NHI (National Health Insurance)

National Health Insurance (NHI) is the most essential form of coverage for seeking medical care in Taiwan. The university will continuously track your eligibility. Once requirements are met, the university will proactively initiate your enrollment and apply for your NHI card. You will be notified immediately to collect your card once it has been received.

What is the NHI?

The National Health Insurance (NHI) is a mandatory social insurance program in Taiwan.

• Mandatory Enrollment： Enrollment is required by law once you meet the residency eligibility criteria.

• Convenient Access： Your NHI card grants you access to the vast majority of hospitals and clinics across Taiwan.

• Affordable Care： Healthcare is highly affordable; most visits only require a small “Registration Fee” and “Co-payment,” covering the majority of medical exams and medications.

Enrollment Eligibility

You must hold a valid Alien Residence Certificate (ARC) and have resided in Taiwan for 6 consecutive months.

【Residency Start Date】

• International Students： Calculated from the entry date listed on your Resident Visa.

• Students from Hong Kong & Macau： Calculated from the date your Residency Permit was issued/exchanged.

• Dual Citizens with Taiwan ID： Calculated from the date of household registration (no travel restrictions apply).

⚠️ Travel Restriction： During the initial 6-month wait period, you are allowed only one exit from Taiwan for no more than 28 days. Exceeding this limit will reset your residency countdown to zero.

Premiums & Payments

NHI premium rates and subsidies for international students vary depending on your “student status”:

Payment Method

NHI premiums are included in your tuition fees and collected once per semester (covering 6 months).

• Semester 1： Sept. to Feb.
• Semester 2： March to Aug.

Detailed Regulations

All regulations are subject to the official announcements on the National Health Insurance Administration website: https://www.nhi.gov.tw/

🛡️ Bridging the Coverage Gap

If your initial group insurance expires before you are eligible for the NHI, the school provides a “Bridging Plan” to ensure continuous protection:

1. Medical Insurance

The school will enroll you in the “Medical Insurance” (approx. NT$ 500/month) to ensure you are covered until your NHI takes effect.

2. Automatic Transition

The OIA will monitor your residency status and automatically transition you to the NHI once eligible. No manual application is required.

💼 Working or Interning? NHI Notice

If you are interning or working part-time, please follow these NHI guidelines:

1. Employer-Based Insurance Priority

By ”National Health Insurance Act”, your employer must be your primary insurance provider. 

1. Please confirm your enrollment with your employer
2. Obtain “Proof of NHI Enrollment(健保加保證明書)” from your employer
3. Submit the proof to the OIA

2. Cancellation and Refunds

• To protect your rights, the OIA will only cancel your school-based insurance after confirming your employer has enrolled you.
• In case of double payment, the school will process a withdrawal and refund the excess premiums.

3. Coverage After Resignation

• If you quit or finish your internship, please notify the OIA immediately to transfer your insurance back to the school and avoid any lapse in coverage.

💡 Friendly Reminder: There have been cases where students required emergency surgery only to discover that their employer had failed to enroll them in the NHI program. Fortunately, the school’s backup system was in place to provide coverage. Please stay proactive about your insurance status and notify us immediately of any changes.