Just finished my speed run to get everything done- maybe I’m the first person to post online about the experience. TLDR: I was able to do it in 3 business days. Here is a recap of what happened, along with documents needed (YMMV):
Sunday:
- Arrived at Taoyuan airport and presented the NWOHR passports and entry/exit permits (settlement certificate copy + TARC approval) for both me and my kid.
- NWOHR passports were not stamped, entry/exit permits were stamped.
Monday:
- Went to the NIA office in the morning and gave them the 2 entry/exit permits.
- They did not ask to see the NWOHR passports.
- They did ask to see and make a copy our non-Taiwan passports.
- Though I brought my kid for the TARC, they did not need to see my kid.
- Told me to come back Tuesday 3-4pm to get the settlement certificate, and Thursday 3-4pm to get the TARC
Tuesday:
-
Went to the NIA office at 3pm sharp.
– Took only 1 minute to get the “original” of the settlement certificate
– It looks mostly the same, with some minor changes -
Went to the household registration office right after
– They asked for 1 picture, the settlement certificate, my parents’ Taiwan ID cards, and proof of address (which my relative provided- sorry, I don’t have further details on what the document was)
– Got my Taiwan ID card
– Asked about registering my marriage (done outside of Taiwan), but the person working said that my TECO-authenticated marriage certificate wasn’t good enough, and said something about needing to prove that we were still married within the past X months.
– Was running out of time before 5pm, so decided not to pursue the issue. -
Went to the passport office at 4:45pm
– Submitted the passport application, 2 photos, NWOHR passport, new ID card, and paid for the expedited fee
– Was told to arrive Wednesday 4pm to pick it up (24 hour turnaround time).
Wednesday:
- Picked up the passport without issue
Thursday:
- Picked up my kid’s TARC without issue
Friday:
- Had extra time, so I went to another HHR office (Taipei’s DaAn district) to ask about registering my foreign marriage
- There was a VERY helpful lady there who spoke perfect English and had a friendly attitude
- I got married several years ago, and they mentioned something about needing to register a marriage within 30 days of marriage, or else there’s a fine
- Since I just obtained household registration, they let me fill out a doc to get a waiver on the fine
- I gave them my TECO authenticated marriage certificate, along with a form declaring my wife’s Chinese name, and my wife’s passport
- Marriage certificate was not returned back to me, but luckily it was a certified copy so I don’t need it back
- They were able to add the marriage to my household registration details, and made a new ID card for me with my wife’s name on the back of my ID card
Saturday:
- No issues when leaving the airport with my new Taiwan passport, and my kid’s NWOHR passport + TARC combo.
Next steps for me:
- Open a bank account and phone line
- Get a driver’s license
- Get my wife an ARC (or gold card)
- Get my nanny permission to work in Taiwan somehow (any tips here would be HIGHLY appreciated)
- Move to Taiwan
If you have any specific questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.