Taiwan SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know

Visiting Taiwan soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Taiwan SIM card.

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Taiwan in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Taiwan.

If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Chinese – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Taiwan.

Best SIM Cards In Taiwan

If you’re traveling in Taiwan, we recommend using a SIM card from Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile, FET, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Asia, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Asian countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In Taiwan

You can either buy a Taiwan prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Asian prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile, and FET.

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Chunghwa SIM Cards

Chunghwa offers three different types of tourist plans:

• 3 GB, valid for 3 days for TWD 500 ($16.47)
• 5 GB, valid for 5 days for TWD 600 ($19.76)
• 7 GB, valid for 7 days for TWD 800 ($26.35)

Taiwan Mobile SIM Cards

Taiwan Mobile has four different prepaid plans available:

• 1 GB, valid for 30 days for TWD 100 ($3.29)
• 2.4 GB, valid for 60 days for TWD 100 ($3.29)
• 4.4 GB, valid for 60 days for TWD 195 ($6.42)
• Unlimited data, valid for 3 days for TWD 300 ($9.88)

FET SIM Cards

FET offers several main SIM-only plans for tourists:

• 1.2 GB, valid for 60 days for TWD 180 ($5.93)
• 2.2 GB, valid for 60 days for TWD 300 ($9.88)
• 5 GB, valid for 90 days for TWD 699 ($23.02)
• 8 GB, valid for 185 days for TWD 1,000 ($32.94)
• 20 GB, valid for 120 days for TWD 1,399 ($46.08)

Overall, we think Chunghwa is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person.

That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy A Taiwan Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Taiwan is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Another option is to purchase a prepaid Taiwan SIM card on SimOptions.

They currently offer one data plan that covers Taiwan:

• 10 GB, valid for 14 days for $49.90

Browse your options on SimOptions

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Taiwan or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Asia.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For Taiwan

eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.

If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Taiwan.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable eSIM provider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Taiwan.

Airalo Taiwan

If you want to buy an eSIM for Taiwan, you could purchase one on Airalo.

This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Asia and Taiwan.

I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine. Learn more by reading our Airalo review.

Here are the options available:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $7
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $9.50
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
• 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $21
• 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $32

Here’s an overview of the options available for Asia:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
• 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
• 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
• 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185

The options mentioned above are part of Asialink and offer coverage in 13 countries, including Taiwan.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries, Discover Global offers coverage in 124 countries, including Taiwan.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
• 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
• 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
• 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.

Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.

In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Go to Airalo

Holafly Taiwan

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly.

You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

Here’s an overview of the plan for Taiwan:

• Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $19
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $27
• Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $34
• Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
• Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54
• Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for $64
• Unlimited data, valid for 60 days for $84
• Unlimited data, valid for 90 days for $99

Go to Holafly

Nomad Taiwan

Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider.

Here’s an overview of the plans available for Taiwan:

• 1GB, valid for 3 days for $4
• 3GB, valid for 5 days for $6
• 5GB, valid for 10 days for $9
• 10GB, valid for 15 days for $15
• 15GB, valid for 30 days for $19
• 20GB, valid for 30 days for $34
• 30GB, valid for 30 days for $60
• 40GB, valid for 30 days for $75
• 50GB, valid for 30 days for $90
• 100GB, valid for 60 days for $170

Nomad also has Global, an eSIM plan for 111 countries worldwide. This plan offers coverage in Taiwan.

Here’s an overview:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days for $25
• 3GB, valid for 30 days for $40
• 5GB, valid for 30 days for $45

Go to Nomad

Final Thoughts On Taiwan SIM Cards

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Taiwan or even an eSIM for your travels in Taiwan is pretty straightforward.

You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Asia without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Asia or global plan.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Taiwan if you wish to have data upon your arrival.

This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.

Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to Asia soon? Read one of the following blog posts:

• China SIM card
• Hong Kong SIM card
• Macau SIM card