The meeting with the National Development Council and other relevant government agencies was very positive. The ECCT's position was very clear: the ARC is a government issued ID, and should enjoy the same legal authority as a Taiwan National ID card domestically. The NIA agreed with this position, however they admit that there are some minor issues that still stand in the way.

Issue where progress was made:
Hopefully within a half-year regulatory changes will be made to allow APRCs enjoy the same status as National ID cards. APRCs are “permanent” in nature, and include an IC chip, making them similar to National ID cards in safety and validity.

Issue where progress was made:
For banking, the FSC said that according to their regulations it is not necessary for foreigners to always present their passport as their primary ID. But, even the Taiwan Post Office, which says it follows FSC regulations, admits it requires a passport from foreigners when opening a savings account etc. FSC agreed to issue a new letter to financial institutions explaining clearly their policy, and remind banks that an ARC is acceptable as a primary form of ID.

Issue where progress was made:
For telecommunications, the NPA reiterated that identity counterfeiting is still a problem, especially for criminal activity. They want an official channel for telecoms and police etc to easily verify the validity of ARCs. The NIA says it is already working on such a mechanism, and is also developing Android and iOS apps for this purpose.