NIA making you wait 2+ days, when they can print it instantly

Last week I went to the NIA in Taipei to get an alien residency record, it cost 100NT and they told me to come back next Tuesday, so today.

When I got there, they had made a mistake, and for some reason it didn’t show my address in English which I needed. I told them about the mistake and he said don’t worry, clicked two buttons on his computer and printed a new one in about twenty seconds.

My question is, why do they make you wait so long, sometimes over a week for them to print a piece of paper which takes just a few seconds?

My guess is that, if they say it takes two days to print, it makes it look difficult and time consuming, therefore justifying their 100NT fee.

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It hadn’t been input onto the computer system?

That’s not the case, because you can print it yourself instantly if you have a digital citizen certificate. It really is an unnecessary wait.

Taiwanese bureaucracy is possibly the most efficient in the world. Just imagine what it would have taken in your home country.

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Perhaps it needed to get approved/signed off in some way?

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Yeah it did, but the same guy who printed it, stamped it, so I don’t see why he couldn’t have done it when I first requested it. Beurocracy might seem efficient in Taiwan, but it is terribly inconsistent and I would forfeit efficiency for consistency any day of the week.

I’ve always been able to get these printed on the spot. Maybe next time insist they do it then and there.

I’m used to consistently inefficient in the UK. I much prefer the bureaucracy here.

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Some departments are inefficient in the UK, but most are quite quick. I sent my passport to the UK last week, within 7 working days I had my new passport in my hand. They practically printed my passport the same day the they received my old one and sent it on to Taiwan. If it wouldn’t have been for the international shipping, I’d have had it back in 3 days.

Anyway, it’s stupid to use the “what about this country” response to defend Taiwan’s problems.

Who are we? Donald Trump?

If everyone did that, Taiwan would never improve.

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I’ll try that next time. Thanks

Is that now the case? Last time I renewed mine I had to go through Hong Kong and it took almost a month.

I’m glad they’ve improved that. Mine’s coming up for renewal.

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That’s remarkable.

NZ passport: submitted online on a Friday, non-urgent fee. Arrived on Monday afternoon by courier. NTD3600 total.

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Seriously? That’s phenomenal!

Do they throw in a free sheep?

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I think it could take a month for me especially if I put it through Beijing according to their ‘policy’. I cannot apply online either it must be a paper application (although I heard in country citizens can apply online ).

Oh boy… My country: Have to make an appointment, show up in person, wait 6 weeks.

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Kinda pointless, we all have more sheep than we know what to do with.

Not in Taiwan.

They changed it a few years ago, now it goes straight to the UK. When you apply they will say it could take up to 4 weeks, but it only took a week for mine to get back.