Tips for Americans moving to Taiwan

General advice for visitors or for people moving here

Disclaimer: This post is under construction.


The rest of this post is only for people coming to stay a long time.

Considerations for getting an apartment

See the comment on "noise" in the link above, and avoid street noise from turning trucks.  Also look for an apartment with garbage service, so that you don't have to wait for the garbage truck every day.

Some apartments will have so-called "wet bathrooms", which means that there is a shower but no shower stall/curtain.   Basically, the whole bathroom is considered to be the shower stall.  This turns the bathroom into a watery mess, so most westerners will do best to avoid them.

You'll find a ledge at the doorway of a wet bathroom (or a western bathroom equipped with wet-bathroom drainage standards) to keep the water in, so don't stub your toe on it!   

Nutrition in Taiwan

I've actually been very unimpressed by the food here, although this surprises the natives.   (As far as Asian food goes, I liked the food in Singapore better.)  

The problem is that Taiwanese are even worse than Americans at recognizing healthy food.  (If you haven't read the books of Harvard prof, Walter Willett, the most-cited author in the academic nutrition literature, then get them:  Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide and Eat, Drink, and Weigh less.)  

Taiwan's favorite protein is Pork, they use too much sugar (even in peanut butter), and it's hard to get low-glycemic carbohydrates here.

Notes on phones, phone service, and how to keep and use your USA phone number in Taiwan

Note: One reason for keeping a US phone number is that some brokers will freeze your account if you are overseas, so you might want to avoid giving them the opportunity to hassle you.

Hardware issues: Frequency compatibility of phones

An unlocked Samsung phone I bought in Singapore worked in Australia, but not in the USA.  It worked in Taiwan, but wasn't fully compatible, giving spotty reception.  

The problem was that different countries (and different providers within the same country) use different radio frequencies for cellphones.    If you're an international person, the next time you buy a phone you'll want a phone with broad frequency coverage, and you might want a dual-SIM phone.  (Caveats: Google voice ameliorates the need for a dual-SIM somewhat.  Getting a phone that supports Wi-Fi calling also makes the frequency issue less important.)

When I got a new phone around October 2024, the frequencies for my carriers in the USA/Taiwan were:

T-mobile/MINT/Tello (the three are all the same network) frequencies: https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network

Chunghwa Telecom (and other Taiwan carrier) Frequencies:  https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/TW    Note that Taiwan recently shut down 3G, so any website showing 3G service is outdated.  I would have like to get the information from Chunghwa itself, but I couldn't find it on their website and customer service didn't know what I was talking about.

I picked a Google Pixel 8 phone model G9BQD, observing the frequency charts at:  https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7158570?hl=en   (I also wanted to make sure I had a phone supporting Wi-Fi calling, which it did.)

Disclaimer:  I've never used an Iphone, and I can't compare the Pixel to an Iphone.  However, one feature I like about the Pixel 8 is that I can say (out loud) "Hey google, translate it" and it will translate what is on the screen for me, particularly if I'm using an app showing Chinese Characters.  It does this by automatically taking a screenshot and running the screenshot through Google Lens.  It deletes the screenshot when I close it.  (I could do something similar on my 7-year-old Samsung phone, but it was a cumbersome manual process:  First take a screenshot, then open the screenshot in google photos, then tell it to use google lens, then tell google lens to translate, then delete the photo.)

Disclaimer: I haven't tried any other Taiwan cell companies besides Chunghwa, but I find Chunghwa to be an annoying company.  They force me into contracts of 1- or 2-years, or I don't get much cellular data.  However, I don't know if I'll live in Taiwan for an integer number of years, so some day I'm probably going to get stuck leaving Taiwan with the remainder of a contract that I don't want. 

Another hardware issue: Wi-Fi calling

My previous Samsung phone annoyingly did not support Wi-Fi calling!   The point of Wi-Fi calling is to connect to the cell network over Wi-Fi, so that you don't have to be in range of a cell tower.  This is very useful in international situations, because it teleports you to the USA to get around international roaming.  (However, if you're using Google Voice off of a USA number then you already avoid international roaming, as we will see.)

Hardware issue: Dual SIM phones

Before covid I was constantly traveling internationally for work, and I found it useful to have a dual-SIM phone.  This meant that when I arrived in a new country I could install a local SIM card while keeping my regular SIM card still active in my phone, albeit on international roaming.   

With Google voice I don't really need a Dual SIM phone to have both Taiwan and USA cell service, since the USA calls are handled by an app over Wi-Fi/Cellular Data, but if I travel to a third country then it would be nice to have a Dual SIM.  My current Google Pixel 8 has Dual SIM, one physical SIM and one eSIM.

A danger: SIM swap attacks on your phone

If someone gets control of your phone number, they may be able to reset your email and bank passwords using text messages from the bank/email provider.  Then they try to drain your money as fast as possible before you realize what is going on.

A common way a fraudster can do this is a so-called (but misleadingly named) "SIM swap" attack.  The fraudster calls up your phone company, pretends to be you, and claims to have lost his phone. A lax customer service rep (or a planted insider) may connect your phone service to his phone.  The name "SIM swap" is misleading, because the attacker doesn't have to actually steal your physical SIM card.  (However, he could secretly steal the SIM card out of your phone and replace it with a different one.)

More danger: Sham SIM cards

A less known way a fraudster can get control of your phone number is to sell you a fraudulent SIM card over Amazon or Ebay, perhaps one offering a cheap cellphone plan overseas!   Be particularly wary if the card comes pre-activated with the cell company, or if the SIM card seller tries to insert himself in the activation process.

The problem is that SIM cards are little re-programmable computers that are fully capable of rerouting calls.   That dodgy T-mobile SIM card bought over Amazon may look exactly like a real T-mobile SIM card, but it can be a on a completely different provider, routing calls through to a scammer's T-mobile account.  He can intercept or initiate calls/text messages from your number, impersonating you with a financial institution.

Phone company customer service generally doesn't know about this, and they'll tell you that you're safe once they have reset your passcode.  This is completely wrong:  You are only resetting the password on the attackers cellular account, but not on the cellular account for the fraudulent SIM card in your phone that is secretly on another carrier entirely!  He can still intercept your phone calls and impersonate you with banks.

One way to check if you've been hacked this way is to call the phone company and check to see if the IMEI number of your device matches the IMEI number of the phone connected to your service.  If the IMEI numbers don't match then you've been hacked.  Another dead give away is that your bill shows a call received shortly after activation of service as outgoing when your on-phone call logs show the call as incoming!  (This is the attacker calling your phone to program the fraudulent SIM card.)

Google Voice: The cheapest and safest way I know to keep and use my USA phone number

My current system for keeping my USA number for free in Taiwan and for avoiding SIM swap attacks is to use Google Voice.   Under this system:
  1. I keep my long-held USA phone number for free.  I ported my long-held phone number to Google voice.
  2. When someone calls my long-held USA number, the call goes to my Android/Apple Google voice app on my phone here in Taiwan.  Google charges me NOTHING for this.  The call goes over Wi-Fi or uses my cellular data from my Taiwanese provider.  (I can also make calls on my computer.)
  3. When I make an outgoing call on the Google voice app to the USA, the caller sees my regular number in caller ID and I pay NOTHING for this.  My number is resident at Google, not at a regular phone company.
  4. I expect my Google Voice service is more secure against SIM Swap attacks than regular phone service from T-mobile/AT&T/Verizon ect.  Indeed, I set up Google Voice to run off its own Google account (not the one I use for email), and I secured that account with a strong password and Google Advanced Protection using Yubikey hardware protection. 
  5. Most of my financial institutions send 2FA to my Google Voice number without complaint.  However, one of them will not, but I use 2FA off of their authenticator app to access that account.
  6. If I go back to the USA then I'll activate Tello phone service (see below) and have Google Voice use Tello cellular data.  (I won't use voice minutes, though, since calls will still be over Google voice, routed over cellular data.)

Note: I initially didn't realize that (once google voice is set up) I could cancel my US cellular service and continue to use Google Voice, until I saw this post on Reddit telling me how to configure Google Voice for this.

Tello phone service

I prefer using Google voice and not having any cellular bill at all from the USA while I'm in Taiwan.  However,
  1. If you are already in Taiwan and your USA cell service doesn't work here then you'll have trouble activating google voice.  (We'll se a way around this, at least if you have an eSIM.)
  2. When you travel temporarily back to the USA you'll want cellular data so that Google Voice will work there without Wi-Fi.
  3. You might have a pesky bank that insists on a non-Google Voice number for 2FA.
I have found Tello to be an excellent solution for all of the above:
  1. Tello allows activation of an eSIM (but not a physical SIM) while you're overseas, connecting your phone to the network over Wi-Fi.  Activation was instantaneous here in Taipei, since I had a dual-SIM phone with an available eSIM.
  2. Tello gives you T-mobile's network without paying for the brand name.  
  3. You can make and receive calls anywhere by Wi-Fi calling, without paying roaming, so long as your phone supports Wi-Fi calling.  
  4. Tello doesn't lock you into a contract. You can get it for a month to set up google voice and be done with it.  If you go back to the USA you can start service back up again, but you'll only need it for data, since calls will be handled by Google Voice off your regular number.
  5. Tello has a special cheapo $5/month plan with 100 minutes of calls, text messages, and no data.  You can increase the plan when you're back in the USA, but you'll mostly just care about data, since calls are over Google voice.
  6. If your bank absolutely insists you have a USA phone number and won't accept Google voice, then you can keep the $5/month Tello number just to get text messages from your bank.  You'll only use the cell number for the bank, making it harder for a fraudster to discover.

Making calls with Apps such as WhatsApp/Signal/LINE.

One way to call internationally for free (not just back home to the USA by Google Voice) is to use an app like WhatsApp or Signal, assuming your contact also has the app.  The US government has recently encouraged people to use such apps because of Chinese hacking of the US phone networks: https://www.yahoo.com/news/fbi-says-everyone-encryption-apps-210000364.html

People in Taiwan (and some other countries) often make local calls with apps (the LINE app is popular for that in Taiwan) because they are in phone plans where data is cheaper than minutes.  The LINE app is a convenient way to pay for things in Taiwan:  You scan a QR code and the app asks you to approve the charge.  This works in stores and on some websites, and it seems safer than entering a credit card number into a website.

USA Tax Gotchas to avoid

Note that the USA requires its citizens abroad to file US taxes every year.  

Reporting foreign accounts:  Depending on the amount in your foreign financial accounts, you may have to file an FBAR with the treasury and also file IRS form 8398.   Failure to do so can result in draconian penalties, which are basically targeted at people hiding money overseas for money laundering, dodging taxes, or concealing money from creditors.

PFICs:  Foreign mutual funds and (in principle) shares in foreign companies operating at a loss can be a tax timebomb, with draconian taxes at greater than 100% on long-term investments.   See the article PFICs gone wild by Monica Gianni.    If you can't avoid holding one, get one that issues an annual so-called "PFIC annual information statement", and file IRS form 8621 in a timely manner each year.   Not filing form 8621 is financial suicide if the investment is held for the long-term.

I've found it easier to just keep my investments in US financial institutions.  Warning: Some USA brokers will freeze your account and restrict you to withdrawals only if you change your address to a foreign address. It is best to sort that out before you leave.

Alien digital citizen certificates

It's worth picking up an Alien Digital Citizen Certificate if you're in the immigration office.  See
It looks pretty useful to have one if you fly out of Taiwan and need to access certain online Taiwan government services.  Whether or not you get an Alien digital citizen certificate, you'll want one of these digital card readers, which are useful for ATM cards, Alien digital citizen certificates, and health insurance cards.  You'll need one to file Taiwan taxes online, which can be done with your health insurance card.

Chinese name

I got a Chinese name by telling the immigration office to put one on my ARC.  I wish I had done this when I first arrived in Taiwan (maybe when I just got my Taiwan ID number), so that I could have put the Taiwanese name (in addition to my English name) on my bank and credit cards.  The reason is that there are a few annoying shopping websites that require a chinese name for credit card payments.  (I get around that annoyance by paying using the LINE app.)

My friend found me a website that finds a Chinese name that sounds close to my English name, but you might have fun picking a name that means something.  (Chinese names usually mean something, like Native American Names such as "Sitting Bull".)

Banks

Banking in Taiwan is very inconvenient by Western standards.

I got an account at Hua Nan bank, which I regret, because it won't let me make online transfers because I'm a foreigner.  (I wonder if they'd let me do it if I spoke Mandarin, since they may assume that i'm not capable of using their app in Chinese.)  I'm going to visit a different branch of Hua Nan to see if they'll activate online transactions. 

Why would I make online transfers?  Well, Taiwan is different from the USA in that a lot of things are paid for by bank transfer, instead of by check, so make sure you get a bank that will let you do this online.   The inconvenience for me is that two times a month I have to go to the ATM to pay bills (rent and credit card).  I can't do this in one trip because the total is more than the daily limit for ATM transfers.  If I ever get hospitalized or fly overseas this could be a big problem.   (I wouldn't even be able to wire money out of the account, since they make me go in person to the branch to do that.)

Another peculiarity of my bank (and probably other Taiwanese banks) is that they don't have the concept of a monthly bank statement.  Instead, they give you a paper book that can be inserted into a machine at the bank to print out an updated list of your transfers.   Every December 31 I log onto my account to print the last year's worth of transactions to a pdf file.

It is also notable that Taiwan's post office also serves as a bank.  I haven't tried using them, but I'm curious whether they're better than Hua Nan.

Credit cards

Most of my spending is on Foodpanda (and a bit less on UberEats).  There are credit cards that give cash back on Foodpanda.  If I were starting over again I'd consider getting one of those credit cards.  (Note:  I still avoid public places because of the risk of (long) covid, so I'm not going into another bank to sign up if I can help it.)

I haven't comparison shopped credit card benefits, so I could probably do better.

Paxlovid

Paxlovid is harder to get in Taiwan than in the USA.  I know people in their 50s who could not get it here.  A USA doctor can prescribe it to be (legally in both USA and Taiwan) brought in with you at the airport.  However, the storage temperature range on Paxlovid is 20C to 25C, so you'll have to keep the AC running to keep it over the summer.  (I asked a chemist working for a big pharma if it actually mattered if it got to cold, and she said that it very well could but that she didn't know specifically.)

VPN

Some websites just won't work from Taiwan, including ones you wouldn't expect.   It's worth signing up for a VPN.  I use hide.me, and connect to it when a website is misbehaving.

Unusual Taiwan culture regarding postage stamps

Taiwan appears to be a bit more fixated on being fair with very small sums of money than I have observed in the rest of the world.   This is particularly evident when it comes to postage stamps.  For example, when I first arrived in Taiwan, my employer required me to go to the NTU hospital for a medical exam.   I don't know what the exam cost, but it included an X-ray and some blood tests, and I assume it cost my employer $100 USD or more.  What surprised me is that the hospital absolutely refuses to mail you the results unless you bring a stamp along, because the stamp is not included in the fee!   Postage here is cheap (the country isn't very big), but if you don't have it then you're out-of-luck and you'll have to return in person.

Similarly, when I renewed my ARC at the Immigration Agency, I found they refuse to mail you the new card unless you give them a stamp.  In the USA, the postage would be included in the price of renewal, but not so here, apparently to be fair to the few people who prefer to return in person.

This issue became (from the American viewpoint) most bizarre when I asked my boss's secretary to mail me a 1-page document to save me a 45-minute walk to collect it.  She mailed the document, but she sent me an email afterwards that she'd never do that again because it took her 2 hours to fill out the paperwork for the stamp!   I apologized and explained that in the USA that stamps are like water-fountains, where nobody pays attention to the cost.

I have sometimes wondered if concern with small costs is why most of the restaurants here won't accept credit card. 

Website misbehavior caused by browser translation of webpages

Automatic translation of webpages in Chrome is a life-saver, but occasionally it makes websites behave erratically.   (This is particularly annoying when you're trying to renew your immigration or pay your Taiwan taxes online.)  I didn't realize what the problem was when I first arrived here, and I  misattributed the problem to apparent low-standards for software engineers here.

Toilet paper

This is gross, but if you're coming to Taiwan you'll encounter this issue, so I might as well get it over with for you:  Many landlords will put it in the lease that you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet, and you'll see signs in public bathrooms in non-government buildings saying not to flush toilet paper. 

Many Taiwanese will insist that one shouldn't flush toilet paper, however I've noticed that in my apartment building there aren't any red trash bags (used for toilet paper) in the garbage room. Regardless, there is nothing more gross in a public bathroom than a cockroach running out of the (used) toilet paper can at you when you're trying to do your business. 

Sometime back the government of Taiwan had a campaign to encourage to people to flush the toilet paper instead of throwing it in the garbage, but it hasn't fully caught on:

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/07/13/2003803140 

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2017/01/24/2003663693

I asked a US-trained architect working in Taiwan if there is any difference between US and Taiwan plumbing, and he didn't know any.  I think that the problem has nothing to do with the plumbing, although

  1. If the country switches over to flushing, there will be a lot of people who never learned how to avoid clogging the toilet  by not overloading it when they were kids.  Janitors hate this, so they put signs in the stalls telling people not to flush.
  2. Even in the USA you can clog a toilet if you use the wrong kind of paper (paper towels for example), and indeed if you were planning not to flush you might use something sturdy like a paper towel.  Toilet paper for toilets is made so that the fibers separate when it gets wet, making it less durable than a paper towel but unlikely to clog the toilet.  In particular, make sure to get toilet paper marked as flushable.  (Use google lens to translate, or buy this brand from 7-11:   


Renewing your Alien Resident Certificate

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

When I went to get my Alien Resident Certificate renewed I didn't realize that the required "employment certificate" was different from my "work permit".  (I assumed that they were different english translations of the same word.)

The chinese version of the employment certificate has a code you'll need to renew your ARC online, but it is missing from the English version.


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