommunications enterprises shall complete the notification process in accordance with the plan.

If, during the verification specified in Paragraphs 1 and 2, telecommunications enterprises discover that the subscriber has exited the country, overstayed, or exceeded the permitted residence period, they shall notify the subscriber to reverify and register their identification information in person at a store of the telecommunications enterprise within two weeks. Before the specified period expires, telecommunications enterprises may restrict certain functions of the telecommunications service. If the subscriber fails to complete the reverification and registration process within the specified period, telecommunications enterprises shall restrict or terminate the provision of telecommunications services in accordance with Article 22 of the Act.

Article 22 here seems to be referring to:

Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act

Article 22:

During the period providing prepaid card services to non-Taiwanese users, telecom businesses shall check whether such users leave the country or overstay by connecting to the database specified in paragraph 1 of Article 19.

If it is discover that users have left the country or overstayed based on the inquiries in accordance with the preceding paragraph, telecom businesses shall restrict or suspend their prepaid card services.
If non-Taiwanese users mentioned in the preceding paragraph re-enter during the valid period of prepaid card services, after applying for the verification and registration of users’ identity with telecom businesses, telecom businesses may continue to provide the initial telecom services.

I’m curious now if this happened because I left the country on vacation (the dates seem to match up, since I left on the 13th and it stopped working around the 27th or 28th). That could certainly get annoying if so…

…especially if the notification is done via SMS by a company that doesn’t allow foreigners to have roaming on prepaid SIM cards.

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Yes - ChungHwa Telecom number stopped working abroad. - #3 by SuperS54

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So every time a foreigner leaves Taiwan, their prepaid service will be suspended until they reactive it in a store…? Even though their ARC/APRC is still valid and they keep paying for it…? :thinking:

Taiwan, (mobile phone) waves of wonder… :roll_eyes:

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I’m hoping it doesn’t mean that too, yes…

Some tedious complaints to immigration and the NCC might be necessary if it does… this would be absurd.

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Oh, but those laws are necessary to prevent Taiwanese people getting scammed by phone numbers registered by us dirty foreigners :whistle:

As always, no one seemed to think about the necessity to distinguish between tourists and (permanent) residents…

Post-paid contracts for sure are getting much more attractive now… They don’t seem to be included in this, right?

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That’s how I’m reading it, though I don’t especially want to be forced into a 12/24-month contract that will cost more than the NT$200–300 per month I’m currently paying…

They could at least link it to leaving the country while not holding a valid ARC/APRC, or leaving the country for a prolonged period, or just deactivate it while the person is away and reactivate it automatically if/when they reenter.

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Surely they could have an online portal or option at the very least… So you could email them a photo of your ARC/APRC…

Or Taiwan could pretend to be technologically advanced and simply data match with NBI to ensure the APRC/ARC is still valid

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Yes. I got a text message from Chunghwa Telecom back in January asking me to go to a service centre to have my ID (ARC) verified. It happened because my original ARC expired in December 2024. The lady at the service centre said it was a new policy to prevent fraud.

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That sounds reasonable to me. But cancelling your phone service every time you leave Taiwan…? That’s a bit annoying and unnecessary.

Would be great if they could let you send them an updated photo of your ARC though.

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I’ve written to the NCC and NIA about this. Will update if/when I hear something back.

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Recently had to do this. To be fair both of the documents I used then have now expired.

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I don’t mind so much if the ID on file expires, but doing this every time I re-enter the country, as the regulations seem to be written, is going to get irritating fast!

They should really do something there that isn’t treating every resident foreigner as a tourist. Not sure how many foreigners living here have prepaid plans, but it’s worked pretty well for me so far and I don’t see much advantage to switching to postpaid (besides this silliness).

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And then what about APRC holders which are allowed to leave for up to 5 yrs. Sorry you left, phone cancelled.

As time goes on, many Taiwan policies have been regressive.

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Sounds similar to their CRS implementation a few years ago

Taiwan made it on a money laundering watchlist? Must be those foreigners. Let’s add CRS for foreigners only and make sure they write their nationality as their tax residency country.

Phone scams? Must be those foreigners at work again. Let’s cancel all their phone plans whenever they fly out, even if they are a permanent resident.

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Is this really the case though? I left Taiwan on March 16 and will return on 4/7. Hopefully my phone will continue to work… I’ll report back.

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Yeah, please do! It seems to only affect prepaid, but would be good to have an additional datapoint.

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CHT has 299/month post-paid.
You may even get a free flip-phone if you sign long term (2 years).

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I saw that one earlier actually, but tbh it’s still slightly more expensive than what I’m currently paying for less data and a long commitment I don’t particularly want. So it’s not very attractive.

I work from home, don’t play with my phone much while outside, and hate making phone calls, so I can usually make the 3.2 GB for NT$300 prepaid topup last for at least 4–6 weeks. And if I go abroad for a month or two I don’t need to pay for it.