Wait what kinda crappy cards do you have? My NHI card has the photo printed on it.
The whole front plastic bit kind of flaked off. It still worked because the chip was ok.
Yeah mine is almost cracked in half right around the chip and taped up. The nurses don’t like putting it in the reader because they’re afraid it will never come out again. One day it probably won’t.
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I dont know about others but all my cards eventually flake off after about 6 months. ARC, NHI, the credit cards, loyalty cards. First a corner pops up, then it spreads until the top layer comes off. Every year I need to get replacements. I suspect it is the humidity
I suspect sweat. 
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You guys are just manhandling them. I still have a credit card from 2004 in mint condition.
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That’s my second NHI card that the front peeled off of by the way!
Is that what happened to my photo?! It’s been gone from my card for years - I thought it had just been scraped off over the years in my wallet. Now that I think about it, falling off does make more sense.
Hmm, my original NHI card lasted almost 8 years until I changed the ID no.
I think mine’s my original: if so, that’d make it about the same age as my university students. And I just checked - nope, it’s gradual erosion; there’s still a trace of a forehead in one corner, so I’ve slowly ghosted out rather than abruptly vanished.
Actually many are sitting in a bag… some are at home. They all just peel off after a while.
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I ask the banks to give me more card sleeves. It’s about the only thing they’ll give to a foreigner.
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Have you considered that there might be a more sinister explanation?
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When you get your new NHI card, let your doctor know. They need to move your file to the new ID.
Yes, every doctor you go to… better stay healthy. Medical emergencies are not ideal after getting a new ID number and NHI card! (Medical history is still there)
Smooth sailing 
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But the great minds in the government said that this format change was to ease the pain of foreigners. Were they joking? 
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I can let the AmCham off the hook for this one but…
Come on guys… Why are you still praising it?
Wrong.
Bloody tonedeaf
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So, yeah. I got my APRC.
Despite my concern and Audrey Tang relaying it to MOI, the ARC Numbers are still incremental.
Why is it not ideal?
In Nantou County there were 900+ ARC’s issued. I can generate a list of all ARC ID numbers which were issued to foreign residents since the new ID scheme started.
Luckily those are barely accepted anywhere, so those most likely won’t be used by scammers 
The things I already have done:
Driver’s license
Just go to the local Department of motor vehicles and bring two photos and 200TWD for each license you hold.
The expiry was set to the date of my 75th birthday.
NHI
You need to renew NHI card after employer makes changes to your labour insurance.
Stuff you need to do after you get the new format UI ARC | Translating Taiwan 台灣翻版
You or your employer should fill out the form here to ensure your labour insurance contributions are still registered to the same person, one copy should be sent to the Ministry of Labour (勞動部勞工保險局，臺北市中正區羅斯福路一段4號) and the other should be forwarded to the National Heath Insurance Bureau in your region (see form for addresses). Despite the claims that you don’t have to update your NHI card, I don’t really see how this is going to be possible, given that on the bottom of the form it says that your original NHI card will be cancelled when the new data is received, hence:
NHI card renewal (purportedly optional): This is relatively pain-free, simply go to the Post Office and ask to renew your NHI card, with your ARC and a photocopy of both sides, one photograph (most machines have a special setting for NHI card photos) and NT$200. You should receive your new card in 5 working days. And after you receive it, you can switch your NHI app card to the new one.
Banks
All banks took a bit of forms to fill out. Similar to any information update on your accounts.
I did Chunghwa Post Bank, Chang Hwa Bank, Land Bank, Mega International, Cathay United.
I was the first one to request this update in my local branches. They needed to call up HQ to get the right proceedings.
Cathay United told me to return a week later to get a new debit card. 
I don’t have any credit cards. Did not have time to deal with the guarantor and deposit bullshit.
Next on the list are apps for various things:
Digital receipts - here update 領獎設定
EasyWallet - waiting for support to reply
GoShare - Support told me that it does not need to be updated
WeMo - Send an email to service{at}wemoscooter[.]com and they will invalidate your old ID. Use the app to upload new ID
YouBike 2.0 - Just change your UI No. under Account in app or website
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Taiwanese humor!
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Can you make an estimate of how many hours it took to resolve everything. Also, did you need to book time off work to visit DMV and banks?
It feels like a tremendous amount of time and money wasted for every foreigner, and all for little to no benefit so far.
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Wow. I read your list and just checked my passport: whew, still a little over four years left, so by the time I have to get a new copy of my APRC hopefully this’ll be streamlined. Boy this all seems like a tremendous waste of time.
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