The National Development Council has issued an official notice to all government departments stating that they should treat Alien Residence Certificates (ARC) and Alien Permanent Residence Certificates (APRC) as equivalent to Taiwanese IDs for identification purposes. The letter states that ARC/APRC holders do not need to present their passports for identification purposes. The letter specifically mentions that the move has the support of Premier Mau Chi-kuo and was issued following the ECCT's visit to the Executive Yuan on 11 September 2015.

The latest development adds further legitimacy to the point often reiterated by the ECCT's Better Living committee that since ARC/APRCs are government-issued IDs, they should be granted equal status and be regarded as equivalent to national IDs. The notice builds on an official ruling published on 8 May 2015 by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) that recognizes ARCs as equivalent to Republic of China (ROC) identity cards for the purposes of opening a bank account in Taiwan. Making the ruling applicable to all government agencies will help to make routine business transactions more convenient for foreign residents in Taiwan.