Hello everyone,
I’m thinking about teaching English and want to know about the health check. What do they check? I Googled this, but different people say different things. Also, do I just need to do the health check once (when I first come to Taiwan and get my ARC)? Or do I need to do the health check every year when I renew my ARC and/or change jobs? I am healthy and will easily pass the health check, I just really hate going to hospitals unless it is absolutely necessary.
As far as I know, no. In fact, I dont recall doing a health check at all, only did it for licenses for scooter/car. I have not been back to do one. Am perm resident with health insurance, but not national, private.
If you are going to be teaching here and your school will be arranging for an ARC, then yes. You’ll have to get a health check every year. It’s very easy and can take less than an hour.
For an ordinary ARC, you need to undergo a health check each time you renew it. For an APRC, no.
Health checks in Taiwan are quick and cheap. This is Taiwan, not the US.
Basic stuff like if you have any major communicable diseases. A lot of people are needing measles boosters these days
Only for teachers. AFAIK, other professionals don’t need to have a health check to obtain an ARC.
Is there compensation for lost wages , payable by parents, (if a teacher gets sick from a child) who send their children to school knowing they are sick ? 
If you’re a licensed teacher then you’re considered a professional so no need for a health check.
Can confirm this, never had a health check for my ARC (Accounting/Finance field)
Nope. That’s why I wash my hands after each class and clean the desk with alcohol before. I also go around and spray all the bacteria and virus infested angels before class starts. It has made a huge difference. I rarely get sick and just once in a while the sniffles. Also, I get on their case when they pick their noses, sneeze, cough, or want to touch me. I’ve made it part of the lesson.
If you have any immunization documentation, then bring them along. You won’t get tested or charged for anything you already have been immunized for.
What a fun lesson!
I even made up some songs about Hong Kong Feet in Chinese and English. Big hits!
“Professionals” never have to undergo a health check, but English teachers without a teaching license must do a health check every year to renew their ARC? What is the rationale!?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a teaching license, so I will be subject to annual health checks. Actually, I would prefer to get a “professional” job, but I don’t know how easy it is to get a “professional” job in Taiwan. I have a degree in Finance and I’ve been teaching myself Python, SQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript the last nine months, so a job in finance or tech would be ideal. After spending four years in China teaching English and a year teaching online, I’m in the US looking for a “normal” job, but am not having any luck. Either the algorithms or the folks in the HR department don’t like all the English teaching on my résumé because, despite the low unemployment rate, I get very few responses from companies.
I only had to do one health check before I returned to Taiwan in 2019. When I got my second contract for my current employer last year, I didn’t require a health check, plus I didn’t even leave Taiwan anyway.