I have an ARC for more than a year but I have been told by the few banks that I approached that I need to be a Taiwan citizen in order to be able to apply a checking account.
So far China Trust, Hua Nan and E-Sun have all said “NO” to me citing Central Bank regulations.
Does anyone of you have any success with applying for a checking account based on your ARC ?
[quote=“mezziahmac”]I have an ARC for more than a year but I have been told by the few banks that I approached that I need to be a Taiwan citizen in order to be able to apply a checking account.
So far China Trust, Hua Nan and E-Sun have all said “NO” to me citing Central Bank regulations.
Does anyone of you have any success with applying for a checking account based on your ARC ?[/quote]
Everyone I know has a checking account.
I JUST opened up another one (thats 2 now)
To get it, they had to verify that I actually had a job where I said I did. They asked for a “name card” (not my arc…) didn’t know wtf they meant (maybe a contract wulda sufficed? but I didnt bring it).
So they called my employer…15 mins later I had a new checking account.
This was Far East Bank btw.
Now, if you are talking about credit cards, well, thats a different story (but foreigners can get them)
I don’t personally know anyone, citizen or foreigner, with a checking account. Only passbook account, which ANYONE can get.
Do people still use cheques?
In 'merica, yes (I had to send one to the IRS this year).
In the 'wan though, 
.
Never heard of ANYONE with a checking account (is this like having a chequebook?). People who need to issue a cheque generally get them one at a time from the bank as required.
To answer your question: yes.
[quote=“Confuzius”][quote=“mezziahmac”]I have an ARC for more than a year but I have been told by the few banks that I approached that I need to be a Taiwan citizen in order to be able to apply a checking account.
So far China Trust, Hua Nan and E-Sun have all said “NO” to me citing Central Bank regulations.
Does anyone of you have any success with applying for a checking account based on your ARC ?[/quote]
Everyone I know has a checking account.
I JUST opened up another one (thats 2 now)
To get it, they had to verify that I actually had a job where I said I did. They asked for a “name card” (not my arc…) didn’t know wtf they meant (maybe a contract wulda sufficed? but I didnt bring it).
So they called my employer…15 mins later I had a new checking account.
This was Far East Bank btw.
Now, if you are talking about credit cards, well, thats a different story (but foreigners can get them)[/quote]
I called up Far East after reading your post. The answer is a FAT NO ! Are you on some spouse-sponsored ARC which offers more permanency ?
mezziahmac,
As the others have pointed out, it’s not usual for individuals, whether foreign or local, to have checking accounts in Taiwan. And I can’t think of any really good reason for an individual to have one in Taiwan.
With a regular savings account and a standard ATM debit card issued with the account, it is easy to make payments via account transfer from a bank or ATM or at the point of purchase with the debit card. And if you occasionally need to pay for something specifically by check, just go to the bank and buy a bank check (cashier’s check) payable by the bank.
[quote=“mezziahmac”][quote=“Confuzius”][quote=“mezziahmac”]I have an ARC for more than a year but I have been told by the few banks that I approached that I need to be a Taiwan citizen in order to be able to apply a checking account.
So far China Trust, Hua Nan and E-Sun have all said “NO” to me citing Central Bank regulations.
Does anyone of you have any success with applying for a checking account based on your ARC ?[/quote]
Everyone I know has a checking account.
I JUST opened up another one (thats 2 now)
To get it, they had to verify that I actually had a job where I said I did. They asked for a “name card” (not my arc…) didn’t know wtf they meant (maybe a contract wulda sufficed? but I didnt bring it).
So they called my employer…15 mins later I had a new checking account.
This was Far East Bank btw.
Now, if you are talking about credit cards, well, thats a different story (but foreigners can get them)[/quote]
I called up Far East after reading your post. The answer is a FAT NO ! Are you on some spouse-sponsored ARC which offers more permanency ?[/quote]
Naw, old lady’s a honky-cuban-jew from van nuys
reading the posts maybe i misunderstood you. i assumed a checking account was, well like a checking account (as opposed to a savigns account) didnt know you actually wanted to WRITE checks (im not 80, sorry, lol)
so perhaps i totally misunderstood since the last time i think i wrote a check was when dial-up internet was a new fangled thing
[quote=“Confuzius”]
so perhaps i totally misunderstood since the last time I think i wrote a check was when dial-up internet was a new fangled thing[/quote]
They’ve developed an alternative to dial-up internet? 
Where can one find such a thing?