Attention to Middle-Aged and Elderly Over 60! Labor Retirement New System Amendments 'Major Changes in Pension Withdrawal Regulations', Senior Citizen Card New Benefits, All Taiwan New Rules in August

As we approach August 2026, Taiwan will see the implementation of multiple new regulations that will significantly impact citizens' wallets, lifestyle habits, and traffic safety. These include the new labor retirement system, adjustments to youth home purchase subsidies, technological enforcement at Taoyuan Airport, a full upgrade of public-funded vaccines, and even the first-ever challenge of 'mobile network slowdown' during air defense drills in Central and Northern Taiwan. Below is a summary of the key points you need to know for August, ensuring you stay informed and don't miss out on your rights. Five Major Reforms in the Labor Retirement New System: Addition of a 30-Day Hesitation Period for Monthly Withdrawals, Employers Prohibited from Blocking Self-Withdrawals. Following the amendment and official implementation of the 'Implementation Details of the Labor Retirement Pension Act,' the largest upgrade in recent years for rights protection has been introduced: New 30-Day Hesitation Period for Monthly Withdrawals: Laborers with 15 years of service could previously choose between 'monthly withdrawals' or 'lump-sum withdrawals' without the option to change. The new system allows for a change to 'lump-sum withdrawal' within 30 days of the first monthly retirement pension deposit. Employers Prohibited from Blocking Self-Withdrawals: If an employer refuses or delays a laborer's request to voluntarily contribute 1% to 6% of their retirement pension, they will be subject to late payment penalties. Opening Self-Withdrawals for Pure Old-System Laborers: 'Pure old-system laborers' who retain service years from before 2005 and have not yet switched to the new system can now voluntarily contribute to their personal accounts. Extension of Claim Period for Minor Heirs: The 10-year statute of limitations for heirs to claim labor retirement pensions will now start from the day the heir turns 20 years old if they were a minor, preventing the loss of rights due to lack of awareness. Expansion of Retirement Pension Umbrella Protection: The protection preventing the garnishment, offset, or assignment of retirement pensions has been extended from the laborer to their heirs and designated recipients. 'Green An Housing Loan 3.0' Approved and Launched: Introduction of Three Upper Limits Based on Age, Annual Income, and Housing Price. To precisely assist first-time homebuyers, the Executive Yuan has officially launched the 'Green An Housing Loan 3.0,' with an application deadline of July 31, 2029. The following three anti-speculation and anti-flipping thresholds have been introduced: Loan Application Conditions: Applicants must be under 50 years old, and the sum of 'application age + loan term' must not exceed 80 years; individual annual income must not exceed 2 million NTD. Housing Price Upper Limit: Up to 35 million NTD in Taipei City, 25 million NTD in New Taipei City and Hsinchu County/City, and 20 million NTD in other counties/cities. Loan Amount and Subsidies: General loan limit of 10 million NTD, increased to 12 million NTD for newlyweds, and up to 15 million NTD for families with children. Interest subsidies follow a '3+3' mechanism, maintaining 1.775% for the first 3 years, with a gradual annual decrease in the following 3 years. Student Loan Interest Rates Further Reduced! Government Subsidizes 1% Interest, Grace Period Extended to 2 Years 11. The application for student loans for the first semester of the 115th academic year opens on August 1. The government announces additional subsidies, reducing the student loan interest rate from the original 1.775% to 0.775% for graduates starting repayment, with the government absorbing the 1% difference. The repayment grace period is also extended from 1 year to 2 years. Taoyuan Airport Implements Technological Enforcement! Vehicles Parked at Designated Meeting Points for Over 3 Minutes Will Be Fined Immediately. Drivers picking up passengers at Taoyuan Airport must take note! The technological enforcement system has been officially launched at the first terminal (meeting points 13 to 23) and the second terminal (meeting points 21 to 29, 31 to 33). If a vehicle remains stationary in the controlled area for more than 3 minutes, the system will automatically take photos and videos as evidence, imposing a fine of 600 to 1,200 NTD. The police urge the use of the 30-minute free parking discount at the parking lot. Taoyuan Airport Strictly Cracks Down on 'Occupying Pick-up Spaces'! Fines Up to 25,000 NTD for Signs and Luggage Blocking Pathways. To address the chaos of travel agencies and pick-up services occupying public spaces with signs and luggage, causing obstruction in the pick-up hall, Taoyuan Airport Company will immediately strengthen inspections. Those who do not improve after on-site staff persuasion will be fined 5,000 to 25,000 NTD under the 'Civil Aviation Act' and may be forcibly removed with the assistance of aviation police. Attention to TRA! No More Free Seats on New TzuChiang Express Trains on Weekends in August, University Students Enjoy 50% Discount. To cope with the summer vacation travel peak, TRA has adjusted the operation of the new TzuChiang express trains (EMU3000 type) on the west coast line: Weekend Reserved Seats Only: During August, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the new TzuChiang express trains will stop selling free seats. Only 200 'stand-by tickets' will be sold at the counter and vending machines on the day of travel (excluding the T'ung-Yun cabin). University Student Exclusive Discount: A one-year 'University Student Discount Ticket' is introduced. University students traveling on designated reserved-seat trains for distances of 50 kilometers or more can enjoy discounts starting from 50%. International Air Tickets Become More Expensive! EVA Air and UNI Air Raise 'Reservation Service Fee' to 33 USD. National airline ticket additional fees are adjusted again. EVA Air and UNI Air announce that starting August 1, the 'reservation service fee' collected with international tickets will be increased from 28 USD to 33 USD (approximately 1,070 NTD). This applies to ticket issuance or changes and is non-refundable. MOTC Heavily Fines Small Yellow Taxi Companies! Maximum Fine of 90,000 NTD and License Revocation for Unfair Collection of Parking Fees. To eliminate the phenomenon of taxi companies charging high parking fees from drivers, the MOTC has amended the law to prohibit companies from collecting additional fees and to refund overcharged amounts. Simultaneously, the replacement period for empty cars is shortened to 1 year. Violating companies may face a maximum fine of 90,000 NTD, and serious cases may result in business suspension or direct revocation of the business license. Urban Resilience Air Defense Drills Start on 8/7! Central and Northern Taiwan to Conduct First-Ever 'Mobile Network Slowdown' Test. This year's air defense drills will begin on August 7, starting from the south (South: 8/7, Central: 8/10, Outlying Islands: 8/11, East: 8/12, North: 8/13). On the day of the drill, there will be 30 minutes of traffic control and evacuation. Special Note: 14 counties and cities in Central and Northern Taiwan will conduct the first-ever 'mobile network slowdown and disconnection' drill. During the slowdown period, mobile phones can still make calls, send text messages, and receive disaster prevention messages, but mobile payments, video platforms, video calls, and cloud connections will be temporarily unavailable. Public COVID-19 Vaccines Expanded to Full Free Access! Vaccination Deadline Extended to End of September. Considering the summer epidemic is still at a high level, the CDC announces that the 'free COVID-19 vaccination for all' measure, originally scheduled to end in July, will be extended to September 28. The CDC estimates that the epidemic may peak in mid-to-late August and urges eligible citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Public Pneumococcal Vaccines Upgraded! New 'Single-Dose' Version Fully Replaces Old Scheme. Starting August 10, adult public pneumococcal vaccines will be fully upgraded, offering PCV20 and new PCV21 vaccines for eligible individuals. Citizens no longer need to receive two doses as in the past; just 'one dose' is required for full protection. It is estimated that 3.17 million elderly people aged 65 and above and high-risk groups across Taiwan will benefit. Pediatric Myopia Control Eye Drops Included in National Health Insurance! Estimated 365,000 Children to Benefit. To reduce the medical burden of child-rearing for families, the NHI Administration will officially include low-concentration cycloplegic eye drops containing 0.05% Atropine in the NHI coverage for myopia control treatment for children and adolescents under 18 years old. It is estimated that 365,000 children and adolescents across Taiwan will benefit. Major Reform in 'Compulsory Hospitalization' for Mental Patients: Now Decided by Courts and Introduction of Expert Jury. The mental health system is undergoing a major transformation in human rights and the rule of law! Starting August 1, the review of compulsory hospitalization for patients with severe mental disorders will no longer be decided by administrative review committees but will be fully decided by courts through judicial adjudication. For the first time, the 'expert jury' system will be introduced, where judges, psychiatrists, and patient rights representatives will jointly deliberate. Student Teacher Allowance Increased! Monthly Stipend Raised to 15,000 NTD. To maintain high-quality teachers and reduce the burden during the internship period, the Ministry of Education announces an increase in the education internship allowance from the original 10,000 NTD to 15,000 NTD per month, a 50% increase. It is estimated that approximately 5,500 interns will benefit each year. New Green Building Regulations Come into Effect: Mandatory Installation of Solar Panels for New Buildings Over 1,000 Square Meters. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Economic Affairs jointly issued the 'Standards for the Installation of Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation Equipment in Buildings.' It is stipulated that new, expanded, or renovated buildings with a building area of 1,000 square meters or more must install 1 kilowatt of solar photovoltaic equipment for every 20 square meters. It is estimated that this will add approximately 660,000 kilowatts of green energy capacity to Taiwan each year. Taipei's 'Ximending and Dihua Street Commercial Districts' Go Completely Smoke-Free! Fines Up to 10,000 NTD for Smoking While Walking. Taipei's smoke-free city map expands again! Starting August 1, the 'Ximending Linear Park surrounding commercial district' and the 'Dihua Street commercial district' (including arcades and sidewalks) will be completely smoke-free, except for designated negative pressure smoking areas. Violators will be fined between 2,000 NTD and 10,000 NTD under the 'Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.' Taichung's Universal Taxi 'Love Pick-up and Drop-off' Service Upgraded: Reservation Time Extended to 9 PM. To facilitate the scheduling of the disabled and those with limited mobility, the Taichung City Transportation Bureau will upgrade the 'Love Pick-up and Drop-off' service starting in August, extending the reservation time to 9 PM.