Let's get to the bottom of this: Can NWOHRs ever be drafted?

Hello forumosa,

I would like to have something clarified if I may: If you have no household registration, CAN YOU BE DRAFTED? I’ve researched, but I still have not come up with a concrete, definitive answer. The TECOs have given me conflicting information and from the sounds of it, they aren’t too sure themselves. This is very straightforward for males born in Taiwan who emigrated at an early age, or for people whose parents registered them before they turned 20 or for holders of a proper ROC passport with overseas endorsement. But for people born overseas without ever having held household registration? There is also a lot of conflicting information on this website, user gnaiji seems to support the idea that no HHR = no conscription, but a lot of members here advise NWOHR non-ID wielding thread posters not to overstay the 4-month or 183-day rule (whichever applies) if they apply for an overseas ROC passport and enter Taiwan with it, otherwise they will be drafted, even if they have no household registration.

If no HHR = no conscription, then the 4-month rule/183-day rule is NOT relevant, UNTIL you physically go and apply for HR, stay the required amount of time (1 year without interruption/183 days in 2 years, etc), go collect your ID card, become a formally registered citizen and establish HR. Which brings me to my next question (this is probably sounding a lot like gnaiji’s post from a couple years back).

Is HHR conferred automatically? If I entered Taiwan on my overseas, ID number-free ROC passport, stayed 90 days, left, came back for 90 days, left (etc, etc), didn’t apply for a TARC, I’d still be a NWOHR, and hence, I will never be drafted… because I haven’t physically gone and established HR. So you can, in theory, stay as long as you want, you can visit as often as you want, just don’t go and establish HR. And even if you have applied for HR, if you don’t stay the required amount of time and don’t establish it, you won’t be drafted.

Basically my question is: if you have an ROC passport WITHOUT an ID number on it, you will NEVER be drafted, under ANY circumstance. Period. No matter how long you stay, even with a TARC, as conscription only applies if you have established HR. Does anyone know of any overseas born Taiwanese who didn’t have an ID number on their passport and had no HR, but was drafted for staying too long? NWOHRs can’t vote, have no right of abode, no health insurance, they don’t even have visa-free access to Taiwan bloody hell, but they need to serve in the armed forces? That can’t be right. I’m posting this out of pure curiosity, I will probably never work or live in Taiwan, and I’m also a pacifist, so military conscription doesn’t really work out for me. If Taiwan had a system like Norway’s where you conscripts can opt to join search and rescue (SAR), the fire services, earthquake/flood response, paramedics, etc, then I would LOVE to do it. Anyway, I apologise for the long post, if anyone can shed some light, would be great. Cheers!