I’ve left and re-entered Taiwan 5 or 6 times since I was asked to update documents, no interuption in service or new requests from CHT.
The latest Gold Card newsletter also mentions this issue:
(Link goes here: https://ncclaw.ncc.gov.tw/EngLawContent.aspx?id=20101 )
Not really blaming them (I know their influence in the government is limited), but I feel the fact that the Gold Card office is limited to send out such a “Did you know” (like some fun fact) instead of actively trying to influence this policy shows how little power these institutions set up to help foreigners in Taiwan actually hold.
I think this really counts as a prime example of what foreigners complain about when they say that settling in Taiwan often proves difficult as a foreigner: Some random law/regulation specifically targeting foreigners - and no one in the government really advocating in their sense (or at least no one with the power to actually influence the policy decisions). Just some shrugs and some light-hearted information about it… And meanwhile the government keeps bragging about how open and welcoming Taiwan is and how they specifically pass laws to make life easier for foreigners in Taiwan.
As of April, about 114,000 SIM card applications from non-citizens had been rejected. Over 1 million existing numbers registered to foreign nationals were reviewed.
Notifications for user re-verification were sent to about 182,000 users. More than 140,000 numbers were suspended after users failed to complete the verification within the required timeframe.
I’ve always said they’re useless (not in the sense that the people there don’t care) but because they have no teeth and no proper advocacy team.
It feels more like a PR outfit than anything else… No lobbying, no pushback, no real representation in policymaking.
In response, the NCC plans to revise risk management guidelines to restrict frequent number-switchers, potentially limiting high-risk individuals to a single phone number or telecom service.
I guess we might soon find out if all foreigners automatically count as “high-risk individuals”…
And meanwhile:
The High Prosecutors Office revealed that scam groups commonly use unauthorized 2G mobile signal devices, functioning as fake base stations. These devices are typically installed in vehicles and used to send fraudulent messages.
Maybe it’s not the foreigners’ pre-paid SIMs that are the reason behind all those scams…
My wife told me that many factory/migrant workers would actually sign up to prepaid sims with different companies and sell them to gangsters offering good money for them.
Maybe they should implement the rule for factory/migrant workers only…? But many would call them discriminatory so it’s best to just fuck over all foreigners lol.
Of course, no Taiwanese citizen would ever do that. Only those dirty foreigners 
They’d do it upon leaving if they ended their contracts early etc and had time left on their ARCs.
Also it was foreigners only… However, I think a solution would be to exclude APRC holders from this.
Is there a time limit of five years total? I went home to take care of my mother but she shows no signs of pining for the fjords any time soon. I don’t know if I’ll be back once she does but I wanted to keep the option open.
Not really related to foreigner verification, but about Chunghwa… god, this service sucks. I swear I had better service 15 years ago in South Korea. Every day, I have multiple data drops for no reason. Or the data is just strangled to a crawl. My wife says there was some news about the disruption being caused by China cutting underwater cables, but I haven’t read that anywhere else so who knows how true it is. Is there really no other game in turn than Chokehwa?
I had the same thing. I dropped and moved to TW Mobile. Way better
We have some family plan, and my wife wants to stick with Chokehwa unfortunately.
FET is also ok in urban areas, but as soon as you get on the mountains… bye bye. Next year going back to TW Mobile.
Good. Only support APRC lovin companies. Down with passport checks!
Taiwan mobile isn’t that good either. Apparently they won’t offer unlimited data anymore? Or at least restricting it, probably with the goal of phasing it out one day.
$699 for unlimited while I’m still on a grandfathered $288 plan lol. Prices should be going down, not up.
I think now that the big 3 crushed the small competition, namely TStar and A+, they have no reason to offer cheap prices or unlimited which was only done to crush the completion which succeeded
they r stopping the 4G unlimited, will continue to offer the 5G unlimited plans.
I can never understand sticking with bad service.
Considering getting the cheapest TW plan and switching to something like My3 World plan which is 50 GB worldwide 5G roaming. TW roaming networks are TWM, Chunghwa and FarEast. Can tether and costs about 1000 TWD a month.
If you’re a foreigner can you have a prepaid plan with international roaming? Or would the service be disconnected when you travel?