For some reason a quick search didn’t come up with a detailed list of the requirements to establish a 獨立戶, but according to the Taipei City HRO, the document requirements for establishing a 獨立戶 are the same whether you are moving your HHR or establishing HHR for the first time. Here is the official list from the MOI Department of HHR for 單獨立戶 (at least if moving HHR):
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Not sure if it is a one time payment but I figure this might be a last resort.
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First of all, it’s definitely a one time payment of NT$12k (a year of rent). I know a friend who rented an address. I’ll check with him on the price.
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Would the friend have to own the property?
So if the friend were renting, I would still need the landlords permission to notarize the rent agreement and provide property tax bill which in this case still difficult I assume?
Correct, unless like @user86 says, you can join the 戶 of your friend without being related. I know that in the HHR records, everyone is listed in relation (稱謂) in relation to the 戶長. It was my understanding that there are only limited options in that field like 妻子、丈夫、兒子, etc. But maybe 朋友 is an option? You’d have to research if that is allowed.
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I spent some time digging through the 591 戶籍 offering… as you had mentioned they are around $12,000NTD for the total process.
Besides 入戶籍 for NWOHRs, I am curious, why do these services exist? From my broken mandarin, I think the listing said they provide a mailing address but wouldn’t a Taiwanese citizen just use a PO Box?
Also, if I were going through a friend who is renting from a landlord, would it just be easier to negotiate a payment with him or her?
Wow, you are correct, according to the 戶籍法施行細則 article 4, section 1:
共同生活戶內之人口，其排列次序如下：
一、戶長。
二、戶長之配偶。
三、戶長之直系尊親屬。
四、戶長之直系卑親屬。
五、戶長之旁系親屬。
六、其他家屬。
七、寄居人。
So, your friend could list you as a 寄居人 as long as they are 戶長. I believe only the 戶長 can add people to the 戶
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Would I need the 戶長 or landlord’s permission or both (in case that they are not the same? like if the 戶長rents from a landlord)
I am asking because I thought the landlord needs to notarize the lease agreement but it looks like i need to be 寄居人 on the HHR (戶口名簿), which belongs to the 戶長, so I need both of their permissions.
No, you only need the 戶長’s permission if you join an existing 戶. Here is the MOI Department of HHR’s page on the issue:
https://www.ris.gov.tw/documents/html/2/3/4/702.html
「1. 當事人為成年人，由本人攜帶下列證件辦理：
⋯⋯
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初設戶籍於他人戶內：
- 內政部移民署核發之定居證、印章（或簽名）。
- 現住地戶口名簿。
- 最近2年內拍攝符合規格相片1張或數位相片。」
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No. Your friend would have HHR somewhere regardless, whether it be their own rented apartment where they are the 戶長 (in which case they have the authority to add you), or their parent’s home (in which case they can just ask their parents to add you).
The only scenario where this won’t work is if your friend has HHR where they are renting but is NOT the 戶長.
Most Taiwanese I know just (illegally) keep their HHR at their parents home even if they have moved out.
戶口 has nothing to do with property ownership.
So, as an example, if a friend is say renting in Taipei, but their HHR is in Taichung (maybe their dad is the 戶長), I would need to go to the Taichung HHR with her dad since he is 戶長.
And like you mentioned, if a friend is 戶長, I can directly add onto their address by visiting their HHRO with them, while they need to provide property tax bill, proof of paying utilities I assume?
No need. Any HHR office in Taiwan has the authority to perform any HHR-related requests for anyone across Taiwan. You may just visit any HHR office near you.
Right, but they won’t need to provide anything. If they are the 戶長, that means they’ve already provided the necessary proof of address in the past.
They just need to bring their ID and name chop. The HHR office will look them up and know they are the 戶長.
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Yup. A 戶 (household) is not the same as a 家庭 (family).
An apartment may contain multiple households, and each household may contain multiple families. How you define your relationships with other members of your household and apartment is up to you, and the government can’t do that for you.
That’s really convenient. In this example, would I go to the HHRO closest to me (example, Taipei), and would the dad of the friend need to go to the Taichung HHRO (if he is based there)? Or would we need to be in the same HHRO for him to add me onto his 户口名簿?
I just wanted to see if what would be some of the hurdles I may come across when asking a friend if I can “入戶籍” and be prepared for them.
Oh you would definitely need to visit the same office together since everything needs to be done at the same time. The alternative is for them to lend you their name chop and ID, and you just go by yourself. Maybe they can mail them to your friend, and you can go with your friend?
Probably easier to just find someone else whose parents are local in your city, or just bite the bullet and take the 45-minute train ride down to Taichung to meet up with the parent.
Up to NT$1,500/mo. (ie, a one time payment of NT$18k) is reasonable. Apparently the keyword to search for is 寄戶口
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You’d also need to borrow (and return) the 戶口名簿, which generally the 戶長 keeps.
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That can be printed at the HHR office though.
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So would the 戶長need to bring the 戶口名簿 if HHRO have printing capabilities? If they do, I can imagine they can print it out, and 戶長 will be ok without it.
By the way, is there an official copy of the 戶口名簿 or any copy will do?
There is an official copy. Once the HHR office prints a new copy for you, the old one that your friend’s parents may have in their possession will immediately become obsolete. They will need to request another reprint at their HHR office (once you are done with your copy) if they’d like to keep an active copy in their possession.
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