Who owns what in a marriage in Taiwan?

Separate ownership during the marriage, with the gains shared at the end

Taiwan's default is that spouses keep their own property, and when the marriage ends the surplus each spouse built up is equalised.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Each spouse owns and manages their own property during the marriage, with limits on disposing of the family home.

When the marriage ends in divorce

The surplus that each spouse gained during the marriage, after debts and excluding gifts and inheritances, is compared, and the spouse with the larger surplus pays the other half of the difference.

A marriage contract

Spouses can choose another regime, such as community of property or separation, by a written agreement that is registered.

What stays your own, and gifts

Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

Taiwan has its own rules on which law applies to foreign spouses.

Understand the legal system first

Taiwan belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Taiwan legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

Official sources

Ministry of Justice of Taiwan

TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.