Conscription in the Republic of China The Republic of China ( Taiwan ) has maintained a policy of conscription for all qualified males of military age since 1949 , primarily as a means to bolster the defense of Taiwan against an invasion by the People ' s Republic of China . Females from the outlying islands of Fuchien , which are geographically closest to mainland China , were also required to serve in a civil defense role , although this requirement has been dropped since the lifting of martial law . Although the majority of all enlisted positions in the ROC Armed Forces have been and are currently filled by draftees , the government intends to gradually expand the number of volunteer soldiers with the eventual goal of forming an all volunteer military . However , even then there will be compulsory basic training for all males reaching 18 . Recent years have also seen an increase in the service options open to draftees , including alternative service with the Ministry of the Interior ( MOI ) , as well as specialized service options for draftees in specific professions . The draft process is set forth under the ROC Military Service Act under the auspices of the MOI ' s National Conscription Agency as well as by Article 20 of the ROC Constitution . The ROC Defense Ministry had announced that should voluntary enlistment reach sufficient numbers , the compulsory service period for draftees will be shortened to 14 months in 2007 . It will be further shortened to 12 months in 2009 . On March 10 , 2009 Minister of Defence Chen Chao - min said by the end of 2014 Taiwan will have an all volunteer military force . The process of removing conscription will begin in 2010 and by the end of 2014 an all volunteer force will replace the conscipts . Individuals who wish to join must have a minimum of high school education and those who do not volunteer for the military will be forced to complete four months of military boot camp . Should this policy remain unchanged , although Taiwan will have a purely volunteer professional force , every male will still be conscripted to receive a three to four month military training . Thus , after 2014 , compulsory military service will still remain in practice in Taiwan . Eligibility . 18 – 22 years of age for selective compulsory military service , with 24 - month service obligation ; no minimum age for voluntary service ( all officers are volunteers ) ; 18 – 19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs ( 2009 ) . Both men and women have been drafted . Under the current Military Service Act , all ROC citizens between the ages of 19 and 36 are considered to be of " draft age " and are subject to conscription , including those possessing dual citizenship ( though the ROC does recognize dual citizenship ) . Generally , dual citizens who are males of military age are not permitted to renounce their ROC citizenship prior to completing their service obligations . Males who are subject to the draft are classified as Overseas Chinese are exempt from the draft provided they do not reside continuously in the Taiwan Area for a ) more than four months at a time for those born in 1984 and before or b ) more than 183 days in a two year period . All draft age males will receive notices requiring them to report to the conscription sections of their local government offices at age 19 for preliminary assessment . Deferments are available for students of higher education institutions up to certain cutoff ages ( 24 for a Bachelors Degree , 27 for a Masters Degree , and 30 for a doctoral degree ) , as well as for draftees with one sibling already serving . Following completion of the active duty service period , all draftees are demobilized with all emigration restrictions lifted and are considered reservists until age 40 . Draft age males are subject to restrictions on leaving the country prior to fulfilling their service obligations and require approval from either their local district offices ( for short term visits abroad ) , or the MOI Immigration Bureau for students attending institutions of higher education abroad . Draft dodger s are subject to criminal charges . Service options . The following compulsory service options are available as of January 2006 : Draft process . The military draft process occurs in four steps :