New legislation- TARC still needed for NWOHR?

[remotercharm]

@Hayashi

Now, one interesting wrinkle that I haven’t seen specifically discussed is what needs to be done if the NWHR parent left Taiwan before marriage overseas and before having a child overseas, then passes away overseas. Then, the NWOHR child wants to apply for citizenship/HHR.

this is my situation, but i am going to try and see what happens. i already have the NWOHR passport.

[Hayashi]

@remotercharm

this is my situation, but i am going to try and see what happens. i already have the NWOHR passport.

Please keep us updated on how it goes! I think it can be done, but the question is how many hoops they will make you jump through.

Did you have any unusual problems getting the NWOHR passport?

[remotercharm]

@Hayashi

Please keep us updated on how it goes! I think it can be done, but the question is how many hoops they will make you jump through.

Did you have any unusual problems getting the NWOHR passport?

Have you tried messaging Tecro with your questions?

I didn’t have any problems with my NWOHR passport. Teco LA where I did it was very helpful. My relatives in Taiwan got her household registration for me for the passport. It looks like its the registration from her first few years of life before her parents died and she moved into a state orphanage until adulthood just outside Taipei. My only concern is trying to retrieve some “most recent” household registration if it exists but thankfully I have family that can help me. I’m hoping since it worked for the passport it will work for the citizenship process and I won’t need to prove anything else.

[ppp]

@remotercharm

I didn’t have any problems with my NWOHR passport. Teco LA where I did it was very helpful. My relatives in Taiwan got her household registration for me for the passport.

lucky you

[Oath]

@Oath

Along the same lines: I can’t find a definitive answer to another HHR question:

What exactly do I need to be added to someone’s HHR?

• 戶口名簿 or 戶籍謄本 (or either?)
• Do I need their chop?
• Do I need their National ID?
• Do I need them to be physically present?

Bumping this question. What exactly do I need once I go to the HHR office with my settlement certificate?

[hikkymemo]

I joined my mom’s household register with only her national ID.

[springonion]

@Oath

Along the same lines: I can’t find a definitive answer to another HHR question:

What exactly do I need to be added to someone’s HHR?

• 戶口名簿 or 戶籍謄本 (or either?)
• Do I need their chop?
• Do I need their National ID?
• Do I need them to be physically present?

I just recently moved house and joined my new landlord’s HHR…while I was there at the HHR, I asked the officer this same question. This was his reply:

1. If you’re joining the HHR of someone who is a direct relative of yours (直系親屬), e.g Parent’s, siblings etc, you’ll only need to bring their HHR booklet (戶口名簿) or ID card of the Head of the Household. No chop is required and they don’t need to be physically present.

2. If you’re joining the HHR of anyone else that you have no direct relation to, e.g, Friend, Landlord, then you’ll need to either bring a notarized copy of the Rental contract or House tax receipt (房屋稅單). No chop is required and the owner of the house don’t need to be physically present.

[Oath]

@springonion

@Oath

Along the same lines: I can’t find a definitive answer to another HHR question:

What exactly do I need to be added to someone’s HHR?

• 戶口名簿 or 戶籍謄本 (or either?)
• Do I need their chop?
• Do I need their National ID?
• Do I need them to be physically present?

I just recently moved house and joined my new landlord’s HHR…while I was there at the HHR, I asked the officer this same question. This was his reply:

1. If you’re joining the HHR of someone who is a direct relative of yours (直系親屬), e.g Parent’s, siblings etc, you’ll only need to bring their HHR booklet (戶口名簿) or ID card of the Head of the Household. No chop is required and they don’t need to be physically present.

2. If you’re joining the HHR of anyone else that you have no direct relation to, e.g, Friend, Landlord, then you’ll need to either bring a notarized copy of the Rental contract or House tax receipt (房屋稅單). No chop is required and the owner of the house don’t need to be physically present.

Interesting… so I’ve been begging my cousin for his 戶口名簿 and now I’ll need to beg him for his 房屋稅單 instead?

EDIT: I asked ChatGPT about the 房屋稅單 since I can’t get a clear answer from Googling. I don’t know how accurate it is - asking TECO now for clarification.

---

1. If You’re Joining the HHR of a Direct Relative (直系親屬):

• If the person is a direct relative (like parents, children, or siblings), you don’t need them to be present, and you don’t need a 房屋稅單 (house tax receipt) or a rental contract.
• You only need their 戶口名簿 (Household Registration Booklet) or their ID card.

2. If You’re Joining the HHR of a Collateral Relative (like your Uncle):

• Uncles and aunts are considered collateral relatives (旁系親屬), not direct relatives. This means the process can vary depending on the Household Registration Office’s interpretation of the rules.
• Some offices may treat uncles as close enough to allow you to join the HHR with just the 戶口名簿 and proof of relationship (like your father’s old 戶口名簿 showing the connection).
• However, other offices may require additional verification since it’s not a direct parent-child or sibling relationship. In these cases, the 房屋稅單 or a rental contract might be required to prove you have a legitimate claim to live there.

Why I Originally Mentioned Going with Your Uncle:

• In cases where the relationship is not as clear-cut (like with collateral relatives), it’s often easier if the head of the household (your uncle) goes with you to the office. This simplifies the verification process, as he can confirm your relationship and give immediate consent in person.
• If your uncle cannot go with you, the office may still accept just his 戶口名簿 and proof of relationship. However, policies can vary slightly between offices, so checking directly with the specific Household Registration Office is the best way to confirm.

Summary:

• For direct relatives: Only the 戶口名簿 or ID is needed; the relative doesn’t have to be present.
• For collateral relatives (like your uncle): The process may vary. The office might accept just the 戶口名簿 and proof of relationship, but bringing your uncle along can help, or you may be required to provide additional documentation like a 房屋稅單.

[Oath]

A question as I’m preparing for my trip to Taiwan:

If I already have a copy of the Residence Permit through TECO, do I still need to bring all the documents (FBI, health check) and my parents’ passports when I go to NIA to exchange?

[newhere]

You probably won’t need it for the residence permit exchange but others have mentioned some of those documents may be required in the other processes so best bring them along.

[Oath]

Hi all,

Currently in Taipei going through the process. Will leave notes to help future applicants as I’ve bumped into gotchas (mostly relevant to military age males) that haven’t been noted before in this thread, nor in any other resource I’ve read online.

1. At NIA, when you request the Certificate of Entry/Exit Records for your NWOHR passport, they base it off the previous day. I landed in TPE at 5AM Monday and went to NIA the same day so the Certificate showed no entry. So I had to request another Certificate of Entry/Exit when I went to pick up my Residence Certificate. Picked up the Residence Certificate at 8AM on Thursday - 3 business days (for the copy exchange)

2. I took my cousin’s 戶口名簿 to his HHR office to register under his household and get my 身分證. The worker not only asked for my relation to him, but also asked to see my father’s ancient 戶口名簿 from 40 years ago…good thing I brought it. Not sure why they needed it as his HHR has been moved out since the 80s. I assume it was so she could look up how I am related to my cousin? She also asked where my parents were married but didn’t ask to see their marriage certificate.

3. At OCAC, the worker brought over two other employees to check my Certificates of Entry/Exit and were combing thoroughly through my US passport and NWOHR passport. This reddit thread made it out to be seamless but its not - the employee told me they had to verify something (my Chinese vocabulary is limited so I didn’t understand what the issue was). I couldn’t pick up my Overseas Compatriot endorsement until the next day, contrary to that reddit thread saying it only takes 20 min.

4. I got a call same day from the conscription agency, again contrary to that reddit thread saying they’ll call you a few days later. I explained I was waiting for my OCAC letter and they said OK, bring your passport with the Overseas Compatriot stamp to the office ASAP.

5. At BOCA, I had to fill out another form after I gave them the letter from OCAC. The worker told me she had never seen the OCAC letter before which was concerning…

6. I got another call from the same person conscription agency after I dropped off my passport application - told them “hey I already told you I’m waiting for my passport from BOCA, I’ll bring it to you with the Overseas Compatriot stamp as soon as I get it…” so I’d recommend all military age males to pay for expedited passport processing to stop being hassled

I am currently waiting for my passport, will update if I run into any other gotchas. Note: this whole process in Taipei will require proficiency in Mandarin. Bring someone to help if you don’t have decent Mandarin or you’ll be stressed tf out.

[hikkymemo]

This reddit thread made it out to be seamless but its not - the employee told me they had to verify something (my Chinese vocabulary is limited so I didn’t understand what the issue was). I couldn’t pick up my Overseas Compatriot endorsement until the next day, contrary to that reddit thread saying it only takes 20 min.

I had the same experience, but the verification sounded like part of their normal procedure.

At BOCA, I had to fill out another form after I gave them the letter from OCAC. The worker told me she had never seen the OCAC letter before which was concerning…

The worker I talked to had no trouble understanding the OCAC letter.

[Hayashi]

@newhere

@Hayashi

My current idea is, next time I’m in Taipei, to try to ask the HHR office to give me a copy of the 除户誊本 of my deceased father, which I hope will show me whether or not the marriage and my birth were registered, which will then inform further steps. To get the 除户誊本, I will probably at least need translated and TECO-authenticated copies of my parents’ marriage certificate and my birth certificate to prove the ancestral relationship.

Good luck! Yes, it’s the 除戶戶籍謄本. For those who are not currently on the HHR (eg. moved out, passed away, lost nationality). I had to get that cos my mom renounced her Taiwanese nationality. If your parents’ marriage is registered, it should show up on the notes.

The time has come. I’m going to be in Taipei, on other business, and as a challenge, I’m working up the courage to try to go to an HHR office and to ask (in my almost non-existent Chinese language skills) for a copy of my deceased father’s 除戶戶籍謄本. I have his old Taiwanese passport. However, the only documents I have to prove our relationship are non-translated documents like my English-language birth certificate. That may be an insurmountable hurdle… we’ll see.

I plan to show my father’s Taiwanese passport at the counter as the first step, just so they can see that I do in fact have some relationship to Taiwan.

Is it correct that I can just basically walk into any HHR office listed below and start asking questions?

https://englishhr.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=F6267F83EF79EDB9&sms=7836C10815C94716&s=18691722EF4D991A

For what it’s worth, the ID number (which I think must be his shenfenzheng number) written in my deceased father’s passport starts with “A-”, which according to Wikipedia seems to mean the location of his first household registration, with “A-” corresponding to Taipei. So I would guess Taipei is a good place to start asking questions.

I assume at the HHR office that there will be signs in Chinese stating which department is where, which I can translate with my phone. I plan to look for departments handling either “01.Household Registration” or " 06.Issuance of household certificate" or “07.Household Registry and Citizen Review of Household Records” (reference: https://englishhr.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=E16655A703C93ACF&sms=1CA60959D46A86B8&s=2FE82FF243ED1AE5). Any idea which department/category would be most appropriate?

A couple of other questions come to mind:

1. Is there any chance the HHR office would demand to keep some of my documents (like my deceased father’s passport) and refuse to give them back?
2. Is there any chance that the HHR office would force me to immediately file some complicated registration paperwork like updating my father’s HHR with information about his overseas marriage (if not already registered), my overseas birth (if not already registered), and his overseas death (which is certainly not registered)? For this trip, I just want to get a copy of his 除戶戶籍謄本 to see the current status (am I on it, is my mom on it), but I don’t want to get tangled up in filing any paperwork (which I wouldn’t understand) to update the status at this time.

If you or anyone else have any tips about how to navigate the HHR office, please feel free to share.

[ppp]

@Hayashi

That may be an insurmountable hurdle… we’ll see

wow 12 months later and still untranslatable eh

@Hayashi

For this trip, I just want to get a copy of his 除戶戶籍謄本 to see the current status (am I on it, is my mom on it), but I don’t want to get tangled up in filing any paperwork (which I wouldn’t understand) to update the status at this time.

why didnt your father register you when he was alive?

@Oath

I got a call same day from the conscription agency

where is this conscription agency? care to share the address

[Helpful1560]

1. No
2. No

Note there are several HHR offices in Taipei. Unlikely, but you might end up running around the city on a treasure hunt for offices

[newhere]

@Hayashi

The time has come. I’m going to be in Taipei, on other business, and as a challenge, I’m working up the courage to try to go to an HHR office and to ask (in my almost non-existent Chinese language skills) for a copy of my deceased father’s 除戶戶籍謄本. I have his old Taiwanese passport. However, the only documents I have to prove our relationship are non-translated documents like my English-language birth certificate. That may be an insurmountable hurdle… we’ll see.

I can only say, all the best and hope they do release the info to you as a lineal descendant. Did you also have your dad’s death cert as well? My mom was actually there in person but I wasn’t there so I don’t know the specifics of how they verified her identity.

I seem to vaguely remember the HHRO office you go to may not matter since it is linked but yes, best to ask a New Taipei HHRO (A) just in case.

[Hayashi]

@newhere

I can only say, all the best and hope they do release the info to you as a lineal descendant. Did you also have your dad’s death cert as well?

Success! So I was indeed able to get a copy of my deceased father’s HHR transcript. Here’s the story:

I attended an online seminar by Talent Taiwan (Talent Taiwan) and asked them if I could get a copy of my deceased father’s HHR transcript by asking at an HHR office in Taipei. They said yes, “but you will have to have some document to prove your relationship to your father.” The Talent Taiwan staff didn’t say I needed a translated and authenticated copy of my documents. I know that if I apply for my own passport or HHR I need translated and authenticated documents, but I figured that in this case I am just asking for information, so I hoped the translation and authentication would not be necessary.

As a next step I went to my local TECRO office with my father’s passport and asked if they could look up his HHR information. They did some searching on the computers in the back room, then told me that the ID number (presumably the shenfenzheng number) that was hand-written in my father’s passport was one digit too short. So I used the online tool to calculate the last number (a checksum, which apparently was not in use when my father got his ID number): 8-digit (not 9-digit) ID number in old ROC passport - #2 by slawa . But even with the additional final checksum digit, the local TECRO office still said they couldn’t find any HHR record of my father based on the his ID number. They said I would have to ask in Taiwan.

And here I am.

I tried to predict what would be asked of me, and prepared the following documents:

1. Predicted question: What do I want? Prepared documents: deceased father’s Taiwanese passport, plus memorizing the Chinese phrase, “I want to see my father’s HHR transcript. He died overseas.”

2. Predicted question: How to prove who I am and my relationship to my father? Prepared documents: my foreign passport, my foreign birth certificate, my father’s foreign death certificate. I also brought the following which were not needed: my parents’ foreign marriage certificate, plus machine-translated photos of the above foreign documents (using a smartphone app). I also printed out the machine translations here in Taiwan from my smartphone by sending the PDF files to ibon@ibon.com.tw and printing at 7 Eleven.

3. Predicted question: Why do I want the HHR transcript? Prepared documents: an empty NWOHR passport application form (taken from my local TECRO office) plus memorizing the Chinese phrase, “In the future I want to live in Taiwan.”

Then, here in Taipei, I went to the Household Registration Office, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City as described here: https://englishhr.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=F6267F83EF79EDB9&sms=7836C10815C94716&s=18691722EF4D991A . The HHR office is on the 5th floor (and the sign was written in English).

I arrived at 8:00 AM on a weekday, and the office opens at 8:30 AM. There was one person ahead of me in line. From 8:10 they start to give out numbered tickets from an automatic machine. A staff person saw me at the entrance and asked me something in Chinese that I didn’t understand. I flashed my father’s passport and said I’m Chinese, “I want to see my father’s HHR transcript.” She nodded and touched the button that said something like “general inquiries” and I got a ticket.

As I sat on the lobby waiting, I noticed with interest that the announcements over the intercom (“the counters will be open for service soon”, etc.) were partially in English, implying some level of English-language support.

At 8:30 sharp all the staff stood up and announced in unison something like, “good morning, we are here to serve you today”, and they all bowed in unison. I was impressed. Small things like this show that there is the core idea of the government officials being there to serve the people.

There were about 20 counters and my number was immediately called. A middle-aged, stern-looking gentleman asked me what I needed. I said in Chinese that I want to see the HHR transcript of my father who died overseas. I showed his Taiwanese passport and my foreign passport.

He asked many things in Chinese, that I answered with a blank stare. I think he said “you” many times so I guessed he was asking about my relationship to my father.

I took out my English-language, untranslated birth certificate and pointed to my father’s name and my name, also pointing to the same names in his Taiwanese passport and my foreign passport.

He carefully checked the alphabetic names, and the birthplace of my father, then seemed somewhat satisfied (at least he did not demand a translated copy), but he still seemed to want something else and kept asking something in Chinese.

I blindly charged ahead by offering my next document, my father’s foreign death certificate, with no idea if it was what he was asking for or not. He looked kind of exasperated, but he seemed to say, “whatever, show me what you have.” I pointed to the word death and said in Chinese “this is his death certificate.”

He again seemed to understand and accept the death certificate document, but continued to ask something insistently in Chinese. The only thing I could understand was “wénjiàn”.

I had only one last talking point prepared – the “why” of why I was asking for the HHR transcript. So I showed the empty NWOHR application form (which clearly states in Chinese at the top that it is a passport application) and said in Chinese, “I want to live in Taiwan in the future. Not this year, not next year, but in the future. So I want to see the status of my father’s HHR.”

With this he finally seemed satisfied and went to the back to copy my documents. He came back, returned my documents, then started typing on his computer and had a frown on his face. He consulted with the guy next to him, then started to print out some documents.

He then asked me if I have a Chinese name (though it took me 3 tries to understand his question), which I answered in the affirmative. He then continued to print out documents and finally handed me 6 application forms, one at a time, that I had to sign. At this point, for the first time, he spoke in English, and said, “write your Chinese name”.

After signing all the forms, I received 6 sheets of officially-stamped printouts (copies of the old handwritten HHR records), paid 90 NTD, and was on my way!

All in all it took about 45 minutes after my number was called.

Next I have to decipher the handwritten scribbles on the HHR transcript to see what, if anything, is recorded in the HHR about my father’s overseas marriage and my birth, but at least now I have the official documents in hand.

Mission accomplished!

(Edit: linking old post here for completeness: Eligibility for NWOHR passport+TARC if no active household registration at time of birth - #19 by multipass)

[ppp]

@Hayashi

indeed able to get a copy of my deceased father’s HHR transcript

Kool. Good 4 u

Btw they tryin to end dual citizenship for usa pipols

Good luck

GOP senator moves to end dual citizenship, says Americans must choose

[newhere]

@Hayashi

At 8:30 sharp all the staff stood up and announced in unison something like, “good morning, we are here to serve you today”, and they all bowed in unison. I was impressed.

I remembered this when I was at a HHRO before opening too, impressive.

@Hayashi

He then continued to print out documents and finally handed me 6 application forms, one at a time, that I had to sign. At this point, for the first time, he spoke in English, and said, “write your Chinese name”.

After signing all the forms, I received 6 sheets of officially-stamped printouts (copies of the old handwritten HHR records),

I found this interesting, are all 6 HHR transcripts your dad’s? Did not expect more than a page. All the best with the translation.

@Hayashi

Mission accomplished!

Grats! Hopefully it’ll be news about your NWOHR passport and settlement permit soon.

[Hayashi]

@newhere

Hopefully it’ll be news about your NWOHR passport and settlement permit soon.

Thanks! The plans for the NWOHR passport will need to proceed immediately, it seems. From what I gather, I actually need to submit the HHR transcript as part of the NWOHR passport application – and the HHR transcript has to have been issued within the past 3 months! That means the clock is ticking if I want to use my just-obtained HHR transcript. Unfortunately, my other documents like birth, marriage, and death certificates have not yet been translated and authenticated, and that looks like a time-consuming process with multiple TECO offices in the USA, possibly even requiring US-side notarization (!) of the translations, which is challenging since I can’t travel to the USA right now. I will surely have some questions about the whole authentication/translation/notarization issues soon. It might be a stretch to get all my ducks in a row within 3 months.