With bank account it is different though, need to check for that against sanctions, and if you are not a national of the country, you need to provide a passport for distinguish who you are.
And a bank account it is something a tad more complex than a phone number, the sheer amount of KYC and AML/CTF required calls for your passport to be provided.
@Marco the law you linked to is only specific to the telecom business.
Do you happen to know whether it is generally illegal in Taiwan to ask ARC holders for passports as proof of identity?
After I submitted my complaint/request to TW mobile to get registered under my ARC instead of my passport, citing the regulation the good @Marco quoted, I received a follow up email and then a call today basically saying they would not like to accommodate my request.
I bantered a bit, the lady (who was nice tbh and spoke decent English) said a supervisor would call me back.
If they still refuse, and I’ll ask that to get in writing, I’ll follow up with the NCC.
She literally said “when we TW ppl go to the shop, we have our ID and NHI card, so 2 documents”, I replied “I have NHI card and not 1, but 2 driving licences (car+scooter) and ARC, so I have 3 IDs issued by your government, why do you want a foreign document?”, she just said coz it’s more “important”. UTTER BS!
Doesn’t mean there aren’t incompetent people.
I signed my contract with ARC and Health Card.
They didn’t let me, but they can ofc change the document. Like if I get a new ARC ofc I need to go there and update, so they have the way to change it. Or even change my passport for instance.
So their argument is moot.
The NCC has more teeth than the FSC for sure.
Yeah I really don’t understand this mindset. Had the same thing when dealing with scholarships in the past–they say a document provided by a foreign government is more “official” than an identity document provided by their own government (that even happens to have the foreign ID number on it). Do you have such little faith in your own government?
wow, the supervisor just called mea and just reiterated it is “not their policy”, even asked to provide the phone number of the “other foreigner” with ARC on the contract, which I refused (since also I don’t have @Marco 's number, but would have not provided anyways to respect someone’s privacy, no names were made at all).
So I will just now send the complaint to NCC, they are so stubborn in not losing face, it is really their ruin.
wait a sec, did u use your APRC or was just an ARC?
coz re-reading the article says: “in the case of an application by a foreign natural person, refers to the user’s passport number and the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate number, or either of the passport number or the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate number, and a number of a document of identification of other forms that suffices to identify the individual”.
I do agree that either ways, I would need yes to provide at the contract signing both passport and ARC, but the can use the ARC as primary document since the regulation does not state the contrary, just to provide them both.
AFAIK the rule only applies to APRCs. With an ARC they can still ask for a passport.
Ok, we meet up one day no problemos and I can vouch for myself. Pick a weekend.
You know the weirdest part, if you don’t have an ARC at all they won’t let you sign a contract at all so how on earth is a passport a requirement? And why is the number used instead of an ARC number?
Also… stateless people can have ARCs
No need, can u just clarify if when you signed with TW mobile you had already an APRC or you used a normal ARC to sign up with the NHI card?
I’m just past the point I try to figure out the logic, I just want to get my stuff done.
Hence my leaving. It got too hard and I tapped out.
I’ll be back when I have enough money that I can use $$$ to tell them to stfu
Welcome to Taiwan where ‘logic’ is not in the dictionary.
It would’ve been my ARC when I signed the contract, but I got the APRC several months after.
If I can recall correctly.
the regulation is not very specific and direct, as always.
The more conservative interpretation would actually say that you should provide both ARC and passport, but then you preference is indicated on which one is to be chosen as primary ID, or APRC and another ID (NHI/Driving licence) or APRC and passport.
I am ok with providing the passport and ARC to open the account/contract, but not ok to bring the passport always. That’s it
I am increasingly intolerant of bringing my passport for ANYTHING.
