The short version
Show your National Health Insurance (NHI, 全民健康保險) card at a clinic or hospital that works with NHI. You pay a fixed copayment that grows with the size of the place: NT$50 at a clinic, up to NT$420 at a large medical center if you go without a referral. Take a prescription to an NHI pharmacy within three days. For an ambulance, call 119. For help in English at any hour, call the 1990 hotline. For someone to talk to, call 1925, free and open 24 hours.
Joining NHI, the six month wait and the premium are on a separate page. → Health insurance
What a visit costs
You pay a basic copayment (部分負擔) for each outpatient visit. It depends on the kind of place, and is lower at hospitals if a clinic has referred you. These are the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) figures for Western medicine.
| Where you go | With a referral | Without a referral |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic (診所) | NT$50 | NT$50 |
| District hospital (地區醫院) | NT$50 | NT$80 |
| Regional hospital (區域醫院) | NT$100 | NT$240 |
| Medical center (醫學中心) | NT$170 | NT$420 |
- Dentists and traditional Chinese medicine: NT$50 at every level.
- People with a disability identification pay NT$50 at any level.
- Follow-up visits can count as "with referral": up to four follow-ups within one month of a visit made with a referral sheet, and the first follow-up after surgery or after leaving hospital.
- During one course of treatment, only the first visit pays the basic copayment (rehabilitation physical therapy and Chinese medicine traumatology are exceptions).
- The registration fee (掛號費) is separate. Each clinic or hospital sets it under a schedule approved by the local health bureau. NHI does not cover it.
Emergency visits
- Medical center NT$750
- Regional hospital NT$400
- District hospital or clinic NT$150
Medicine
There is also a drug copayment, based on what the medicine costs. At a clinic or district hospital it is NT$0 for medicine up to NT$100, then NT$20 for each further NT$100, up to NT$200. At a regional hospital or medical center it starts at NT$10 and goes up to NT$300. There is no drug copayment for dental care.
Good to know: the NHIA copayment line is 0800-030-598, or (02) 4128-678 from a mobile phone.
Prescriptions and pharmacies
- After a visit the doctor may give you a prescription slip. Take it to an NHI-contracted pharmacy within three days. After three days it is no longer valid.
- If the clinic or hospital has its own pharmacist, you can get the medicine there on the spot.
- Doctors usually prescribe up to seven days of medicine, or up to 30 days for a chronic condition.
- If the pharmacy doesn't have the listed drug, and the doctor didn't require that exact one, the pharmacist may give you an NHI-covered drug with the same composition, form and dose that costs no more.
Your campus health center
Under the School Health Act (學校衛生法), every school, universities included, must have a health center (健康中心). It is used for health checks, first care for injuries and sudden illness, and health advice. Schools must also hold regular student health checks and have rules for handling emergencies. The law lets universities staff nurses but does not require it, so what your health center offers depends on your school. Its page on your school's website says what it does.
Hospitals with English services
The Taiwan Gold Card site, run by the National Development Council, publishes a "bilingual-friendly hospital list" (雙語醫院友善名單). The site describes these as hospitals where most doctors and staff speak good basic English and that have an international department. It also says English service varies and depends on the staff. The list is dated August 29, 2023, and neither the page nor the list says who compiled it. We found no newer version.
| City or county | Hospitals on the 2023 list |
|---|---|
| Taipei | MacKay Memorial Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital (medical centers); Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taiwan Adventist Hospital, Taipei Medical University Hospital (regional); Taipei Beitou Health Management Hospital (district) |
| New Taipei | Far Eastern Memorial Hospital (medical center); Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare (regional) |
| Taoyuan | Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou (medical center); Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (district) |
| Taichung | China Medical University Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital (medical centers); Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital (regional) |
| Changhua | Changhua Christian Hospital (medical center) |
| Tainan | Chi Mei Hospital, National Cheng Kung University Hospital (medical centers) |
| Kaohsiung | Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (medical centers); Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital (regional) |
The list has no hospitals in Hsinchu, Hualien, Yilan or other counties. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's medical travel portal, medicaltravel.org.tw, lists hospitals for international patients by specialty and region, in English, but does not say which offer services in other languages. Inside Hsinchu has a guide to hospitals and clinics in Hsinchu and Zhubei, written for people moving there for work.
If you are struggling
- 1925 安心專線, run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Free counseling, 24 hours, for anyone under stress or in emotional distress. The ministry's page does not say whether it answers in English.
- 1995 Lifeline (生命線), run by a non-profit association, not the government. It added a weekend night text counseling service from October 4, 2026.
- 1980 Teacher Chang (張老師), run by a non-profit foundation. Phone counseling Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 17:00 and 18:00 to 21:30, and Sunday 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. Hours vary by area. Email 1980@1980.org.tw.
In Taipei, the city's Department of Health runs 13 community mental health counseling clinics. A few named counselors (in Beitou and Datong districts and at the Community Mental Health Center) offer bilingual counseling. Schedules change each month.
Good to know: if someone is in immediate danger, call 119 for an ambulance or 110 for the police. → Safety and emergency numbers
Helplines
| Number | What it is | Languages and hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | National Immigration Agency (NIA) hotline for foreigners: visas, residence, health insurance, medical care, transport, education, personal safety and daily life. Toll-free. From abroad: +886-800-00-1990. | Mandarin, English and Japanese 24 hours, all year. Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Cambodian Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00, not on public holidays. |
| 1922 | Taiwan CDC hotline for infectious diseases. Toll-free. From abroad: +886-800-001922. | Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka and English, 24 hours, all year. |
| 119 | Fire and ambulance. | 24 hours. |
| 0800-011-765 | Tourism Administration travel information line. Toll-free. | 24 hours. |
| 1955 | Ministry of Labor line for workers: labor law questions and complaints. Free from mobile, landline or public phone. | 24 hours, all year. |
The NIA also has a service center in every city and county (two each in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung), open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:00, including over lunch. Addresses and phone numbers are on the NIA's service center page.
In Taipei, the police Foreign Affairs Service Station helps in English: (02) 2556-6007, or (02) 2331-3561 ext. 3064 or 3065. Inside Taipei's settling in guide covers hotlines and other first-month errands in Taipei.
Questions
How do I find a doctor who speaks English?
The Taiwan Gold Card site, run by the National Development Council, publishes a bilingual-friendly hospital list dated 2023. It describes these as hospitals where most doctors and staff speak good basic English, and says English service varies and depends on the staff. The 1990 hotline also answers in English around the clock and covers medical care.
Is there a hotline for foreigners that answers in English?
Yes. The National Immigration Agency's 1990 hotline is toll-free and answers in Mandarin, English and Japanese 24 hours a day. Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Cambodian are available Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00.
Who can I call if I am stressed or feeling low?
1925 is the Ministry of Health and Welfare's free 24 hour counseling line. Two non-profit lines are 1995 (Lifeline) and 1980 (Teacher Chang). In immediate danger, call 119 or 110.
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Sources (21)
Checked November 2026.
National Health Insurance Administration: Copayment, 門、急診部分負擔, new copayment system from July 1, 2023, Pick up your prescription. School Health Act. Taiwan Gold Card, Health Care and bilingual-friendly hospital list (2023). MOHW medical travel portal. Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1925 安心專線 and national hotlines. Lifeline 1995. Teacher Chang 1980. Taipei City Department of Health, mental health counseling clinics. National Fire Agency, 119 and 112. Taiwan CDC, 1922 hotline. National Immigration Agency, 1990 hotline, New Residents site (1990 hours), service centers. Tourism Administration, service centers and travel hotline. Workforce Development Agency, 1955 hotline. Taipei City Police, help in English.