Getting married in Taiwan
Taiwan has the lowest birth rate in the world presently, and that declining birth rate, experts claim, is closely linked to a declining interest in marriage amongst the younger generation. In a 2021 survey, just over 36 percent of Taiwanese men, and less than 20 percent of women, said they believed that marriage was important, with the vast majority of respondents valuing self-reliance over a traditional union with a lifelong partner.
Why aren't young Taiwanese getting married?
The answer to this question, experts and academics say, lies at the crux between present economics and traditional values. According to traditional Taiwanese culture, in order for a man to be considered stable and suitable for marriage, he must be able to afford a home—a way of showing he is capable of supporting a family. Though women have long fought for equal rights in the workplace and for equal pay, this traditional view that it is the man who supports the family still persists.
The problem is that as housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years, wages have remained stagnant for the better part of three decades in Taiwan. Adjusted for inflation, real earnings have actually declined. As a result, many young people, and truly anyone of normal means, has been left unable to afford to buy property.
Thus, for many, marriage is seen as a foregone conclusion. Other factors at play include the lack of public kindergarten space, which is significantly cheaper than private kindergarten, and to which access is determined by lottery.
So, where marriage in Taiwanese society was once viewed as an essential part of one's natural progression in life, it is now seen by many as something that is not only unattainable but unrealistic.
What is the divorce rate in Taiwan?
Taiwan's divorce rate, calculated as couples filing for divorce per 1,000 people, has been up and down over the past 20 years. A high was reached in 2003, with 2.87 couples per 1,000 people splitting, and presently that rate sits at 2.17, according to the most recently available statistics.
Divorce, as a whole, has been on the decline for the past four years, with nearly 48,000 couples calling it quits in 2021. Divorce among couples married for less than five years, however, reached a ten-year high, with just over a third of those divorcing couples in 2021 doing so inside of the five-year mark. The vast majority of those dissolutions were between partners that were both Taiwanese, and less than 14 percent were between cross-national couples.
Can two foreigners get married in Taiwan?
Yes, two overseas nationals can get married in Taiwan. In this case, both parties will need to show a certificate issued by the relevant agency of their home country, which states that they are legally single and thus able to enter into marriage. That certificate must be translated into Mandarin Chinese and authenticated. The cost is NT$300 plus a translation fee. This can be done at one's nearest Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office. Once this is done, the two foreigners can go through a formal wedding ceremony in Taiwan. Please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website for updated fees regarding document authentication and translation, which change from time to time.
However, please note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not, at present, recognize marital unions between two foreigners when the marriage is contracted within Taiwan. So, it is advised that the couple get married overseas, in one of the two person's home countries, before moving to Taiwan. Then, if one within the couple needs to apply for a dependent ARC, they will have the necessary legal basis for doing so. In order to apply for the dependent ARC, the couple will have to produce a copy of their marriage license issued by their home country, or equivalent, and once again have it translated into Mandarin and authenticated.
What is the process for marrying a Taiwanese citizen as a foreigner?
In order to marry a Taiwanese citizen, a foreigner must, along with their Taiwanese partner, apply for marriage registration at any household registration office. This is usually done in whichever neighborhood the couple resides in or where the Taiwanese entering into the union have their official Household Registration, normally in the area where they grew up. Both parties to the marriage must be at least 18 years of age to register.
For those who are going to be married in Taiwan, the following documents will be required:
- The household registration certificate of the person who holds household registration in Taiwan, along with their R.O.C. ID card and their seal, otherwise known as a stamp or chop.
- The marriage agreement, signed by both parties.A declaration of the foreign party's Chinese name
- The identification card of the foreign party
- A certificate of single status or non-impediment for the foreign party, translated into Mandarin and notarized by a notary at the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Once this registration process is complete, which can take at most a couple of hours at the household registration office, a couple is legally married in Taiwan. Whatever marriage ceremony might take place later holds no bearing on the legal sealing of the union. Same-sex marriage is legal and recognized within Taiwan, with same-sex couples enjoying the same benefits that heterosexual couples do.
How much does It cost to get married in Taiwan?
Marriage is big business in Taiwan; the broad marriage industry is valued in the tens of billions of New Taiwan Dollars. Registering a marriage in Taiwan is not an overly expensive process. Foreign citizens who do not yet have residency or an ARC in Taiwan and who are marrying Taiwanese citizens will incur costs associated with obtaining a single status certificate and a criminal record check from their home country. They will also reap the cost of a health check to screen for certain communicable diseases, the cost of the marriage license, and the cost of the subsequent Alien Resident Certificate application. All in all, with the cost of postage, photos required for the various application documents, and so on, one can expect to spend around a few hundred US Dollars, though costs vary depending on where the foreigner hails from. Please note that in some cases, criminal background checks can take several months to obtain, so applying well before one's intended marriage registration date is highly recommended.
As for the cost of the marriage ceremony in Taiwan itself, there are several things to consider. In Taiwanese culture, a banquet is normally held for friends, family, and business acquaintances, featuring a multi-course meal and drinks. Prior to the banquet, so-called wedding cookies are sent out to attendees as well, as a thank you. Prices vary by one's budget, but costs can easily run into hundreds of thousands of NT Dollars. This cost is expected to be borne by the groom or his family, or both. This cost can be recouped, however, by the red envelopes given to the bride and groom—gifts of cash from attendees—which at times can be worth well more than the cost of the wedding itself. Tallies are often kept of who donated what amount so that in the future, the couple can reciprocate when attending weddings thrown by the family of the donating party.
In certain very traditional Taiwanese families, a bride price is still asked for as well. This depends on the means of the groom. The money is usually held in trust by the bride's family and is to be given to her in the event that something happens to her husband-to-be in the future or the marriage fails—a kind of safety net.
Organizing a wedding can be done by contacting one of the many multi-floor wedding megaplexes in the country, which specialize in wedding banquets/feasts. Costs vary, depending on how many courses the meal will be, the quality of the food and drink, etc. The megaplex will organize everything from the food and drink to the music, provide an MC for the proceedings, and often have staff to assist with bride and groom wardrobe changes and hair and makeup.
