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How foreigners enroll in National Health Insurance?
The National Health Insurance program is a compulsory social insurance program. By law, every Taiwanese citizen with official residency or foreign national living in Taiwan with an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), regardless of age, gender, or employment status, must enroll in the program. Also, this insurance program lasts an entire lifetime. No one may arbitrarily withdraw, except for those who lose their insurance eligibility (such as people who give up their Taiwan citizenship, move abroad or let their Alien Resident Certificate expire or a person who goes missing).
National Health Insurance Act (全民健康保險法) Article 9
Except for individuals mentioned in the previous article, any person who has an alien resident certificate in the Taiwan area must meet one of the following requirements to become the beneficiary of this Insurance:
1. Those who have established a registered domicile for at least six months;
2. Those with a regular employer.
Enforcement Rules of The National Health Insurance Act Article 8
A person staying in Taiwan for 6 full months prescribed in Subparagraph 1 of Article 9 of the Act refers to a person who has, after entering into Taiwan, stayed in Taiwan for six consecutive months or exited Taiwan once for fewer than 30 days with the actual period of stay amounting to six months after the number of days that he or she has been away from Taiwan is deducted.
The National Health Insurance Program Classifies the Insured Into different Categories Depends On Their Employment Status. (不同投保身分)
Individuals who are residents of Taiwan who are unemployed or in job transition must continue enrollment according to their current status.
1. If you work for a company, the government or any other organization, you should be registered in the health insurance program by your employer.
2. If you belong to a union, or a farmers' or fishermen's association, you should have your union or associations register you in the health insurance program.
3. If you are unemployed but are a legal dependent of an employed spouse or a direct blood relative, you should enroll through your spouse or relative's insurance registration organization (employer, union, etc.) as a dependent.
4. If you are unemployed, and cannot enroll as a legal dependent of a relative (i.e., parents, spouses, or children), then the administrative office of the village, township, city or area where your household is registered is your insurance registration organization. Please enroll in the health insurance program through that office.
FAQ: 1. Qualifications for foreigners to join the National Health Insurance:
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Foreign resident who holds a resident certificate in Taiwan shall participate in National Health Insurance after a full 6 months of residence (having continuously stayed in Taiwan for 6 months, or have stayed in Taiwan for actual 6 months with a departure for less than 30 days, and the actual duration of residence should exclude the number of days staying abroad). However, those who have been employed legally can join NHI upon the date of employment. From December 1, 2017 newborn foreign infant who obtains a resident certificate in Taiwan shall join NHI upon the date of birth.
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In accordance with the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, which went into force on Oct. 25, 2021, spouses, minor children, and physically or mentally disabled adult children who are unable to live independently, having obtained documentary proof of residence, shall immediately join the NHI as dependents of the foreign professionals, foreign special professionals, and foreign senior professionals upon receipt of their resident certificates.
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Foreign residents will lose NHI entitlement once his/her resident certificate expires, and should withdraw from the NHI.