What to do if you get sick in Taiwan? A Comprehensive Guide to Medical Care for Expats

(FWA 2025/11/21)Living in a new country can be challenging, especially when health issues arise. This guide provides essential information on what to do if you get sick in Taiwan, including how to find clinics, use the National Health Insurance (NHI), and access bilingual medical resources to ensure you receive the care you need.

I. Where should I go to see a doctor?

1. Prioritize “Clinics”

• When to go: Mild symptoms such as colds, fever, gastroenteritis, skin itching, and minor trauma.

• How to find one: Use the Ministry of Labor’s LINE@ E-LINE, and enter the “Foreign Worker Friendly Healthcare Map” section to search for nearby clinics.

2. Sickness on Holidays: Use “Urgent Care Centers (UCC)”

• Don’t rush to the ER: Emergency Rooms (ER) in large hospitals in Taiwan mainly handle life-threatening critical conditions. If you only have a fever or stomach pain but are conscious, going to the ER is expensive (Registration fee + Co-payment can exceed NT$700~1,000) and requires a long wait.

• New Choice – UCC: For urgent medical needs such as fever, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, simple wound suturing, and acute pediatric discomfort, you can go to the “Urgent Care Centers” established in the six special municipalities.

• Cheaper Cost: Emergency registration fee approx. NT$80-250 + Emergency co-payment NT$150.

List of UCC Pilot Institutions in Six Municipalities

(Source: 114.10.31 List of UCC Locations in Six Municipalities)

3. Bilingual Friendly Hospital List

If your condition is severe or you are worried about language barriers, please refer to the list of bilingual friendly hospitals approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare1.

II. Essential Tools for Inquiry and Communication

1. LINE@ E-LINE (Friendly Healthcare Map)

• Medical Guide: Graphic instructions on registration, consultation, and picking up medicine.

• Real-time Translation: Built-in function to take photos of medicine bags, receipts, or hospital announcements for text translation.

• One-click 1955 Call: Connects to three-way interpretation services.

• Operation: Add the LINE official account (@1955mw_tw) -> Select “Foreign Worker Friendly Healthcare Map” -> Click “Map of Medicine“.

2. 1955 Three-way Interpretation Hotline

• Function: Provides 24-hour toll-free service. When the doctor cannot understand your description, dial 1955 directly, and an online interpreter will assist you in communicating with the doctor.

3. NHI Express APP (Simplified Authentication Version)

• Function: Expats no longer need to find a computer, buy a card reader, or rush to the NHI counter to register.

• How to Register: Whether you are a national or an expat, as long as you use a “Monthly Plan (Postpaid)” mobile number registered in “Your Own Name” and use “Personal 4G/5G Mobile Network“, you can complete authentication by entering the following 3 items on your phone:

  • Last 4 digits of NHI Card number

  • Mobile phone number

  • Residence Permit Number (UI No.)

• Consultation: If you have operational problems, call the NHI Administration consultation hotline: 0800-030-598; for mobile phones, please dial 02-4128-678³.

III. My NHI Status

1. Blue-collar Migrant Workers

• Effective Date: Insured from the Date of Employment (Date of Entry), with no waiting period.

• Processing: The employer should process it within 3 days; for domestic workers who complete training through the One-Stop Service, the NHI Administration will automatically enroll them and issue the card.

2. Foreign Professionals

• General Employees: Insured from the Date of Employment.

• Specific/Senior Professionals (Gold Card/Plum Blossom Card): The individual and their dependent relatives can be insured immediately after receiving the Residence Permit, without the 6-month waiting period restriction.

3. International Students

• General Rule: Insured starting from the date of residing in Taiwan for 6 full months.

• Exception: If permitted to work in Taiwan and employed, the employer should insure them from the Date of Employment (no waiting period).

4. New Immigrants

• Unemployed: Insured as a dependent starting from the date of residing in Taiwan for 6 full months after receiving the Residence Permit.

• Employed: Insured from the Date of Employment.

5. Foreign Newborns

• Definition: Foreign national infants born in Taiwan who hold a Residence Permit.

• Effective Date: Insured from the Date of Birth, no need to wait for 6 months.

IV. Medical Costs and Subsidies

1. Comparison of Medical Costs

• Clinic: Registration Fee (approx. NT$150-$250) + Basic Co-payment (NT$50).

• Hospital Outpatient: Registration Fee + Co-payment (Regional Hospital approx. NT$240 / Medical Center approx. NT$420).

2. Mental Health Support

• If you experience psychological stress while living and working abroad, the government provides relevant resources:

  • Psychological Consultation Service (New Immigrants): New immigrants who hold a residence permit but have not yet established household registration can apply for community psychological consultation station services or referrals from the “Department of Mental and Oral Health, MOHW”.

  • Young and Middle-aged Generation Mental Health Support Scheme: For those aged 15-45 holding an NHI card, 3 free counseling sessions per person are provided (only registration fee is required). The activity runs until the end of 2025.

3. Prenatal Checkups and Fertility Subsidies

• Prenatal Checkups: Foreign spouses of R.O.C. nationals are entitled to subsidies for 14 prenatal checkups, 1 ultrasound, and Group B Streptococcus screening.

• Fertility Regulation: Low-income or foreign spouses in special circumstances who meet the qualifications are provided with subsidies for contraceptive devices, sterilization, etc..

4. Publicly Funded Vaccines and Disease Control

• Public Vaccines: Foreign nationals holding a Residence Permit who meet the qualifications (such as German Measles vaccine for women of childbearing age, children’s vaccines, flu vaccines, etc.) can receive free vaccinations.

V. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What if I get sick but haven’t received my NHI card yet?

• Don’t Worry: As long as you meet the NHI eligibility (e.g., migrant worker already employed, newborn already born), your rights are effective even if the card hasn’t arrived.

• Procedure: Please bring a copy of the “Insurance Enrollment Report Form” (ask your employer or insuring unit) and your “Residence Permit” to the medical institution and fill out the “Exception Medical Care List” to see a doctor with NHI status.

Q2: Will my NHI be interrupted during the job transition period (changing employers)?

• No Interruption: As long as your Residence Permit is valid and you continue to reside in Taiwan, after the original employer handles the withdrawal, the new employer should handle the continued enrollment (effective date is the date of consecutive employment). If there is a gap period, you should continue to be insured according to regulations; please do not stop paying premiums on your own.