Reading the Dates on a Taiwan National ID Card

A Taiwan national ID card (國民身分證) prints its issue date as a ROC date. A field reading 115.03.10 means 10 March 2026 — add 1911 to the ROC year to get the Western year.

What's printed on the card

The front of the card carries a photo, name, ID number, date of birth, and an issue date with the issuing household registration office. All dates on the card — date of birth and issue date — are written in ROC years, using a dotted format such as 115.03.10.

Format	ROC year.month.day, e.g. 115.03.10
Convert	115 + 1911 = 2026 → 10 March 2026
Birth date example	70.05.18 → 70 + 1911 = 1981 → 18 May 1981

Use the ROC year converter for the weekday or formal written form of any date on the card.

The issue date, not an expiry date

Unlike a passport or driver's licence, the current national ID card does not carry a validity period that expires on a fixed date. The date printed is when that particular card was issued or reissued — after a change of address, name or marital status, loss, or damage. Each new card shows a fresh issue date and, on the back, a code for the reason it was reissued.

This matters when a form asks for your "ID card date": it almost always means the issue date shown on the card face, not an expiry date, because there isn't one to give.

Reading the ID number alongside the date

The ID number itself does not encode a date — it starts with a letter for the city or county where the holder first registered, followed by a digit for sex, and a ten-digit sequence with a check digit. Don't confuse this with the issue date field; they are unrelated and sit in different places on the card.

Household registration and the ID card

The ID card is issued through the household registration system, and any household registration document (戶籍謄本) you request will show the same ROC-dated issue history for the card. If you need a transcript rather than the card itself, the issuing authority is the Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior.

If you're not a citizen

Foreign nationals resident in Taiwan do not hold this card. The equivalent document is the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), or the Taiwan Permanent Resident Certificate for long-term residents — both dated the same way. See how to read the expiry date on your ARC.

This page explains the date format only. It is not legal or immigration advice and is not affiliated with any government agency. For anything affecting your legal status or documents, rely on the issuing household registration office.

Frequently asked questions

What date is printed on a Taiwan national ID card?

The card face prints an issue date (發給日期), written as a ROC date such as 115.03.10. Add 1911 to the year to convert it: 115 + 1911 = 2026, so this card was issued 10 March 2026.

Does the ID card show an expiry date?

The current-format national ID card does not carry a fixed expiry date the way a passport or driver's licence does. It is reissued when details change — address, name, marital status — or when a replacement is needed, and each reissue prints a new issue date.

Is the date of birth on the ID card in ROC or Western format?

It is printed as a ROC date, in the same format as the issue date. A birth date field reading 70.05.18 is ROC year 70, converting to 18 May 1981.

Where exactly does the issue date sit on the card?

On the front of the card, below the photo and personal details, in a labelled field alongside the issuing household registration office. The card also states which office issued it and, on reissued cards, the reason for reissue.

Only citizens hold this ID card — what do foreign residents carry instead?

Foreign residents carry an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) or, after qualifying, a Taiwan Permanent Resident Certificate, both of which use the same ROC date format. See the separate guide to reading ARC dates.