TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Given that over 156,000 foreign residents qualify for the new Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers (振興五倍券), the government on Wednesday (Sept. 22) launched an English version of the official website for registering for the vouchers.
Taiwan is launching its beefed-up Quintuple Stimulus Voucher program to help stimulate Taiwan's economy as it recovers from the soft lockdown over the summer. Unlike last year's Triple Stimulus Vouchers (振興三倍券) that were worth NT$3,000 (US$101) each but required NT$1,000 to acquire, these vouchers are worth NT$5,000 and will be free of charge.
As was the case with last year's vouchers, Taiwanese citizens; foreign spouses, including Chinese; Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) holders; and diplomats are eligible. According to the National Immigration Agency (NIA), over 156,000 foreign nationals are eligible, including 140,000 foreign spouses and 16,000 APRC holders.
Eligible residents will have the option of registering for either the digital version of the vouchers starting Wednesday or the paper version beginning Sept. 25. In order to facilitate the process of pre-ordering the vouchers, the government launched an English version of the website, "5000 Quintuple Stimulus Voucher," on Wednesday.
To access the English version, either visit the homepage of the Quintuple Stimulus Voucher website and click "EN" on the upper right-hand corner or go directly to the URL 5000.gov.tw/en. Once there, click on "Pre-order & Inquiries" to apply for the vouchers.
Digital vouchers
From Wednesday until Apr. 30, 2022, people can apply for a digital version of the vouchers, with the vouchers going into effect on Oct. 8. These digital vouchers can be applied to a wide variety of credit cards, stored value cards, and mobile payment apps and can be reserved for up to five people at once.
To book for an individual, click on the link that reads "Linking to Voucher Program (Individual)." For those wishing to reserve digital vouchers for more than one person, the English option "Linking to Voucher Program (Group)" is not yet available but can be accessed on the Chinese version.
Paper vouchers
Starting on Saturday (Sept. 25), eligible residents can make a reservation for the first round of paper vouchers by clicking "Printed Vouchers." Individuals who reserve paper vouchers during the first round on the website can pick them up at the post office from Oct. 8 to Oct. 21.
The second round of pre-orders will be open from Oct. 25 to 31, with the pickup period running from Nov. 8 to 21.
Once these reservations are completed, the post office will send applicants a text message informing them when and where to pick up the vouchers. Those who do not wish to reserve their vouchers in advance can pick them up in person at one of the country's 1,269 post offices between Nov. 1 and April 30.
