(TAIWAN) About 50 people are facing the loss of their Taiwanese household registration after Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency said it had confirmed they either held household registration in China or had obtained Chinese passports, a breach of Taiwanese law. The National Immigration Agency announced the cases on November 2, 2025, saying they had been referred to local household registration offices to cancel their status. The revocations would strip those individuals of the legal residency rights that underpin voting, access to health insurance and other civic benefits in Taiwan.
The National Immigration Agency said the action follows checks that confirmed dual status in China or possession of Chinese passports.
“About 50 people have been reported to household registration offices for revocation of their Taiwanese household status after evidence confirmed they held household registration in China or had obtained Chinese passports,” the agency said.
Under Taiwanese law, holding a Chinese resident identification card or a residence permit issued in China is treated the same as having household registration there, triggering automatic loss of legal residency in Taiwan.
The legal basis for the move is Article 9-1, Paragraph 1 of the Cross-Strait Act. The provision states:
“The people of the Taiwan Area may not have household registrations in the Mainland Area or hold passports issued by the Mainland Area.”
Authorities said the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior and household registration offices are coordinating enforcement with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as cases proceed. The measure applies to all nationals, and the government has told agencies to scrutinize whether public employees, including those in sensitive posts, hold documents issued by China.
Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang outlined the government’s approach earlier this year, warning of firm action if Taiwanese citizens were found to have Chinese identification.
“Taiwanese found holding a Chinese identity card would have their Taiwan identity card revoked,” she said in March.
She added that the Ministry of the Interior would notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Immigration Agency and household registration offices to cancel related identification and travel documents, including national health insurance, ID cards and passports. Officials say the aim is to uphold existing law, and that household registration remains the backbone of citizenship rights on the island.
Losing Taiwanese household registration means losing the right of abode in Taiwan as well as the right to vote, join national health insurance, and access other civil rights tied to residency. Authorities emphasized that a person’s status is clear in law: if an individual obtains household registration in China, or holds a Chinese passport or Chinese resident identification, they are treated as a resident of the “Mainland Area” and will be disqualified from having a Taiwanese household registration. That stance has been relayed to military personnel, civil servants and teachers, who are under special scrutiny given concerns about national security.
The enforcement push is part of President Lai Ching-te’s set of policies intended to counter China’s political influence. Officials describe the crackdown as one piece of the president’s 17 strategies to address national security risks and what Taipei calls “united front” operations by the Chinese Communist Party. The Mainland Affairs Council has warned that Beijing uses residency status as the administrative basis for household registration in the People’s Republic of China and accused Chinese authorities of blurring the lines between residence permits and household registration to pressure or entice Taiwanese. The council said the party is “deliberately undermining the status quo by blurring this distinction.”
The National Immigration Agency’s statement follows a series of recent cases that signaled a stricter approach. In September 2024, the government revoked the household registration and passport of a Taiwanese man living in China after he was found to hold a Chinese ID. Then, in April 2025, a teacher surnamed Jang lost his Taiwanese status after obtaining a household registration document in China, the first case under a new interpretation order that clarified how evidence from China would be weighed. Officials point to those cases as examples of how the Cross-Strait Act is being enforced in practice and as a warning that dual household status will not be tolerated.
In parallel with the 50 revocation referrals, authorities continue to process a much larger group of former Chinese nationals living in Taiwan who must show they have relinquished their household registration in China. The government said about 12,000 people were asked to provide proof of loss of their Chinese household registration. As of October 29, 2025, 7,835 had submitted the required documents, 2,317 had received extensions or made declarations, and 1,388 who had been abroad long term were placed under registry management. Officials put the completion rate for processing these cases at 95.1 percent. The Ministry of the Interior said these reviews are administrative checks separate from the revocation referrals but are guided by the same legal principle that dual household registration is not permitted.
Officials say that while most cases involve enforcement, some have been voluntary. Sixteen Chinese nationals who gained Taiwanese identity documents through marriage have renounced their Taiwan status, telling authorities they did so for reasons such as eligibility for social benefits or inheritance rights in China, or after the death of a Taiwanese spouse. Those cases, the government added, were handled through standard procedures, and the individuals were advised of the consequences of giving up Taiwanese household registration, including loss of residency-based benefits in Taiwan.
The National Immigration Agency has framed the current action as routine enforcement of clear legal boundaries. The Cross-Strait Act was designed to define the legal line between the “Taiwan Area” and the “Mainland Area” for residents who move across the Taiwan Strait. Officials say the law bars Taiwanese from holding a second household registration in China or using Chinese travel documents because such status could create conflicts of allegiance and legal confusion. Enforcement has focused on records and evidence, including Chinese resident ID cards, residence permits and household registry booklets, as well as passport information. Where those materials are present, authorities say the result under the law is straightforward.
Interior Minister Liu’s earlier comments foreshadowed the multi-agency steps now underway. She said the Ministry of the Interior would alert the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Immigration Agency and household registration offices to cancel identification and travel documents once a case is confirmed. The government added that agencies have been instructed to look closely at whether civil servants and other public employees maintain Chinese documentation, with penalties and personnel actions to follow where appropriate. While most cases are administrative, the government has hinted that those in national security roles could face further consequences.
For those affected, revocation means their name will be removed from household registers in Taiwan, cutting them off from the rights tied to residency. That includes voting, labor protections connected to residency, and enrollment in national health insurance. The Department of Household Registration manages the removal from the rolls, while the National Immigration Agency (form) updates residency records and may adjust immigration status if the person is no longer entitled to reside in Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then moves to cancel passports and other travel documents. The changes can have immediate daily effects, from access to hospitals to the ability to maintain public employment, and the government has urged people to check their status if they have lived or worked in China.
The Mainland Affairs Council’s warning describes the context for the crackdown. The council said the Chinese Communist Party treats residency as legally tied to household registration and that measures such as residence permits can serve as a step toward deeper registration in China. The council’s public statement accused Beijing of moving the goalposts in a way that confuses legal status across the Strait, arguing that the CCP is “deliberately undermining the status quo by blurring this distinction.” Officials in Taipei say this is why Taiwanese law draws a bright line and why the Cross-Strait Act carries clear prohibitions. They stress that household registration in Taiwan is not symbolic; it is the basis for citizenship rights, and the government will enforce the rules when evidence of Chinese registration appears.
The latest action by the National Immigration Agency follows months of reminders aimed at people with potential dual ties. In communications this year, the government said that anyone found holding a Chinese resident ID or a Chinese passport should come forward and clarify their status or face revocation. Agencies also advised public employees to confirm they are not holding documents issued by China. The ministry said it would continue case-by-case reviews and has published contact points for people with questions. The Department of Household Registration and the National Immigration Agency said they would respond to inquiries and provide guidance on legal obligations and documentation.
Cases like the teacher surnamed Jang illustrated how evidence from China would be handled. The government said that a household registration document from China was sufficient to trigger loss of Taiwanese status under Taiwan’s legal interpretation. In the earlier case in September 2024, the combination of a Chinese ID and residence in China led to both household registration and passport revocations on the Taiwan side. Officials point to those precedents as a clear message that holding Chinese status, whether formal registration or through key documents, is incompatible with Taiwanese household registration.
The National Immigration Agency underlined that the current batch of about 50 referrals is not a one-off. Investigations continue, and cases are being collected and sent to household registration offices as evidence is confirmed. Authorities did not release names but said the mix of cases includes people who had secured Chinese passports and those with documented household registration in China. While the numbers are small relative to Taiwan’s overall population, the legal impact is severe for those involved, and the government has emphasized that the rules apply uniformly, including to military personnel, civil servants and teachers.
Officials say the steps also aim to protect Taiwan’s administrative integrity. Household registration affects everything from property records to school enrollment to civic participation. Allowing dual registration would create conflicts in jurisdiction and raise questions about obligations to different legal systems. By enforcing the Cross-Strait Act, authorities say they are keeping the system consistent and reducing risks that people could be counted as residents in two places at once. The Ministry of the Interior argues that clarity protects both public services and national security, which is why the government has paired legal enforcement with President Lai Ching-te’s broader strategy to counter influence operations.
People with questions about their status or the documentation required can contact the Department of Household Registration or the National Immigration Agency. The government has urged those who once held Chinese household registration to ensure they have complete proof of its loss to avoid future problems in Taiwan. Among the approximately 12,000 former Chinese nationals asked to provide proof, 7,835 have already submitted documents, 2,317 have either received extensions or made formal declarations, and 1,388 who have lived abroad for extended periods are being monitored under registry management. With a 95.1 percent completion rate for processing those cases, the ministry says the review is on track.
The National Immigration Agency said it would continue to act on evidence and refer cases to household registration offices for cancellation when warranted. Authorities reiterated that the standard in law is clear and that the text of the Cross-Strait Act governs these decisions. For official guidance and updates, the public can consult the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior. Officials say the current effort is not about politics but about applying the law as written:
“The people of the Taiwan Area may not have household registrations in the Mainland Area or hold passports issued by the Mainland Area.”
In the words of the Interior Minister,
“Taiwanese found holding a Chinese identity card would have their Taiwan identity card revoked.”
This Article in a Nutshell
On November 2, 2025 Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency referred about 50 people for cancellation of Taiwanese household registration after confirming they held household registration in China or Chinese passports, violating Article 9-1 of the Cross-Strait Act. Loss of household registration strips residency rights including voting and national health insurance. The move is part of a wider review: roughly 12,000 people were asked to prove they relinquished Chinese registration; by October 29, 7,835 had submitted documents and authorities reported a 95.1% processing completion rate.
