How to convert ROC years
The Republic of China (ROC) calendar, also called the Minguo calendar (民國), counts years from 1912, the year the ROC was founded. 1912 is ROC year 1, and Taiwan still uses this calendar on official documents. The rule is simple:
Western year − 1911 = ROC year. For example, 2026 − 1911 = 115, so 2026 is ROC 115.
ROC year + 1911 = Western year. For example, ROC 89 + 1911 = 2000.
Years before 1912
Years before ROC year 1 are written 民前 (“before the ROC”), counted as 1912 minus the Western year. So 1911 is 民前 1 and 1900 is 民前 12. There is no year 0: the year after 民前 1 is ROC 1.
Where you’ll see ROC dates
Taiwanese government documents, ID cards, health insurance records, bank forms, receipts and invoices usually use ROC dates. The calculator reads all the common ways of writing them:
| Format | Example | Where it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| Slashes | 115/10/19 | Receipts, everyday documents |
| In Chinese | 民國115年10月19日 | Official letters, contracts |
| 7 digits | 1151019 | Online forms, system fields |
Year chart
| Western | ROC | Sexagenary | Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 116 | 丁未 (ding-wei) | Goat |
| 2026 | 115 | 丙午 (bing-wu) | Horse |
| 2025 | 114 | 乙巳 (yi-si) | Snake |
| 2024 | 113 | 甲辰 (jia-chen) | Dragon |
| 2000 | 89 | 庚辰 (geng-chen) | Dragon |
| 1990 | 79 | 庚午 (geng-wu) | Horse |
| 1980 | 69 | 庚申 (geng-shen) | Monkey |
Frequently asked questions
What year is ROC 115?
ROC 115 is 2026. Add 1911 to any ROC year to get the Western year.
Does the zodiac year start on January 1?
No. The zodiac animal and sexagenary year change at Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February. If you were born in January or February before Lunar New Year, your zodiac animal is the previous year’s. The calculator shows the animal from Lunar New Year onwards.
What is the 7-digit date format?
It is a 3-digit ROC year, a 2-digit month and a 2-digit day. Short years get a leading zero, so January 5 of ROC 89 (2000) is written 0890105.