Online registration for NT$10,000 cash handouts opens

Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) A total of 707,520 eligible recipients had signed up for Taiwan's NT$10,000 (US$320) cash handout as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the first day of online registration, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

Registration was opened to Taiwanese citizens, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese citizens with a national ID or Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) number ending in zero or one at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the MOF said.

The MOF added that registration will continue in stages through Sunday, opening first to those whose ID numbers end in two or three on Thursday, followed by four or five on Friday, six or seven on Saturday, and eight or nine on Sunday.

From Monday to April 30, 2026, registration will be open to eligible individuals, with the option to modify and verify information available starting Nov. 13.

At a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) Tuesday, the MOF said that those who complete registration before Nov. 11 will receive the payment between Nov. 11 and Nov. 12.

Individuals who register on or after Nov. 11, meanwhile, will get their money within two business days, the MOF added.

The NT$10,000 handout can also be collected without online registration, either through ATMs starting Nov. 17 or at post offices beginning Nov. 24, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the MOF and MODA warned of phishing scams related to the handout, reminding the public that the government will not issue announcements by text message or email, nor request ATM transfers.

The cash handout program is part of a NT$570 billion special package approved by the Legislature on Oct. 17 and promulgated by the president on Oct. 23.

The package aimed at providing financial assistance to businesses and individuals affected by U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese exports, while also strengthening Taiwan's defense infrastructure and Coast Guard.