[ROC Passport] Conscription of Foreigners

I am a Canadian citizen born in Canada, and though i do not have a current ROC passport, my parents got me one at a young age. I am planning a trip to asia within the next few months and hopefully can visit some relatives in Taiwan, however, if I am threatened with conscription by the government, i will have to avoid it.

So, my questions are this:

What are the current laws in taiwan regarding the practice of conscripting foreigners that have never lived in taiwan?

If i enter taiwan on a canadian passport how could the immigration officials possibly have knowledge of ROC citizenship?

There is information on this in other threads. Go to the legal forum and scroll to the bottom, there is a section on passports. Also call the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in Canada. There are different rules depending on how your passport was issued. If it says “Overseas Chinese” I think you’re exempt but I’m not sure.

Also, I don’t think they’d figure it out if you came in as a Canadian. Although then you’d have to get a visitor visa.

I did call TECO, however they were unable to give me a satisfactory answer. One official even made what seemed like an open threat that I wouldnt have problems getting in, but “might have trouble leaving”. I didnt like that answer very much. Furthermore they told me to get an ROC passport, which i was more hesitant of doing after hearing that.

TECO, as well as others have told me that the entry/exit control guys are able to tell whether you have ROC “citizenship” or not, even if you enter on a foreign passport. It makes no sense to me how they would be able to do that.

Wirez.

I’ll add a caveat that I don’t really know but, I have known several people in your situation, all of them kept their foreign passports and attained work visas and so on much like a person would if they had a Canadian or other passport. It was a hassle but nothing like spending two years walking the beach at night and avoiding “sea ghosts”.

HG

I think they’re yanking your chain. A buddy of mine was born to Taiwanese parents overseas, comes and goes on his foreign passport as he likes. Of course if he 'fessed up they’d have him in uniform in a heartbeat, but they never ask.

As long as you enter here on your foriegn passport and use an ARC to work here then you will not be drafted.

If you come here and change and use your ROC nationality then you will be.

I believe that this question shows you are a bit confused. Foreigners are never conscripted in Taiwan. However, Taiwanese persons are. The question you should be asking is “In regard to serving in the military, who is considered a Taiwanese person?”

It is important to note, as mentioned in many threads on this website, that the determination of who is “Taiwanese” by the Ministry of National Defense does not have a direct correspondence with the determination of who is “Taiwanese” by the immigration authorities, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Council of Labor Affairs, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs . . . . . in other words the Ministry of National Defense does not look strictly at your visa status, they consider your heritage as well.

I heard that they have computers.

Another Bollocks posting… they consider your taiwaneseness…

You people spew out some crap… I have many good firned who are born here to Taiwanese parents and move abroad. They have returned here working for foreign companies and use their foreign passports to enter and apply for an ARC & Work Permit. Many of them have been here several years and have never been drafted. I’ve also not been drafted.

The law is that if you use your Foreign passport and get an ARC you will not be drafted. The problem arisies where people think they cant enter on a foreign passport and then just show their ROC ID card to a local employer. They overstay and then get into problems…

It is a paradox that you can not have the military exam to see whether or not you would need to do military service–unless–you already have an ID card. For this reason, many foreign men in Taiwan don’t want to get full citizenship without knowing 100% first.

To add a slightly different dimension to this thread, please consider your likelihood of having to do military service: For everyone interested in military rules, the following info is less than a year old:

OFFICIAL INFO:
From the Bing Yi Ke: (Military service office):
If you hold a Taiwan ID card and/or passport, service is necessary if you are under 40 years old. They told me there are four posibilities of military service:

  1. 2 to 4 weeks of Tee Dai Yi: This is a few weeks of wearing a uniform and doing paperwork in an office somewhere (making copies, filing, or perhaps directing traffic at a school, etc.) You get this one if you’re not considered “physically fit enough” to do regular military service.

  2. 1 year, 8 months of regular military service: Basic training for 2 months, and then posted to somewhere. Usually this is close to home, but rarely could be an island somewhere.

  3. In lieu of regular military, you can choose 2 years and 8 months of Tee Dai Yi. This is quite a long time of doing basically mindless work.

  4. If you have a master’s degree in something, you may be able to get a military job that utilizes your skills/experience/education. You may need to take a test for this.

REALITY INFO:
I am a US-born Caucasian male and I have been an ROC citizen now for 2 months. I use every opportunity of meeting with military people to inquire about my chance of military service. They all laugh at me and say “NO WAY!!!”

I asked a Navy guard last month about this. He was guarding a ship somewhere and I told him my situation and he said “No, you will not have to do military service.” I asked “Are you sure?” He said “Yes.” On duty, he didn’t seem to be the conversational type, so I didn’t ask why. The consensus is: most likely not. (I am nearly 34 and will be nearly 35 by the time I actually get my “real ID card” and finally the letter stating that I have to go for the military health exam.)

It appears that the law is in place to prevent discrimination, but in practice they apparently don’t want a big freakin’ old white guy in camo–always being the weak link in the chain no matter how healthy you are. I’m betting I’ll get the few weeks of paperwork and that’s it.

Consider your age, weight, and health. If you have any access to a friend or friend of a friend, etc. who is a military doctor, you may be able to ask about the current stipulations that divide the 2-week crowd from year-and-8-months-crowd. If anyone can get a hold of this information, please post it. If you’re mid-20s, I’d say “watch out”, but if you’re knocking on the door of middle age, like me, I’d say you may be fine but ask around about your situation.

(Also, if you would like to give up your original citizenship and get full ROC citzenship, I’ve been through the process and I would like to help anyone out should the need arise).

Coolingtower

. (I am nearly 34 and will be nearly 35 by the time I actually get my “real ID card” and finally the letter stating that I have to go for the military health exam.)

So right now you only have the Taiwan Resident Certificate. Make sure you don’t leave on it for one and immediatly apply for your ID Card year otherwise you’ll need to wait even longer to get your ID Card.

You’ll also be required to pass another medical as well. After you’re 35 you wont get drafted for military service.

Once your medicals are cleared you get a registered mail from your household registration office to get your ID card and HuKou Ming Bu.
Thats a lot of fun too. Take some new passport size photos with you as well. PS See if you can choose a good number to remember… they let me look at a list so I got 123434800 plus the lette prefix.

I’ve been thru it all several years back. Such fun. Not that hard to do it by yourself then is it? lol

By the way, you won’t be a foreigner if you have ROC nationality. So no, they don’t draft foreigners, only daft ROC nationals.

coolingtower,

Was going to take you up on your offer and PM you, but for some reason I don’t see a button to do that.

If there’s anyone who has gone through the process of becoming an ROC citizen (especially former US citizens) and is willing to spend some time talking to me, I’d greatly appreciate it. Can do MSN, AIM, Yahoo, Skype, etc.

Basically would just like to discuss good vs. bad reasons for becoming an ROC citizens, advantages of US citizenship and an ARC card, the idea of giving up citizenship in one of the worlds strongest country for citizenship in a country that most of the world doesn’t recognize, etc. etc.

If you could send me a PM with contact info, that’d be great!

[quote=“coolingtower”]It is a paradox that you can not have the military exam to see whether or not you would need to do military service–unless–you already have an ID card. For this reason, many foreign men in Taiwan don’t want to get full citizenship without knowing 100% first.

To add a slightly different dimension to this thread, please consider your likelihood of having to do military service: For everyone interested in military rules, the following info is less than a year old:

OFFICIAL INFO:
From the Bing Yi Ke: (Military service office):
If you hold a Taiwan ID card and/or passport, service is necessary if you are under 40 years old. They told me there are four posibilities of military service:

  1. 2 to 4 weeks of Tee Dai Yi: This is a few weeks of wearing a uniform and doing paperwork in an office somewhere (making copies, filing, or perhaps directing traffic at a school, etc.) You get this one if you’re not considered “physically fit enough” to do regular military service.

  2. 1 year, 8 months of regular military service: Basic training for 2 months, and then posted to somewhere. Usually this is close to home, but rarely could be an island somewhere.

  3. In lieu of regular military, you can choose 2 years and 8 months of Tee Dai Yi. This is quite a long time of doing basically mindless work.

  4. If you have a master’s degree in something, you may be able to get a military job that utilizes your skills/experience/education. You may need to take a test for this.

REALITY INFO:
I am a US-born Caucasian male and I have been an ROC citizen now for 2 months. I use every opportunity of meeting with military people to inquire about my chance of military service. They all laugh at me and say “NO WAY!!!”

I asked a Navy guard last month about this. He was guarding a ship somewhere and I told him my situation and he said “No, you will not have to do military service.” I asked “Are you sure?” He said “Yes.” On duty, he didn’t seem to be the conversational type, so I didn’t ask why. The consensus is: most likely not. (I am nearly 34 and will be nearly 35 by the time I actually get my “real ID card” and finally the letter stating that I have to go for the military health exam.)

It appears that the law is in place to prevent discrimination, but in practice they apparently don’t want a big freakin’ old white guy in camo–always being the weak link in the chain no matter how healthy you are. I’m betting I’ll get the few weeks of paperwork and that’s it.

Consider your age, weight, and health. If you have any access to a friend or friend of a friend, etc. who is a military doctor, you may be able to ask about the current stipulations that divide the 2-week crowd from year-and-8-months-crowd. If anyone can get a hold of this information, please post it. If you’re mid-20s, I’d say “watch out”, but if you’re knocking on the door of middle age, like me, I’d say you may be fine but ask around about your situation.

(Also, if you would like to give up your original citizenship and get full ROC citzenship, I’ve been through the process and I would like to help anyone out should the need arise).

Coolingtower[/quote]

Actually there was a cuacasion male in Taiwan who was drafted into the service, he was in his early twenties. So your absoultly right, just because you don’t look asian, it doesn’t mean you can’t get drafted, if your young (late teens to late twenties) then you will get drafted, but after 30’s they don’t want you =p