How to Lift Bank Account Restrictions in Taiwan: Police Warnings, Appeals and Warning Accounts

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To lift bank account restrictions in Taiwan, first ask the bank which restriction applies and who imposed it. A police warning under Article 22 of the Money Laundering Control Act and a formal warning-account designation are separate measures. Both can apply at the same time, and lifting one may leave the other in place. If you received a written police warning, check the 30-day administrative appeal deadline immediately. law.moj.gov.tw

1. How to Lift Bank Account Restrictions in Taiwan: Identify the Measure First

When a client says, “My account is frozen,” start with the documents. Ask the bank which accounts and functions are affected, then match each restriction to the authority or notice behind it.

Article 22 police warning (告誡處分): An administrative decision concerning the provision of a bank, virtual asset or third-party payment account for someone else’s use without a legitimate reason. It can trigger account restrictions but is not a criminal conviction. law.moj.gov.tw
Warning account (警示帳戶): A deposit account formally flagged after a court, prosecutors’ office or judicial police agency notifies the bank in connection with a criminal case. The bank suspends the account’s transaction functions. law.moj.gov.tw
Related restricted account (衍生管制帳戶): Another deposit account held by the same person. ATM and electronic payment functions may be suspended. For an in-person transaction, the bank may ask for documents explaining its purpose. law.moj.gov.tw
Other bank controls: A bank may separately review or restrict transactions it identifies as suspicious or abnormal. Ask the bank what it needs to review that specific measure. law.moj.gov.tw

➠Keep the written warning, envelope, delivery records, bank notices and any prosecutor’s decision or court judgment. Record the issuing or reporting authority, reference number and relevant date for each measure.

2. How to Appeal an Article 22 Police Warning Within 30 Days

Under Article 14 of Taiwan’s Administrative Appeal Act, the recipient generally has 30 days starting the day after legal service to file an administrative appeal (訴願). The date printed on the warning does not determine when the clock starts. Filing generally depends on when the issuing or appeal authority receives the appeal, so do not rely on the mailing date alone. If service is disputed or the deadline falls on a holiday, check how the period applies before assuming it has expired. laws.gov.taipei

In the appeal, address the reasons stated in the warning. Explain how you met the other person, why they requested the account, whether you gave them an account number or actual control, whether compensation was promised or paid, and when you noticed something was wrong. Full message threads, job advertisements, loan documents, bank statements and police reports can help show what happened.

★ Filing an appeal does not automatically suspend the restrictions. A request to suspend enforcement is a separate step under Article 93 and is available only when the statutory conditions are met. Do not wait for the criminal investigation to end before checking the administrative deadline. moa.gov.tw

3. What Can You Do After the 30-Day Deadline?

First verify that the appeal period has actually expired. If it has, two separate procedures may be worth assessing.

▫️Ask the agency to revoke an unlawful warning under Article 117

Under Article 117 of the Administrative Procedure Act, the issuing agency or its supervising authority may revoke an unlawful decision on its own authority (職權撤銷), subject to statutory limits. You can submit evidence and explain why the warning was unlawful, but doing so does not restart the ordinary appeal period. Under Article 121, the agency generally has two years from when it learns of the grounds for revocation to exercise that power. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

▫️Apply to reopen the administrative procedure under Article 128

Reopening (程序重開) requires a statutory ground. For example, a new fact or newly discovered evidence may qualify if it could lead to a more favorable decision. Evidence that already existed but was not examined may also qualify. A person who failed through gross negligence to raise the ground earlier may be ineligible. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

The application is generally due within three months after the ordinary remedy period expires. If the ground arose or became known later, the three months runs from the relevant later date. An application is barred once five years have passed since the ordinary remedy period expired. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

⚠️A non-prosecution decision can be useful evidence, but it does not automatically revoke the police warning. Read the reasons: findings that you were deceived, retained control of the account or were carrying out a legitimate transaction may be more useful than the outcome alone. Whether those findings support revocation or reopening depends on the specific statutory requirements.

4. How to Remove a Warning-Account Designation

Ask the bank to identify the original reporting authority, then confirm which police unit or other authority handles the application and which documents it requires. The Criminal Investigation Bureau’s application form and instructions identify possible grounds, including non-prosecution, acquittal, deferred prosecution and completion of a sentence. The documents required depend on why the account was flagged. cib.npa.gov.tw

➠An ordinary business dispute or an account used without the holder’s authorization may require different evidence from a case where someone handed over access in response to a job or loan offer. After submitting the documents, confirm whether the original reporting authority has sent the removal notice and whether the bank has processed it. 1101005(°î)ãdf:363Ëø(1101015æ½)

➠Under Article 9 of the deposit-account regulations, a warning designation generally expires two years from the original notification. If continued designation is necessary, the original authority can notify the bank before expiry to extend it once, for up to one year. Under Article 10, the bank lifts the restrictions tied to that designation upon a removal notice from the original authority or expiry of the warning period. Other restrictions may remain. law.moj.gov.tw

5. What Does the Five-Year Article 22 Restriction Cover?

Restrictions tied to an Article 22 warning generally run for five years from the date the police issue the warning. This is a different clock from the 30-day appeal period and the warning-account designation period. A repeat violation during the restriction period can start a new five-year period after the existing one ends. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

➠The effect depends on the type of account. It may include withdrawal or transfer limits, loss of online banking or payment functions, or different controls for virtual asset and third-party payment accounts. Ask the bank which functions are affected and which measure is responsible for each restriction. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I lift bank account restrictions in Taiwan after a non-prosecution decision?

Possibly. Use the decision and its reasons to support the appropriate request. For a warning-account designation, confirm the removal procedure with the original reporting authority. If you also received an Article 22 police warning, review that decision and its deadlines separately.

Q2. Does missing the 30-day appeal deadline mean the warning can never be revoked?

No. Revocation under Article 117 or reopening under Article 128 may still be available, but each has different grounds and time limits. Neither gives you a fresh 30-day appeal period. mojlaw.moj.gov.tw

Q3. Will the bank restore all services when one restriction ends?

Only if no other applicable restriction remains. Ask the bank to confirm the status of each account and which functions it has restored.

How Legal Consultant Can Help🔍

Legal Consultant can review the warning, proof of service, bank notices and criminal case documents to identify which deadlines apply and which authority to contact. For an initial consultation, bring complete communications and transaction records showing why the account was provided, what access changed hands and when you first noticed unusual activity.

Published case examples

※ This article provides general information about Taiwanese law. The published cases illustrate individual outcomes. The appropriate procedure depends on the notice, the evidence and the deadlines in your case.