Living in Taiwan, explained properly.
ARC, banking, health insurance, tax and housing — written for people who actually have to do it, and sourced from the published rules.
Opening a Bank Account in Taiwan: ARC, Seals and Which Branch Says Yes
What foreigners actually need to open a Taiwanese bank account — the two-document rule, the personal seal question, why branches differ, and the post office fallback.
open bank account taiwan — Read guideWhat's in this guide
- With an ARC, opening an account is routine; without one, your options narrow sharply and depend on the bank's discretion.
- Expect to be asked for two forms of ID and possibly a personal seal (chop) — some banks still prefer one to a signature.
- Policies differ branch by branch, not just bank by bank. If one branch refuses, another branch of the same bank may not.
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- Visa
Taiwan ARC: What It Is, Who Needs One, and How Renewal Works
The Alien Resident Certificate is the document everything else in Taiwan hangs off — banking, health insurance, phone contracts. Here is how you get one, when to renew, and what catches people out.
- Living
Taiwan NHI for Foreigners: When Coverage Starts and How It Works Day to Day
Taiwan's National Health Insurance is famously good — but foreigners' enrolment timing depends on employment status. Here is who enrols when, what it costs conceptually, and how using it actually works.
- Phone
Getting a SIM Card in Taiwan: Prepaid vs Contract, and the Two-ID Rule
How foreigners get connected in Taiwan — airport prepaid SIMs, the two-document rule, when a postpaid contract becomes possible, and why your phone number matters more here than you expect.
- Tax
Taiwan Income Tax for Foreigners: The 183-Day Line and What It Changes
How Taiwan taxes foreign residents and non-residents — why day counting decides your rate, how withholding works in your first months, and what the May filing season involves.