(Please note that the following questions and answers are for reference only and are not a comprehensive list of regulations. Local laws and regulations are constantly changing, and different cities, counties, and private property owners have differing droning rules. Please double check with Taiwan's Civil Aviation Bureau, local authorities, national parks, or property owners if you have any doubts about flying your drone in a certain area.

​Flying a drone (quadcopter, RC helicopter, remote UAV etc.) in Taiwan can be fun, safe, and positively impact the community if you do it right. For some of our own drone videos in Taiwan, check out the video below, as well as my drone playlist on Youtube, and don't forget to subscribe to our Youtube Channel here.

In Taiwan, funerals and death rituals are very different that funerals in the west. Taiwan's funeral rites are influenced by Buddhism, Taoism, ancestor worship, and folk religion. In this blog, we will explore the different funeral rituals and rites, and let you know what you can expect at a Taiwanese funeral.

Foreword: Please note this blog and FAQ section are written from the perspective of a long-term American expat married to a Taiwanese spouse. Part of the facts for this blog have been taken from personal experience attending multiple funerals in Taiwan, and also from research such as Chinese anthropology classes and other research.

Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was the capital of Taiwan for over 200 years. It is also said to be the culinary capital of Taiwan, with many traditional Taiwanese snacks that originated here. Surrounded by historical sites, from the Dutch, Koxinga, and Qing Dynasty, it is a great place to enjoy Taiwan's interesting history and its delicious cuisine.

Below I will list out some of the best places in Miaoli that I have visited. I will be sure to update this blog as I visit more places later. 

How to get around in Tainan?
As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. However, you can also a great deal of Tainan by taking the train, inter city bus, local bus, or bicycle (T-bike rental). 

When to go?
Tainan is great year round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and heavy rain season lasts from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is dryer. 

You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below:

Are you looking for a cheap foreign country to retire in? Look no further than Taiwan. Taiwan has been named as the number one best place for expats to live for multiple years. The local people are very friendly to foreigners in general, especially rich expats from western countries. Taiwan also has a low cost of living, one of the best healthcare systems in the world, a safe environment, convenient transportation, and a free democratic society. You will not regret spending your retirement in Taiwan. 

Please note that this guide is written from the point of view of a heterosexual American marrying a Taiwanese National. For other types of marriages in Taiwan, double check with the your home country's consulate or office in Taiwan. 

Generally speaking, getting married in Taiwan is not that complicated. Typically, you should only require the following documents, and apply for marriage at the local house registration office:

​Q: What documents do I need to get married in Taiwan?
A: Marriage in Taiwan required documents:

• Passports/ARCs/Taiwan national IDs of you and your future spouse
• Written marriage agreement (結婚書約 see sample below)
• Two adult witnesses to sign the written marriage agreement
• Notarized and Authorized Statement of singleness (單身證明) (that you are not married) from your home country. This is also required for your future spouse if he/she is not a Taiwan national.

Marriage agreement (結婚書約) sample below:

There are roughly 750,000 legal foreign residents in Taiwan. All of them are individual people with different viewpoints and experiences. As a platform that calls itself "foreigners in Taiwan" we cannot represent every person at once. In fact, we are just Americans living in Taipei. Some people like to separate foreigners into different groups, but it is important to remember there is not just one type of foreigner, there are many of us and all of our voices should be heard.
Unfortunately, most foreigners in Taiwan are working in inhumane conditions, being exploited for cheap labor. Most of their hardships go unseen and unheard.

Taiwan is one of the best places for expats to live in the whole world. It can be easy to enjoy your life here. However, sometimes differences in the culture, food, people, and environment can get you down. Therefore we have listed some advice for expats so that they can live their best life in Taiwan and enjoy every moment here. 

Let's get started with the list.

Coming to Taiwan as a foreigner can be a lonely and scary experience. Luckily most foreigners that come to Taiwan find out that it is easy to make friends with Taiwanese people, who are mostly friendly and curious towards foreigners in general. Here are the five main reasons that foreigners find it easy to make friends with Taiwanese people. 

Hey all you Taiwan haters and long-term whiny expats, this is the article you have been waiting for. We are sick of writing Taiwan propaganda pieces, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty, why Taiwan sucks. Sure there are lots of good things about Taiwan, in fact, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, but to be fair and honest we must tell the whole story about the dark side of the best place for expats to live in the whole world.
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Taiwan's outer islands are some of the most beautiful and scenic places in the whole country, and each of them can be considered a secret paradise. You can find the best beaches, snorkeling, and diving on these islands. You can also find rich and important historical sites here. Transportation may be difficult, but you will never regret visiting Taiwan's outer islands, and no trip to Taiwan should be complete without doing it. 

In this blog, we will introduce the main outer islands in Taiwan that are open to tourists (there are 166 islands in Taiwan, this blog only covers a few), point out their unique traits, and compare them to each other.  This way you can best prepare for your trip to the outer islands, and at the same time know what you are missing out on. All the outer Islands are great, and I highly recommend visiting them all if you can.

Map: Please see a map of the islands covered in this blog below:

Whether you are coming to Taiwan for three days or for three years, it can be hard getting used to a new country, and new culture, and a new way of living. To help you out, we have prepared this guide to help you survive and thrive in this amazing country.

I have had many friends ask me if I know where they can stay in Taiwan that rents month to month, or for only a few weeks at a time. Whether it be for a short time contract, short term work, a business trip, or a short time study, it can often be hard to find suitable accommodation that will not cost you a fortune. Therefore we have created this frequently asked question guide to help foreigner travelers find short term hotels that have what they need.

Your decision between an extended stay hotel and a regular hotel depends on your preferences and what amenities you anticipate needing. You can, however, enjoy more benefits with extended-stay hotels in terms of features, flexibility in booking, and prices.

It's no secret Taiwanese people love foreigners in general. Taiwan is one of the most foreigner friendly countries on earth, especially when it comes to western foreigners, and it has constantly been named one of the best places in the world for expats. Here we will list the main reasons why Taiwanese people love foreigners. 

Renting an apartment in Taiwan can be confusing and frustrating. As a long term rental tenant and expat in Taiwan I have lived in over ten apartments and have dealt with all kinds of problems, from bad landlords to noise to bugs. I feel like my experience can help other expats searching for apartments in Taiwan, so I have created this guide and FAQ to help people avoid the mistakes that I have made in the past, and have a pleasant rental experience in Taiwan.
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Taiwan is strange and new to foreigners. Many things in Taiwan take foreigners by surprise. As Americans we want Taiwanese people to know what kind of questions foreigners have when first coming to Taiwan. This is by no means a complete list, but is written with the intent to help Taiwanese and Foreigners have a better understanding of one another’s culture.
台灣對外國人很陌生，很稀奇。台灣有的東西會把外國人嚇一大跳。身為美國人的我們想要讓台灣人了解我們外國人對台灣常發生的問號。這不是一個很完整的列表，只是為了讓台灣跟外國跟了解彼此的文化。

10. Why are There so Many Scooters? 怎麽這麽多機車？ 

A few years ago, it was popular to make lists with answers to: "you know you have lived too long in Taiwan when..." and I never got around to making one until now. So here is a recent, up to date, modern list of items to tell if you have lived too long in Taiwan. 

How do you renovate a house in Taiwan? With lots and lots of money. Blog over.
Just kidding. It is much more complex than that, and you will have to put in a lot of time, effort, planning, and decision making on your part. In this post, I will share with you in detail my personal experience renovating an old apartment in Taiwan for your reference. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone considering buying an old house or doing renovations themselves as a foreigner in Taiwan.

Two weeks ago I asked all of my followers which products they missed from their home country, and these are the results. In the process, a lot of people gave great suggestions on where to buy these products in Taiwan. I am giving out this information for free to anyone that wants to use it as market research, or wants to know which products people are missing in Taiwan, so that someone will start importing these products to us!

Which products do you miss from your home country that you wish were sold in Taiwan? I'll go first: graham crackers, Pop Tarts, and Old Spice.

It turns out that these three products have been found in Taiwan. 

Before you read this blog, for a general overview of house buying in Taiwan, check out the buying a house in Taiwan FAQ article here. 
You can also see our experience renting houses before we started considering buying in this blog. 

Buying a house was easy, once I had enough money. Can I stop there?

Okay first let me explain I am a middle aged American married to a Taiwanese national. I have lived in Taiwan about eight years already. ​

I am done renting apartments in Taiwan. I hope. I just bought an apartment here, so I think it is finally time to chronicle my experiences here for all to enjoy. I hope that some new foreigner will learn something from these experiences and not make the same mistakes.
 
In total I have rented four apartments in Taiwan. During that process I learned a lot about what to watch out for when you are looking for an apartment, especially from landlords and “amenities” provided.

Foreward: This blog has taken me countless hours over a few years to compile, so if you want to share the information or photos in this blog, please provide a link and proper citation back to this web page. 

The New Taiwan Dollar is the national currency of Taiwan (ROC), and it includes five main bills and five main coins that are currently in circulation. It is one of the sure signs that Taiwan is a free and independent nation.

Have you ever wondered what the meaning or significance of the designs on these bills? Well in this blog we will explore these in depth.

History:
Old Taiwan Dollar: Ever wonder what happened to the old Taiwan Dollar? It was the official currency of Taiwan after 1945, replacing the Japanese Yen that had previously been used at roughly the same price. It was discontinued in 1949 due to hyperinflation that hit China after WWII due to the Chinese Civil War, which also affected  Taiwan and the Taiwan Dollar. 
To help solve hyperinflation, the New Taiwan Dollar was created June 15, 1949 as the official currency of Taiwan, after the ROC lost the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan. The currency was valued as 1 New Taiwan Dollar to 40,000 Taiwan Dollars.

New Taiwan Dollar Beginnings: The New Taiwan Dollar currency was adopted as the official currency of the Republic of China only in 1961. Before that, Kinmen and Matsu had their own special currency notes, which have been discontinued. 
In 2001, the New Taiwan Dollar currency stopped being printed at the Bank of Taiwan, and is now printed at Taiwan's Central Bank.
The New Taiwan Dollar bills and coins have gone through many changes over the years, but most of them have included either Chiang Kai-shek or Sun Yat-sen on the face of the notes. After 1976 until 2001, most notes were either 10 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT, and 1000 NT. From then until now, there have been five generations or series of notes and coins. This blog will focus on the current fifth series. For a full list of historical notes, click here. 

Previous Versions: Before the year 2000, prior generations of bank notes were easily copied, as they lacked special marking and printing techniques. Counterfeit bills were often used in night markets and vegetable markets because they would not be scrutinized for their authenticity. In addition, former bills were less durable and could be ruined even if just put through a washing machine cycle. Although current bills can also still be ruined in a washing machine...sigh.
Also the fourth generation of bills(which began circulation in 1982) did not include a 20 NT coin or a 200 or 2000 NT bill; and people normally only used 1 NT, 5 NT, 10 NT, 50 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT, and 1000 NT. Because this was not very long ago, part of the reason the 20 NT, 200 NT, and 2000 NT are not widely used is because people are still used to using only 10 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT and 1000 NT.

Current Version: Starting in the year 2000, the central bank began printing the modern fifth generation version of New Taiwan Dollar notes that we use today. The current 100 NT note was first printed in 2000, the 200 NT and 2000 NT notes were first printed in 2001, and the current 500 NT and 1000 NT notes were first printed in 2004.
In 2001, the 20 NT coin was introduced, but other coins remained the same. 
New Taiwan Dollars can be denoted as TWD, NTD or NT$.

Common symbols on the New Taiwan Dollar:

• The Plum Blossom (梅花): This is the national flower of the ROC. You will see this symbol printed throughout many NT notes and coins. This flower represents resilience, because the plum blossom blooms in snow. This is a fitting analogy for the Republic of China that is struggling against all odds to remain a sovereign nation despite its neighbor bully communist China. Plum trees are also known for their longevity. The three buds of the flower represent the three principles of the people by Sun Yat-sen (三民主義). The five pedals represent the five branches of government, the five ethics of Confucianism, and five races under one union.
• The 'three friends of winter' (嵗寒三友): These are the plum tree (梅), pine tree (松), and bamboo (竹). These three plants thrive in the winter time, making them symbols of resilience and longevity in Chinese culture.  They represent the ROC overcoming in an adverse geopolitical situation. 
• The Lotus Flower (蓮花): The lotus flower has been an important symbol in Chinese culture for thousands of years. It represents purity and virtue as well as long life and prosperity. The lotus is also a symbol of the Buddha in Chinese Buddhism. 
• Sun Yat-sen: Who was Sun Yat-sen?
  He was a Chinese doctor and politician, who founded the Republic of China (ROC), which was the first formal government formed after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The ROC is a democratic government based on Sun's political philosophy of the three principles of the people: nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood. He also formed the Kuomintang (KMT) party. He served as president of the ROC for a short time and led the KMT, but died in 1925 before China was unified under his predecessor Chiang Kai-shek, and well before the ROC retreated to Taiwan. He is revered on both sides of the Taiwan straight as the a founding father of the PRC and ROC. ​
• Chiang Kai-shek: Who was Chiang Kai Shek?
  Chiang Kai-shek was a military leader and leader of the ROC. He led the nationalist army on the Northern Expedition that defeated Chinese warlords and unified China in 1928. In the process, he tried to destroy the Communist Party, which escaped and received help from Russia to defeat the ROC in the Chinese Civil War. After WWII, the tentative truce between communists and the ROC broke down and the communist forces launched an effective guerrilla warfare attack on KMT forces, gaining wide support from local people and driving out the KMT; many in KMT army were corrupt and could not keep a coherent fighting force. In 1949, KMT forces retreated to Taiwan, where they set up their government and instituted martial law. Under Chiang's Rule as dictator for life in the ROC during this time, the KMT committed crimes, killings, and unfairly imprisonment against the Taiwanese people and intellectual elites, known as the White Terror. Personal freedoms in Taiwan were limited and those that were suspected of being communists were imprisoned. Chiang sought to retake the mainland but never accomplished this goal, dying in 1975.
  He left a polarized image, with many in Taiwan revering him as a great leader, and others detesting him for killings and oppression during the White Terror. 

Current coins and bills in circulation (fifth series of the new Taiwan Dollar):

Buying a house in Taiwan can be confusing and stressful. It is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. To even consider buying a house in Taiwan, you have probably lived here for years, so many of the things I will mention in this blog may not be new to you.

​I have spent quite a few years looking for houses and saving money for a down payment, as well as figuring out all the costs and other factors involved in purchasing the right house. Also, I recently just bought a house in Taipei in 2021. I have created this guide and FAQ to help people understand the buying process, finding the right house, and saving the right amount of money needed to make a move.

For our blog covering our actual experience buying a house, see this blog here.
For our blog covering our actual experience renovating a house, see this blog here. 

The following is my personal insight as an American looking for houses mainly near Taipei City. 

In an effort to treat foreign residents equally, Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior responded to complaints of foreign residents by changing the ARC Uniform ID numbering system to match the format used by Taiwan citizens. Because of this, every foreigner must change their ARC number the next time they change or update their ARC card starting Jan. 1 2021. So what do you need to do after your ARC number has changed?

An APRC (short for Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, aka PR) is perhaps the most desirable immigration status for most foreigners in Taiwan. By simply living in Taiwan for five years or more in a row and meeting a few other requirements, you can enjoy permanent residency in Taiwan and an open work permit. However the process and requirements are not so straight forward depending on your situation, therefore we have created this guide to help answer some common questions.

Foreword: Please note that this guide is for reference only. The ultimate authority on what documents are required and whether or not your application will be accepted is the immigration bureau. Some of the information in the blog may be inaccurate for your specific situation. For clarifications, please call the foreigner hotline directly (toll free): 0800-024-111.
This information for this blog was taken from the NIA website and personal experience such as from calls to the immigration office, and in person visits to the immigration office. Personally I applied for an APRC as the spouse of a Taiwan national.

My personal experience getting my APRC was a confusing and difficult process. I made many mistakes along the way. I have listed some of the key takeaways from this process as follows. 

• I thought the five years for the APRC could be calculated using different ARC types. That is not true, you have to be on one ARC type for the whole five years.
• I thought the five years were calendar years, starting Jan. 1. But no, the count starts on the first day you were issued an ARC of the type you are still using. Because of this, my first application was rejected and I had to wait another year to apply.
• Double check when offices are open, and make sure you bring your passport everywhere with you just in case. Double and triple check you have all the required documents before you leave the door. 
• I forgot to write my middle name when applying for a Criminal Record Certificate. Luckily I was able to go back and fix it for free.
• I thought I did not have to apply for an open work permit because I have a Taiwanese spouse. That is not the case, even people with dependent ARCs must apply for a work permit after they receive their APRC. 

Now let's start the Q+A.

On the plane leaving Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport in 2014, I promised myself I would find a way to stay in Taiwan permanently. I had just finished a 90 day vacation on a visitor free visa, which included a round island trip, daily bike rides around Kaohsiung, and daily trips to the beach in Qijin. I was not going to let a 90 day visa stop me again from enjoying what still to me is the most beautiful Island in the world, and the most friendly place in the world to western foreigners.