Don’t ever enter Taiwan on your Taiwan passport, and you won’t have to serve.
If you enter on your Taiwan passport, and update the registry with the police department. You have only a 4 month window in Taiwan, before the cops come around and draft you.
Happened to a friend that lived for 20+ years in the States and was dumb enough to enter ROC on his ROC passport because he was too lazy to apply for the entry visa on his USA passport. Summer vacation ended and we didn’t see the guy for 2 years.
But what are the conditions for not having to serve at all, period?
I have a Taiwanese friend who is legally blind in one eye, one eye only, and he didn’t have to do any service at all, that includes working at the tax department or anywhere.
What about me? I am diabetic, would I still have to do some kind of service? Or would I be better to wait until I am past conscription age?
After a little more research it seems to be a pointless question. It seems that New Zealand will only let you give up citizenship once you have already obtained citizenship of another country.
So, Taiwan’s policies just rained on my parade.
Sorry to correct you Hartzelll but a passport is not by itself proof of citizenship.
Many passports are issued for people to travel on that have no citizenship status, such as the many Chinese people living in Brunei… or refugees that have moved to Australia. They have Australian travel documents ( passports ) tha do not list any citizenship… these people may in fact be stateless but hold valid resident visa’s for Australia.
Whilst most people are citizens of countries whose passports that they travel on it is not always the case.
Some people travel on false passports… so to make a broad claim that a passport is proof of one’s citizenship may not be true. I still held my Australian passport which had not been cancelled after I renounced Australian citizenship. If I had used it to travel on the countries I entered would assume I was an Australian citizen. But if I was detained or had an accident they may well discover I wan’t. Who knows, you may not even be an American citizen… just cause it says so in your passport doesnt mean it also hasnt been revoked…
The lord giveth, and the lord taketh away
The short answer to the actual question of “what do I need to do to avoid military conscription” is to leave the country every 4 months if you entered Taiwan using your ROC passport. If you entered Taiwan with your other passport, like say the US, then you can stay for up to 6 months, extending and informing the appropriate offices (e.g. immigration and police). This assumes you have a multiple re-entry visa. You can’t extend 30-day landing visas. As have been written and posted in these forums, 60-day “tourist”/“fun” visas requirements and issuance is becoming more problematic - depends on which country you’re apply from. They look to see if you’re coming in under a work or for residency category status. I obtained a 5 year multiple re-entry 60-day visa in June 2004 from the SF TECO office. I’ve been told by people who’ve seen it that this is almost impossible to get nowadays. 
YMMV depending on office/country and the good graces of your TECO office clerk at time of application :s
NOTE: military conscription requirements goes until you are of the age of 41. Meaning, if you are 40 and 364 days old, you’re still eligible for service. There are exceptions to this such as health. There may be others that I’ve heard of anecdotally, but haven’t confirmed so could be urban legends.
Regarding the leave once every 4 months rule for dual citizens, it also gives an allowance: you can stay over 4 months (but under 12 months) up to 3 times until when your concription requirement ends (see next).
In addition, the conscription requirement ends on Dec 31 of the year that you turn 40.
[quote=“Anonymous”]in response to wondering: yes (I think).
at this point, I have a taiwan ID number but no ID card. I am not sure but I think the policy is that if you do not have the card, you are not officially a citizen (correct me if I am wrong).
i applied for my ROC passport in Canada.[/quote]
If you have an ID Card number then you are an ROC Citizen… the fact that you havent been re-issued with a new ID card doesnt change your nationality.
Expect to be drafted anytime soon…
Conscription rules will change for 2008 as reported by TVBS/Yahoo TW
[quote]游內閣今天總辭，不過行政院臨時院會在總辭前，通過了一項重大的「兵役制度改革方案」，預計在3年後，義務役役期將縮減為1年。
依據行政院通過的兵役制度改革方案，台灣的兵員總額到2008年時，將會從目前的38萬人減少成28萬人，而且募兵跟徵兵的比例，調整為6比4。這也將使得役男的服役年限，從今年7月1日起，兵役由現行的1年10個月，縮短為1年6個月，3年後減少到1年。除役年齡，也從現行40歲，提前到35歲。[/quote]
[quote=“Yellow Cartman”]游內閣臨去新政：2008兵役減為1年
Conscription rules will change for 2008 as reported by TVBS/Yahoo TW
[quote]游內閣今天總辭，不過行政院臨時院會在總辭前，通過了一項重大的「兵役制度改革方案」，預計在3年後，義務役役期將縮減為1年。
依據行政院通過的兵役制度改革方案，台灣的兵員總額到2008年時，將會從目前的38萬人減少成28萬人，而且募兵跟徵兵的比例，調整為6比4。這也將使得役男的服役年限，從今年7月1日起，兵役由現行的1年10個月，縮短為1年6個月，3年後減少到1年。除役年齡，也從現行40歲，提前到35歲。[/quote][/quote]
Yeah but it’s only 2005 now. The final rules will probablt be published in 2008.
If you are not planning on staying for over 4 months, then it will be fine to enter with your Taiwanese passport. And if you are, be sure to leave the country every 4 months. Exceptions are if you are coming back for studies then the rule doesn’t apply and you won’t be forced into military.
It doesn’t matter if you have an ID card or not, if your name is on the Household Registry in Taiwan, then they will know when you enter Taiwan.
Are you coming back for holiday or work?
I thought they changed the rule for those born after 1975 (or something like that). For those people, the time is cumulative - you will get into trouble staying over 183 days per year. Leaving every 4 months will not work.
This is a serious matter so be sure you know the exact law - your life can be ruined if you are not careful.
[quote=“madeintaiwan”]I thought they changed the rule for those born after 1975 (or something like that). For those people, the time is cumulative - you will get into trouble staying over 183 days per year. Leaving every 4 months will not work.
This is a serious matter so be sure you know the exact law - your life can be ruined if you are not careful.[/quote]
No I don’t think it’s cumulative, a lot of my friends are working in Taiwan and what they have to do is leave Taiwan every 4 months for a week or so. If they can do that and still not do time in the military, I dun think it’s cumulative.
[quote=“Sweetie”][quote=“madeintaiwan”]I thought they changed the rule for those born after 1975 (or something like that). For those people, the time is cumulative - you will get into trouble staying over 183 days per year. Leaving every 4 months will not work.
This is a serious matter so be sure you know the exact law - your life can be ruined if you are not careful.[/quote]
No I don’t think it’s cumulative, a lot of my friends are working in Taiwan and what they have to do is leave Taiwan every 4 months for a week or so. If they can do that and still not do time in the military, I dun think it’s cumulative.[/quote]
It’s a total of 4 months in one calander year. I hope you friends can add up.
From immigration.gov.tw/aspcode/L … NodeID=142
第 三 條
原有戶籍國民具僑民身分之役齡男子，自返回國內之翌日起，屆滿一年時，依法辦理徵兵處理。
無戶籍國民具僑民身分之役齡男子，自返回國內初設戶籍登記之翌日起，屆滿一年時，依法辦理徵兵處理。
第 四 條
前條第一項及第二項屆滿一年之計算，以有下列情形之一者為準：
一、連續居住滿一年。
二、中華民國七十三年次以前出生之役齡男子，以居住逾四個月達三次者為準。
三、中華民國七十四年次以後出生之役齡男子，以曾有二年，每年一月一日至十
二月三十一日期間累積居住逾一百八十三日為準。
歸國僑民之役齡男子返國就學者，在符合緩徵條件之期間，不列入前項居住時間計算。
So, #4-3 seems to say those who are born in or after 1985 (I was mistaken earlier when I said 1975) will get into trouble of they stay over 183 days (1/1-12/31) for any two years. I think this was not an issue until now because they are now old enough to be drafted.
Again, make sure before you go so your life does not get interrupted unexpectedly.
(Hope the Chinese characters post and show OK.)
Better yet, someone in another post posted the PDF link for the official translation: nca.gov.tw/ENGLISH/law/Consc … ese_07.pdf
What? I’m currently enrolled part time in graduate studies and freelancng the other.
I want to visit Taiwan on May 2006 for almost 4 months but my parents insist there will be problems; they say that I’m required to do service (I’m 23) unless the government receiives a note from my university that I’m studying fulltime. I wouldn’t mind doing service later on like at 26, but right now I’m working on things that will effect my career.
Yet here on Forumosa are posts that say I need only not stay longer for 4 months.
So Whats the truth? Whats going on?
(PS: I’m born from Taiwan and came to the United States at the age of 1. I used to visit regularly for months at a time. But at 16 to now, I havent returned to Taiwan for a total duration of longer than 2 weeks, and have not in the past 13 months.)
Why would you think that the people posting on forumosa.com would have detailed knowledge about such a technical legal issue?
You should contact the Parents Society of Overseas Students for more detailed information. There is an email contact address on this page –
psos.org.tw/
I had a friend who is diabetic, is there a chance that he would be exempted??
If you have diabetes, it appears that you do not have to serve national service.
If you have any medical condition, you can check at the body posture (Taiwan’s crappy way of saying your medical fitness to serve NS) at the following websites:
mab.mnd.gov.tw/Body_Posture_STD/ … re_STD.htm
mab.mnd.gov.tw/Body_Posture_STD/ … _APPD1.HTM
I have been lucky… I will be serving only 12 days of national service! Going to start June 19th. Wish me luck! 
What does this say? My Mandarin is not that good, but I think it says even if you are dual national, you will be seized and unable to leave until you complete the military service.
BTW, this is the new law.
更新日期:2010/05/26 11:14
（中央社記者劉坤原華盛頓25日專電）中華民國駐美代表處今天向僑界轉達僑務委員會一份宣導通知，呼籲具有雙重國籍的中華民國役男，返台時應注意相關兵役法規定，以免入境後遭限制出境。
僑委會通知指出，近來陸續有具雙重國籍的中華民國役男持外國護照入境，遭役政單位依法限制出境，直到履行兵役義務為止，衍生許多訴願或陳情案件。
通知說，中華民國目前仍實行徵兵制，凡具有中華民國國籍，且在台灣曾設有戶籍的男子，在年滿18歲的翌年1月1日起，至年滿36歲當年的12月31日止，依法都有服兵役的義務。
原來在台灣設有戶籍，目前具有雙重國籍的役男，無論戶籍是否遷出國外，應持中華民國護照入境。如持外國護照入境，役政單位仍會依法進行徵兵處理，限制其出境直到服完兵役為止。
至於具有僑民身份的役男，依「歸化我們國籍及歸國僑民服役辦法」的規定，返國居住屆滿1年時，即須服役。僑民役男如持外國護照入境，在台停留時間亦應納入併計。990525