Hi ABTs!

In the past, it was very difficult for American-Born Taiwanese (ABTs) to apply for a Taiwanese National ID card — you had to live in Taiwan for over a year just to qualify.

But several of my ABT students told me that Taiwan updated the rules last year, and now the process is much easier!

Check Estela’s students and followers stories

Here is the Check List that my student found and provided to me

Check list (Click to see more)

If you're interested in applying, here’s a clear breakdown based on different situations:

✅ Situation 1: Both parents are Taiwanese, and you were born in the U.S.

1. Apply for a Taiwanese passport in the U.S.

   You’ll need to enter Taiwan using Taiwan passport. must enter with a national without household registration (NWOHR) passport. They can then look up on our TECO/embassy website how to do that (that’s when you need marriage certificate, birth certificate etc).

2. Prepare the following documents in the U.S.:

   • U.S. birth certificate

     → Must be translated into Chinese and authenticated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the U.S.

   • Health examination report

     → Can be done at a hospital in the U.S. or Taiwan, but it must be recognized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare.

   • FBI background check (Good Conduct Certificate)

     The FBI background check then has to be mailed to TECRO in DC for authentication / verification. There is an expedited service (3-5 business days with TECRO), but the FBI background check can take anywhere from one to 14 days, and the turnaround time for TECRO is similar

     You also have to get fingerprinted - part of the process - best to do it at a USPS

3. When in Taiwan:

   • Take all the documents to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to apply for a residency permit.
   • After you receive the residency permit, go to the Household Registration Office to apply for your Taiwanese National ID card.

⚠️ Important: You cannot leave Taiwan until you receive your National ID card.

Process can take up to 3-4 weeks. Can expedite if you obtain the residency permit in the US from TECO and the process is <1 week.

✅ Situation 2: Father is Taiwanese, mother is a foreigner, and you were born in the U.S.

No problem! The process is the same as in Situation 1.

⚠️ Situation 3: Mother is Taiwanese, father is a foreigner, and you were born in the U.S.

• If you were born after 1980:

  → You can apply for a National ID card.

• If you were born before 1980:

  → You cannot apply.

  (Taiwan’s nationality laws were based on the father's status before 1980. The law changed in 1980 to allow Taiwanese mothers to pass on nationality.)