New rules for suspending NHI when abroad

[justintaiwan]

@Hayashi

Does the law not require mandatory payments into national pension (國民年金）for unemployed people with household registration?

Sort of but it’s more like you don’t pay you don’t benefit. If you don’t pay you just get withdrawn from the system.

Article 17

The insurance periods will not be calculated if the insured person fails to pay the premium and interests payable within deadline under Article 13 and Article 14.The insured person is not entitled to request for paying the premium and interests if the delay is over 10 years. However, the insured person is still entitled to request for paying the premium and interests and calculating his or her insurance periods if the cause of delay cannot be blamed on the insured person.

[Hayashi]

@justintaiwan

@Hayashi

If you could say to the HHR office, “I am moving out of Taiwan next week for several years. Terminate, i.e. move out, my HHR as of my flight date.”, then would that immediately remove your NHI payment obligation, as long as you continue to stay out of Taiwan?

I would also like to know if this is possible.

I found this earlier discussion, where it seems that if you have already left the country, then you can apply online to move out of your HHR.

Implications of joining household register

About the original question regarding implications of having the friend register someone else in his HHR: From reading some of the application forms, it seems that there might be a minor implication that if the only people on the HHR are you and your friend, and your friend later moves to a new address (either within Taiwan, or overseas), then you might become the “head of household” of the old address, unless you also move your HHR to a new address. On a slightly different topic, following…

I don’t know if they allow you to apply for this in advance before leaving the country. It might be prohibited, because it is easy for the government to verify if you have already left the country, but harder or impossible to verify your plans to leave the country.

[mamapanda]

@Hayashi

I found this earlier discussion, where it seems that if you have already left the country, then you can apply online to move out of your HHR.

This is amazing. Thank you for your help @Hayashi! This kind of info is weirdly hard to find

[ackeh]

According to NHI law article 8 (https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=L0060001&kw=健保) it says anyone that has ROC registration and those that has household registration (one of the additional criteria) must have/pay NHI.

So legally speaking, using a foreign passport to come into Taiwan (if dual citizen with household registration), you can’t get out of it.

Has anyone here tried coming into Taiwan with a foreign passport (with already existing/active household registration)?

[Taiwan_Luthiers]

Entering Taiwan on a foreign passport doesn’t change your household registration status, so you’ll still be on the hook for NHI

[bbmt]

I am still highly confused about this new NHI system.

I am an APRC holder currently living as a European citizen in Switzerland. Have NOT been to Taiwan for more than 4 years.

Planing a short-term visit in October.
As far as I understand I can’t enter Taiwan as a TOURIST and my APRC will be activated.

Reading the whole thread I understand that NHI will get a notice me re-entering Taiwan, but my NHI is not useable.
My NHI card will only be activated if I am backpaying 24 months and another 6 months of waiting time counting from day 1 of my arrival.

But my intention is just spending few days in Taiwan having an international travel insurance.

How do I make sure, that my NHI will be stopped when leaving Taiwan ???
Is stopping even possible ???

Unfortunately I don’t have another passport and I doubt organizing a second swiss passport would be a work around.

To me it sounds kind of ridiculous that I might get punished to pay for premiums while occasionally VISTING Taiwan.

[slawa]

Looks like you have to choose. Be a resident of Taiwan with NHI. Or do not extend your overseas stay exemption and let them revoke your APRC, then you can visit as a tourist.

I haven’t properly looked into this new NHI rule as it does not affect me. Just what people say here.

[Marco]

@bbmt

To me it sounds kind of ridiculous that I might get punished to pay for premiums while occasionally VISTING Taiwan

The whole point of permanent residence is that you are permanently residing here

Taiwan’s requirements are incredibly generous compared to other countries

If you dont want this requirement, then you can become a citizen of Taiwan, renounce and renew.

Reinstatement of citizenship

[Niurou]

That’s not what I heard or are aware of that you need to back pay that much. In the past I needed to pay for 3 months minimum from the date of arrival even if I stayed for 1 day and then wanted to resuspend.

Now you just keep paying forever with no ability to suspend anymore when you leave.
Call NHI to confirm though.

[007edw]

Alright, I’m a bit confused… NHI suddenly snuck in that you are no longer allowed to suspend/cancel insurance for moving overseas, which I’m leaving on May 3rd. I don’t plan to use Taiwanese insurance, which is useless unless I suddenly have an emergency. Also amazingly, I can’t find a straight answer online.

1. Since I’ve resigned on the 15th and I understand it’s mandatory to continue coverage while on Taiwanese soil, does that mean my insurance rate is going to jack the hell up like they do with COBRA in the US if I’m stuck paying it (which kinda sucks because I anticipated not wanting to have ANY bills when I leave)?

2. Apparently, the only surefire way to remove myself from NHI is if I remove myself from HHR. Does that effectively nullify my citizenship or reverts me back to an NHOWR, or am I just some roaming entity but still have full citizenship somehow, plot of The Terminal, or some other arrangement?

3. Let’s say that I come back to visit, like let’s say LNY 2027, and it’s just for a week. Do I need to go through the rigmarole of reapplying for NHI and HHR for that short week? I know from that point on I’m not supposed to circumvent it using my US passport.

4. Even worse, let’s say God forbid, somebody has a huge family emergency (e.g. bereavement) and comes back 2 months later for a week. Does that mean someone has to reimburse back pay too?

Thanks for your help.

[CTaitung]

Do you have time to visit NHI office in Taipei or locally?

[newhere]

With 2, it just makes you a NWHR with a moved out HHR.

Getting Shenfenzheng and then living abroad, removing HHR

I went to Tamsui who said I could do the "HHR " move-out using this paper form. Which i have to submit to the HHR office. I will also submit a copy of my plane ticket, but I think it is not required. They also said I could not estimate a date of exit. I need to submit the exact form. [PXL_20250410_023559105.MP] [PXL_20250410_032759213.MP] One of the images is a second method, if my household person submits a different thing. I don’t read chinese so don’t know what it is.

With 3, you don’t actually need to move in your HHR again unless you’re staying for more than 3 months on your Taiwan passport. ( Household Registration Act (戶籍法) Art 17)

Then how long it takes to get NHI after getting your HHR moved back in depends on how long you left (instantly if within 2 years of moving out HHR, 6 months if longer than that) (而在戶籍遷出2年內(出國≦4年)，只要回國恢復戶籍，恢復戶籍當日即可加入健保；但戶籍遷出超過2年的話(出國>4年)，則需自恢復戶籍日再加上6個月，才可參加健保；如果是返國初設戶籍者，也同樣是自初設戶籍滿6個月，即可加入健保。)

At least that’s how it seems to work in theory if you plan to take that route.

@007edw

• Since I’ve resigned on the 15th and I understand it’s mandatory to continue coverage while on Taiwanese soil, does that mean my insurance rate is going to jack the hell up like they do with COBRA in the US if I’m stuck paying it (which kinda sucks because I anticipated not wanting to have ANY bills when I leave)?
• Apparently, the only surefire way to remove myself from NHI is if I remove myself from HHR. Does that effectively nullify my citizenship or reverts me back to an NHOWR, or am I just some roaming entity but still have full citizenship somehow, plot of The Terminal, or some other arrangement?
• Let’s say that I come back to visit, like let’s say LNY 2027, and it’s just for a week. Do I need to go through the rigmarole of reapplying for NHI and HHR for that short week? I know from that point on I’m not supposed to circumvent it using my US passport.
• Even worse, let’s say God forbid, somebody has a huge family emergency (e.g. bereavement) and comes back 2 months later for a week. Does that mean someone has to reimburse back pay too?

[anon24369109]

@007edw

Apparently, the only surefire way to remove myself from NHI is if I remove myself from HHR. Does that effectively nullify my citizenship or reverts me back to an NHOWR

You cannot remove yourself from HHR. After you have lived abroad for two years without returning your HHR can become inactive or you file to have it classed as inactive. When it is inactive then you no longer pay NHI as you will also be removed from NHI.

[foc]

This a pretty clear case of obligations coming with citizenship.

[Chongman99]

The english terminology is not standardized. I can see why you object to “remove”, but i would be more relaxed and let people say “removed”.

In my opinion, “HHR - leaving the country” is the least ambiguous and matches the form name, but not concise. (However, it is confusing because if you are a dual national, you can enter Taiwan on your other passport(?) and you don’t have to leave the country. Also, this is not for someone who just leaves to go on a vacation. This is for someone who is intending to domicile in another country for at lear a year and probably a few years.)

“HHR - move out of the country” is a little more ambiguous.

“move out HHR” is probably the most concise and a good phrase for the action (verb). Then, you become inactive (noun) (i suppose). “Inactivate HHR” (verb) could also work, but that verb is not common in English. So “remove” (verb) would be appropriate because you are removed from active status. I.e., if you need something where you have to show your HHR (hukou), you won’t be able to. A person is removed in that sense.

Anyway, i don’t think there is any other meaning that could be given to “remove” or “cancel” besides the move out procedure.

I also don’t like move-out procedure because I think in Chinese there will be a term for “moving” your HHR from one address to another. So, having the english words of “move-out” meaning to exit the country (on a 2yr+ basis) and “moving” meaning to change HHR address is also confusing because they both use the word “move”.

The form is called 出境遷出申請書 which google translate calls “application for leaving the country”. So those phrases are unambiguous, precise, but long.

@newhere (above) quotes my recent post on this and the form I got from the HHR office in New Taipei in 2025. (Thanks!)

Naming and translating things is not easy, so until there is a standardized phrase, I think all of these phrases is fine. And also fine to ask for clarification.

I.e.
Are you leaving the country?
For how long? (Anticipated)
Will your home base (domicile) be in another country?
What are your goals? (wrt Health Insurance, Taxation, national pension, other government programs.)

[newhere]

@Chongman99

Anyway, i don’t think there is any other meaning that could be given to “remove” or “cancel” besides the move out procedure.

There is also another situation where there is an actual HHR loss where you are no longer still treated as a NWHR in certain situations such as when your child is born and be able to move in your HHR again by registering yourself at a new address.

This may happen if you lose your nationality, get a mainland (PRC) hukou or passport or the government removes your HHR for one reason or another like how they are asking some mainland spouses to show they are no longer have their mainland hukou.

So we can be a bit pedantic about avoiding the term “remove or cancel” for a “move out/inactive/出境遷出/遷出” situation as it will also much more easily explain the some other related questions that gets frequently asked like:

1. “my father (before 1980/02/10)/parent (since 1980/02/10) have not been maintaining their HHR and is in ‘moved out state’ when I was born, am I still qualified for HHR without the residency obligation?”, which in this case is yes. (vs removed which is no)
2. “Do I become a NWOHR if my HHR is ‘moved out’?”, which is no. (vs removed which is yes if you still hold nationality and is not considered a mainland resident)

[Chongman99]

That’s a good point and a case I didn’t consider (especially #2 in the current Taiwan politics).

Helpful. I was either wrong or incomplete.

Can you help a little more, since you know more about the nuances and processes?

After I do the “leave the country”/“move out”, will my name still appear on the HHR “hukou min bu” 戶口名簿, but have a Chinese word indicating “inactive”. Or will I be removed (my name is not on the paper) from the 戶口名簿?

I also think there are maybe 2 versions of the 戶口名簿. One version is a short version. And another version might be a long version with a lot more details.

[Beach]

Is the rule different for APRC holders? Can they cancel NHI when they live outside Taiwan? APRC from gold card can live outside Taiwan for years at a time.

[Niurou]

From everything I’ve read no. They could until this recent change.

[justintaiwan]

I used the online service to ‘move out’ my husbands household registration yesterday. Will update in a month or 2 whether we receive another bill or not.

He will probably have an Australian passport next time we go to Taiwan so we both will just use our Aussie passports (as much as possible) moving forward to enter Taiwan so we can avoid being forced back into NHI