The National Health Insurance program is a compulsory social insurance program. By law, every Taiwanese citizen with official residency must enroll, and foreign nationals who hold a Taiwan residence permit (ARC) must join the NHI from the date they qualify, as shown below. 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).
Who must join, and from when
| Employees with a regular employer | Babies born in Taiwan | Others | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage starts | From the first day of employment | From the date of birth | After 6 months of residence in Taiwan |
| Insured as | Category 1 insured (employee) | Dependant of the father or mother | 1. Members of an occupational union, farmers and fishermen: through the union or farmers’ / fishermen’s association 2. Others: as a dependant of an insured spouse or lineal relative 3. If there is no one to be a dependant of: through the local district office where they live 4. Foreign students: through their school |
| Enrolled by | The employer | The parent’s insurance unit |
- “6 months of residence” means living in Taiwan for 6 continuous months, or leaving Taiwan only once for no more than 30 days, with the days actually spent in Taiwan adding up to 6 months.
- Foreign professionals covered by Article 23 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, and their dependants, do not have to wait 6 months.
- Employers must enroll a foreign employee, and any dependants, within 3 days of their qualifying date, and apply for their NHI cards at the same time with a copy of the residence permit.
Source: National Health Insurance Administration, “Foreign nationals holding a residence permit in Taiwan must join the National Health Insurance” (November 2025).
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 resided in Taiwan for at least six months;
2. Those with a regular employer;
3. Newborns born in the Taiwan area.
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.
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If you work for a company, the government or any other organization, you should be registered in the health insurance program by your employer.
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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.
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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.
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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. Foreign special professionals and foreign senior professionals who are insured as an employer or a self-employed person (for example, a Gold Card holder running his or her own company), together with their dependents, are also exempt from the six-month waiting period (Article 23 of the Act).
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Foreign residents will lose NHI entitlement once his/her resident certificate expires, and should withdraw from the NHI.
FAQ: 2. How much is the NHI premium?
The general NHI premium rate is 5.17% of the insured salary. For an employee, the employee pays 30%, the employer 60% and the government 10% of the premium. Dependents are insured together with the employee and the employee pays the same amount for each dependent, counted up to three dependents (Article 18 of the National Health Insurance Act).
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