Getting Married in Taiwan FAQ 在台灣結婚常見問題

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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. For an experience of a foreigner marrying another foreigner, check out this blog by Sam.

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:

Source: https://orgws.kcg.gov.tw/001/KcgOrgUploadFiles/187/relfile/12861/25565/7f3b0a3e-d24a-4657-ad13-88dbfe0c17bf.pdf
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​Q: How do you get married in Taiwan?
A: Take the above required documents to the local house registration office in Taiwan (戶政事務所) with your future spouse, and tell them you would like to register for marriage.
The marriage certificate in English and Chinese is about 100 NT.
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Q: How do I get a notarized and authenticated statement of singleness (單身證明) (that you are not married) from my home country?
A: If you are not sure about this, ask the consulate or representative office of your country in Taiwan, or ask the Taiwan rep office in your country. If you are an American in Taiwan, AIT gives a great explanation here.
As an American, I had to do the following:

1. Make an appointment at AIT
2. Swear an oath that I was not currently married
3. Pay a $50 USD fee, and receive the notarized document
4. Take the document to the nearest MOFA office in Taiwan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to translate and authenticate the document (300 NT plus translation fee)
5. After five working days, you can pick up the authenticated document from the MOFA and go get married in Taiwan

Q: As a foreigner, can I get married to another foreigner in Taiwan?
A: Yes, the process is the same. The only difference is both parties will need a notarized and authenticated statement of singleness from their home country. 
However, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not recognize marriages between foreigners contracted in Taiwan, so if you are a foreigner marrying another foreigner, it may be easier to get married overseas first especially if one of you needs to apply for a dependent ARC. 
However currently under the MOI's current rules, same-sex unions where one partner is from a country or region where gay marriage is illegal cannot be registered in Taiwan. Alegal case is underway to try to overturn this rule. Also, same sex couples are currently barred from adopting children. 
For more information, check out this blog by Sam. 

​Q: How do I get my family/dependent ARC (依親居留證) after getting married as a foreigner in Taiwan?
A: Take the following documents to the immigration office (or Taiwan consulate overseas):

• Application form
• 2 photos
• Passport original and copy
• Health check (physical) from a Taiwan authorized local hospital in the last three months. No need to poop in a cup.
• Your spouse's ARC or Taiwan ID (if they already have one, otherwise you cannot apply for a dependent ARC)
• Marriage certificate original and photo copy
• Other documents depending on your nationality

It takes about 10 working days to get your ARC after applying.
The best thing about this type of ARC is that you do not need a work permit when being employed in Taiwan.

Q: What if my home country does not recognize Taiwan as a state/country at all or vice versa?
A: Then it may be very hard to get the statement of singleness, or Taiwan may require you to register for marriage in your home country first. Please consult with the Taiwan office in your home country, your country's office in Taiwan, or the Taiwan immigration office.

Q: What if I am a national of a Southeast Asian country?
A: Then it may be very hard to get the statement of singleness, or Taiwan may require you to register for marriage in your home country first. Please consult with the Taiwan office in your home country, your country's office in Taiwan, or the Taiwan immigration office.

Q: How do you get divorced in Taiwan?
A: There are two ways to get divorced in Taiwan:

1. By mutual consent in writing
2. Through a Taiwan court, by proving adultery (not considered a crime anymore), ill treatment, etc.

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Q: Is adultery a crime in Taiwan?
A: Not anymore.

Q: Is same-sex/gay marriage allowed in Taiwan?
A: Yes, Taiwan was the first country in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. However it is only allowed for foreigners who are citizens of countries in which same sex marriage is legal.
Currently under the MOI's current rules, same-sex unions where one partner is from a country or region where gay marriage is illegal cannot be registered in Taiwan. A legal case is underway to try to overturn this rule. 

Q: Is same-sex/gay marriage to foreigners allowed in Taiwan?
A: Yes, however it is only allowed for foreigners who are citizens of countries in which same sex marriage is legal.
Currently under the MOI's current rules, same-sex unions where one partner is from a country or region where gay marriage is illegal cannot be registered in Taiwan. A legal case is underway to try to overturn this rule. ​

Q: Do women usually change their last name after marriage in Taiwan?
A: No, most do not legally change their name. However they may sometimes still be called by their husband's last name.

Q: Who's parents' last name do children use in Taiwan?
A: Usually children in Taiwan will take their father's last name. However it is not uncommon for children to take their mother's name, especially for a son if there are no other male children in the mother's family.

Q: What are cultural norms for marriages in Taiwan?

• Marriage registration at the household office usually happens before the marriage ceremony
• Taiwan marriage ceremonies include the couple bowing and making promises to the couple's parents.
• Usually a large banquet is held with many guests around large tables. Photos are shown, songs are sung, and speeches are made. Usually guests are expected to bring money in red envelopes instead of gifts.
• The couple will change through a bunch of outfits, but mainly wearing western style wedding clothing
• The bride family gives out baked cakes to guests (喜餅)
• The groom is expected to pay a dowry
• The groom is expected to have a car and house by the time they are married. This means that many couples are getting married later and later as buying a house is out of the financial reach of many young people in Taiwan.

Q: What should I know before getting married to a Taiwanese person?

• Some Taiwanese people are not as open with their feelings as westerners, so you may have to spend some extra effort on communication
• Sometimes Taiwanese people may seem polite but really they are giving you the silent treatment. Communication is key.
• Sometimes Taiwanese people can be very mean to their children and spouses, mainly because they do not know how to communicate well. This can be true of all people regardless of race. ​Communication is key. 
• Don't take offense when none is intended.
• If you offend your spouse, find out why and apologize.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.

​Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out the rest of our FAQ guides to Taiwanhere.

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