Name Act

　　Promulgated and enacted by order of President on March 7, 1953
　　Article 6 revised by order of President on Dec. 1, 1964
　　Article 6 revised by order of President on Nov. 18, 1985
　　Article 1 revised by order of President on Jan. 20, 1995
　　Revised by Order of President on. Hua-1-yi 90000118950 on June 20, 2001　
　　Revised by order of President no. Hua-1-yi 09200116230 on June 25, 2003

Article 1　Any citizen of the ROC should have one real/legal full
　　　　　 name and such full name should be the one entered in his/her
　　　　　 household registration.
　　　　　 The name registration of Taiwan aborigine is according to
　　　　　 his/her cultures and customs. If an aborigine has his name
　　　　　 registered in the traditional Chinese name, he may apply for
　　　　　 the resumption of his traditional name. After he resumes his
　　　　　 traditional name, he may apply for the resumption of his
　　　　　 original Chinese name and such resumption will be limited to
　　　　　 one time only.
　　　　　 In the case that a citizen of the ROC is married to a alien
　　　　　 or a stateless person, the Chinese surname of his/her spouse
　　　　　 and a child of such couple should be met the conventions
　　　　　 practiced in the ROC. And the same shall also apply to the
　　　　　 surname of an alien or a stateless person who applies for
　　　　　 nationalization.

Article 2　The that are allowed to be entered in the household
　　　　　 registration shall be of the Chinese characters that may
　　　　　 be found in the Chinese dictionaries edited by the Ministry
　　　　　 of Education or in other large, accredited dictionaries.
　　　　　 The origin-traditional name or the traditional Chinese name
　　　　　 of an aborigine may be of the characters chosen via Roma
　　　　　 pronunciation and is not limited by the paragraph of the
　　　　　 preceding article.
　　　　　 If name characters other than the ones as referred to in
　　　　　 paragraph 1 are chosen, such characters will not be allowed
　　　　　 to be registered.

Article 3　In all the law-related or formal matters, all citizens of
　　　　　 the ROC shall use their real/legal name (as the one entered
　　　　　 in the household registration).

Article 4　Real/legal name shall be used in diplomas, work experience
　　　　　 documents, licenses/permits, etc.; otherwise, such diplomas,
　　　　　 documents, etc. will be deemed as invalid.

Article 5　Real/legal names shall be used in the registrations relating
　　　　　 to the acquisition, loss, change, deposit of assets; otherwise,
　　　　　 transactions will not be processed.

Article 6　A person who meets one of the following requirements may apply
　　　　　 for a change of his surname:
　　　　　　1. Acknowledged by his natural parent
　　　　　　2. Adopted by or if an adoptive relationship is terminated
　　　　　　3. A child’s surname is different from his parent who has
　　　　　　　 the guardianship after his parents are divorced 　
　　　　　　4. An aborigine surname becomes misleading after his aboriginal
　　　　　　　 name is changed into a traditional Chinese surname
　　　　　　5. A person has his surname changed according to the other law
　　　　　　　 or other regulations
　　　　　 After a couple gets married, either the wife or the husband may
　　　　　 apply for attaching his/her spouse’s surname or resuming his/her
　　　　　 original surname. In case such person applies for resuming his/her
　　　　　 original surname, in each marital relationship, only one of such
　　　　　 resumption will be allowed.

Article 7　A person who meets one of the following requirements may apply for
　　　　　 a change of his first name.
　　　　　　1. A person works in an entity or organization or goes to a
　　　　　　　 school and there is another person in such entity or school
　　　　　　　 who has the same surname and first name.
　　　　　　2. A person’s full name is the same with his relative who is
　　　　　　　 closer than “a third class kinship”.
　　　　　　3. A person lives in a city or county for more than 6 months and
　　　　　　　 there is another person who lives in such city or county and
　　　　　　　 has the same surname and first name.
　　　　　　4. A person takes a qualification-screening of civil servants and
　　　　　　　 he is notified by the authority of the civil service that there
　　　　　　　 is another person who has the same full name.
　　　　　　5. A person’s surname and first name are the same with those of a
　　　　　　　 person who is wanted by the police.
　　　　　　6. A person’s first name contains a vulgar or an unrefined meaning
　　　　　　　 or there is a special reason.
　　　　　 In case a person applies for a change of his first name according to
　　　　　 in sub-paragraph6 of the preceding paragraph (or the 6th subparagraph),
　　　　　 such changes may be granted for two times; but if , the second time of
　　　　　 such first name change that the minor applies for shall be applied for
　　　　　 after the person reaches the full age.

Article 8　A person who meets one of the following requirements may applies for
　　　　　 a change of his surname and first name.
　　　　　　1. The existing name which was a direct translation from another
　　　　　　　 language is too long or incorrectly translated
　　　　　　2. To live as a monk/nun returns to secular life
　　　　　　3. It is necessary for a person to change his name in order to do his
　　　　　　　 job as a government official

Article 9　A person doesn’t use his/her real/legal name pursuant to Article 4 or
　　　　　 Article 5 before the Acts enforced, he may apply to the originally
　　　　　 competent authority for a change of real/legal the name. In case such
　　　　　 person doesn’t use his/her real/legal name pursuant to Article 4, he
　　　　　 may apply to the corresponding household registration office for a
　　　　　 change of his name via diploma, work experience document, licenses or
　　　　　 other evidence document; such change will be granted for one time only.

Article 10　In case a change of surname, attaching surname, restoration of original
　　　　　 surname a change of name or a correction of real/legal name is applied
　　　　　 for according to Article 6 to Article 9, the applicant should be the
　　　　　　corresponding person himself or his guardian/legal proxy. In case a
　　　　　　change of surname is applied for due to adoption or the termination of
　　　　　　adoption, the applicant who is allowed to apply for such adoption entry
　　　　　　or such entry of termination of adoption may be the applicant for such
　　　　　　surname change.

Article 11　For the persons who apply for surname change, the attaching surname,
　　　　　　the resumption of their former surname, the change of first name or a
　　　　　　correction of name, unless otherwise stipulated by other laws or
　　　　　　regulations, such changes or corrections will become effective from the
　　　　　　date such changes or corrections are entered in the household registration.

Article 12　A person who meets one of the following requirements shall not apply for a
　　　　　　change of surname, first name or full name.
　　　　　　1. A person is wanted by the police or is held in detention
　　　　　　2. A person has received a sentence of community service or of corrective
　　　　　　　 institution
　　　　　　3. A person has received a sentence of imprisonment without the possibility
　　　　　　　 of probation or a sentence that may not be converted into a fine; however,
　　　　　　　 if such crime is committed due to negligence, the aforesaid will not apply
　　　　　The period that A person shall not apply for the change of surname, first
　　　　　　name or full name referred to in sub-paragraph2 and 3 of the preceding paragraph
　　　　　　will last from the date that such sentence is given till 5 years after the
　　　　　　sentence is served.

Article 13　Regulations for the enforcement of this Acts shall be prescribe by the Ministry
　　　　　　of the Interior.

Article 14　The revised articles of this Act shall come into force from the date of promulgation.