Tom's Tips

A service provided by the major convenience store chains in Taiwan is to use their network to send a package from one store to another.  This post is an aggregation of information about working with packages across the various chains.  Family Mart To know when to receive your package, visit the Famiport tracking site , enter the 11-digit tracking number and pay attention to the status, which is listed with the most recent status at the top of the page. You will see the following in order:   訂單成立未寄件  - paperwork completed 已完成寄件 - sent from the origin 貨件前往物流中心 - on the way to the distribution center 貨件抵達物流中心 - at the distribution center 貨件已完成理貨 - sorted 貨件等待配送中 - awaiting delivery 貨件進行配送中 - out for delivery 貨件配達取件店舖  - delivered   If you see 查無訂單資料 your tracking number was not found in the system. Check you are copying and pasting the correct number (11 digits).   When you visit the store to collect your package, you'll be asked for the last 3 digits of ...

 Did you know there are four different pathways to Taiwanese citizenship? Many people confuse the new "High Level Professional" route with the very different "Outstanding Contributions to Taiwan" pathway. It is now achievable for qualified professionals to obtain Taiwanese citizenship without renounciation. Having gone through the process, I created a brief overview of the various methods and requirements, check it out at: https://citizenship.tw/ As always, contributions welcome !

This blog post has been replaced by TaiwanGoldCard.com.   TaiwanGoldCard.com is a site I've been working on with Eric Khun and other members of the Gold Card community to share our experience applying for the card and moving to Taiwan. Enjoy!

 Taiwan offers a smart card to adult foreign residents that can be used to verify their identity online. This allows some government services previously only available in person to be provided online, including: Tax return submission Applying for credit reports Accessing healthcare data from the NHI Requesting a police check Certificate of Entry and Exit dates from the NIA Ordering Face Masks Sounds great! However, the system relies on some ironically insecure/outdated technology, a mishmash of different browser plugins and very few support staff know about its existence. Here's a tip on how to use yours... How to Order Masks using your Digital Citizen Certificate During epidemics, Taiwan has a system where you can order surgical face masks online for delivery to your local convenience store. It's very straightforward and takes only a few minutes to order Get a Digital Citizen Certificate and set it up in your card reader Login to the eMask Ordering Syst...

Getting married in a foreign country is an unwelcome entry into the world of legalising documents. As an Australian in Taiwan, the key document you probably don't have but need is a document that proves you are unmarried. The current easiest way to acquire this and legalise it for use in Taiwan is from your state-based births, deaths and marriages registry, with legalisation at TECO in your state. This post is part of a series on Marriage in Taiwan: Marriage in Taiwan: Document Requirements - the laws Marriage in Taiwan: Acquiring a Single Status Certificate from Australia Marriage in Taiwan: Document Requirements - Registration As of 2019, Victorians living in Taiwan wishing to get married here should follow the below process (will also work for DFAT-issued CNI, and probably similar in other states): Apply online for a Single Status Certificate from Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages If online identity verification fails, mail certified copies of ID to Vict...

We live in a digital age. The Taiwanese banking system ... a little less so. Transferring money overseas typically involves a visit to the bank between 9am and 3pm. You'll queue, fill out an outbound remittance form in duplicate, stamp and sign some things and just generally wait while staff do their best with the unfamiliar procedure. There is another way.* * for transfers < 500,000 TWD, to accounts you've previously set up in a special way :(  Background: Remittance Classifications One of the reasons for the myriad of complicated forms when dealing with foreign exchange in Taiwan is the precise codification of transfer types required by the Central Bank. Your knowledge of the existence of these two documents will boost your standing above that of the average banker: 匯出匯款之分類及說明  Code and Description of Outward Remittance Classification 匯入匯款之分類及說明 Code and Description of Inward Remittance Classification These are updated every few years, with new versions fo...

 Taiwan offers a smart card to adult foreign residents that can be used to verify their identity online. This allows some government services previously only available in person to be provided online, including: Tax return submission Applying for credit reports Accessing healthcare data from the NHI Requesting a police check Certificate of Entry and Exit dates from the NIA Ordering Face Masks Sounds great! However, the system relies on some ironically insecure/outdated technology, a mishmash of different browser plugins and very few support staff know about its existence. Here's a tip on how to use yours... How to pay Taiwan income taxes online I've successfully paid taxes online for the past few years using this method. It is straightforward, thanks to the automated data download powered by the Digital Citizen Certificate. Get a Digital Citizen Certificate and set it up in your card reader Change your computer's regional format to be "Taiwan...

 Taiwan offers a smart card to adult foreign residents that can be used to verify their identity online. This allows some government services previously only available in person to be provided online, including: Tax return submission Applying for credit reports Accessing healthcare data from the NHI Requesting a police check Certificate of Entry and Exit dates from the NIA Ordering Face Masks Sounds great! However, the system relies on some ironically insecure/outdated technology, a mishmash of different browser plugins and very few support staff know about its existence. Therefore, here are some tips to let you take most advantage of your card. How to apply for Alien Citizen Digital Certificate[外籍人士自然人憑證] Application for the card is potentially the most painless process. Three steps: Visit the NIA to apply, get a piece of paper with a number on it Use the piece of paper with the number to complete the application on the MOICA website Pay the NT$275 fee using the ...

In February 2018, Taiwan launched an "Employment Gold Card",a combination of residence visa and work permit. Aimed to attract more high level professionals, the card has strict application requirements. Here's some information on those and a step-by-step guide on how to apply (see also: official guide ). Do I qualify? You must have worked in one of the below eight fields, and met requirements within the field. This is a very brief unofficial summary not to be relied on - please refer to the supporting document for your field for the official information. Other than law and architecture you only need to meet one of the criteria, and most have a catch-all entry for "other" qualifications as approved by the relevant ministry. Salary references are monthly. This post was updated in October 2019 with to reflect relaxed qualifications in Sport and Culture.   Field Requirements Supporting Documents Science and Technolog...

 Taiwan offers a smart card to adult foreign residents that can be used to verify their identity online. This allows some government services previously only available in person to be provided online, including: Tax return submission Applying for credit reports Accessing healthcare data from the NHI Requesting a police check Certificate of Entry and Exit dates from the NIA Ordering Face Masks Sounds great! However, the system relies on some ironically insecure/outdated technology, a mishmash of different browser plugins and very few support staff know about its existence. Here's a tip on how to use yours... How to get your record of Entry and Exit Dates from Taiwan's National Immigration Agency Get a Digital Citizen Certificate and set it up in your card reader Visit https://ncp.immigration.gov.tw/niaweb/entryExitForeignQuery , (if the link has changed, try clicking through English - Online Applications -Certificate of Entry and Exit Dates - (red link) P...

 Taiwan offers a smart card to adult foreign residents that can be used to verify their identity online. This allows some government services previously only available in person to be provided online, including: Tax return submission Applying for credit reports Accessing healthcare data from the NHI Requesting a police check Certificate of Entry and Exit dates from the NIA Ordering Face Masks Sounds great! However, the system relies on some ironically insecure/outdated technology, a mishmash of different browser plugins and very few support staff know about its existence. Here's a tip on how to use yours... How to get your Credit Report from Taiwan's Joint Credit Information Center Get a Digital Citizen Certificate and set it up in your card reader Visit https://apply.jcic.org.tw/CreditQueryInput.do , download and install the setup file when prompted. Close your browser and re-open it (I used Chrome, for reference) Enter your ARC ID and the CAPTCHA, ti...