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.
44 Comments
 Happy Ghost Month! In Taiwan and many other Asian countries where Buddhism or Taoism is practiced, ghost month (鬼月 Guǐ Yuè), or the seventh month of the lunar calendar, is an important festival when it is believed that the dead come to visit the realm of the living, and it is an important time for…Read More
Table of Contents
Historical and Religious BackgroundGhost festival originated in ancient India based on the Yulanpen or Ullambana Sutra in which a child searches for his deceased parents, and is told that he is able to assist his parents by offering food on the 15th day of the seventh month. The 15th day of ghost month is also known as Zhongyuan Festival 中元節 Zhōng Yuán Jié, or Pudu 普渡 Pǔ Dù), when it is believed that the dead from both heaven and hell are opened to allow the dead to visit the living on earth. This festival is practiced in both Buddhism and Taoism, which are the major religions in Taiwan. Spirits without descendants, or spirits in hell, are believed to be able to wander the earth for the entire month. These ghosts are thought to be hungry and in need of entertainment. Therefore, people prepare offerings of incense, food, and paper “ghost money,” for the ghosts to enjoy and spare any misfortune on their families. Ceremonies are also held by Taoist and Buddhist priests to try and relieve the suffering of these ghosts. Water lanterns or burning boats on the water are also used to guide ghosts back to the underworld.  Applying for credit cards in Taiwan can be scary and confusing. Many banks may reject you outright or ask for a Taiwanese guarantor to co-sign on the card. However, there are many banks in Taiwan that do not require a guarantor and are friendly to foreigners. There are also many great credit card deals out there in Taiwan that can help you save money, receive special, benefits, and earn rewards. In this blog, we will list some of the best credit cards out there for foreigners in Taiwan.
Full blog: https://taiwantravelblog.com/taiwan-credit-card-guide 
Typical interior of a Taiwan local bank.
Banking in Taiwan as a foreigner can be a frustrating experience, especially with a language barrier and cultural gaps. Banking still is a major pain even for long-time residents. However, we have made this guide to help make banking in Taiwan a little easier, more efficient, and more beneficial, especially for expats new to Taiwan.
For a comparison of banks in Taiwan, you can check out our Taiwan Bank Comparison Guide here. You can also check out our Taiwan credit card guide here. Note: The following Q+A is based on personal experience and is for reference only. this is not an exhaustive analysis of Taiwan's banking sector. Each bank has different policies, and the employees in the banks may not even know their own policies for foreigners. My Overall Experience Banking as a Foreigner in Taiwan 外國人在台灣使用銀行的個人心得: My experience banking in Taiwan has been a mixed bag. Besides lots of wait times and loads of paperwork, I have noticed that many banking functions are not available for foreigners, such as buying stocks and bonds, buying gold, and buying mutual funds. It took me an entire month to buy mutual funds for my kids. First I went to the bank to ask how to do it. Then they gave me forms to fill out. I filled them out and brought them back to the bank. They said the forms were filled out wrong. I corrected them and went back to the bank. They said because it was Saturday they could not process the account (post office bank) so I had to go back on a weekday. I went back on a weekday. Later, they said that some documents were still not okay. I went back and fixed the documents again. After that, I waited for the mutual fund account to open. Then I had to go back and transfer money into the accounts. In the end, simply buying mutual funds took me three weeks and six(!!!) trips to the bank, wasting countless hours of my time. I cannot think of a more inefficient process that I have ever been a part of. All of this being said, banking in Taiwan still gets the job done most of the time, and foreigners are able to move their money freely because Taiwan does not have foreign exchange controls. 
The nursery or "infant room 嬰兒室 Yīng'ér shì," where the baby will stay for three days after birth.
Taiwan is a safe, inexpensive, and convenient place to give birth. Taiwan has a world class healthcare system, capable doctors, and top of the line medical facilities. If you are hesitant about whether or not you want to give birth in Taiwan, let me tell you now that there is nothing to worry about, and having a baby in Taiwan will be fine. I have created this brief guide here for you so that you can understand a little more about what it is like to give birth in Taiwan.
Forward: Please note that I am writing this blog and FAQ section from the perspective of an American father, married to a Taiwan National, covered by Taiwan's National Health Insurance. I have recently gone through the birth of two children in Taiwan, born in 2017 and 2020. One was born in a private local clinic and the other was born in a public city hospital.
This blog will begin with my experience, and at the end there is a frequently asked question (FAQ) section.
|
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
|
RSS Feed