Q1: Should you change your enrollment status when you stay in another country for some time?

If you plan to live in another country for more than six months, you can continue to pay the premium to keep the coverage. Those who continue to pay the premium and maintain coverage may claim for emergency treatment or childbirth medical expenses while living outside of Taiwan. Proper documentation certifying the medical condition and expenses incurred is required for reimbursement application.

Those who choose to temporarily suspend the program may file an application with our office before departure. Upon returning to Taiwan, application to reactivate the coverage should be submitted. Those who choose to suspend the coverage, but return within the 6-month period need to repay the premiums to cover the period while absent from Taiwan.

It is different when Taiwan citizens leave Taiwan for more than two years. Their Household registrations will be temporarily suspended and not be qualified for the NHI until they update and re-activate their Household registrations.

Q2: Non-Taiwanese Citizens

Resident individuals from Hong Kong, Macau, China, or other foreign countries who hold valid residency documents in Taiwan (i.e., resident certificate for the Taiwan area, resident and entry-exit permit for the Taiwan area, alien resident certificate, alien permanent resident certificate, and other certificates for long-term residence in the Taiwan Area recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare) should enroll in NHI the day that any of the following qualifications is met:

1. Employed by a specific employer; the employee must be enrolled from the first day of their employment.
2. Individuals who are not employed should enroll in NHI upon completing six full months of staying in Taiwan after obtaining their resident certificate; "staying for six full months" meaning the person has stayed in Taiwan for six consecutive months after entering into Taiwan with residency 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.
3. Starting from December 1, 2017, newborn infants with foreign nationalities born in Taiwan who are holders of valid resident certificates should be enrolled in NHI since their date of birth.
4. The Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals was promulgated on February 8, 2018. The Act stipulates that the families of foreign professionals hired to engage in professional work in Taiwan, including their spouses, children under the age of majority, and children over the age of majority who are unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities, should be enrolled in NHI as dependents of said foreign professional upon obtaining their resident certificate; the enrollment should start on the day that the resident certificate is issued.
5. As of October 25, 2021, the implementation of the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals stipulates that foreign special professionals and foreign senior professionals who are qualified to be insured persons as employers or self-employed business owners, their spouses, children under the age of majority, and children over the age of majority who are unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities should be enrolled in NHI upon obtaining the resident certificate; the enrollment should start on the day that the resident certificate is issued.