Taiwan SIM Card: Buying & Using A Tourist SIM Card In Taipei

The Taiwan SIM card that I picked up at Taipei airport was one of the savviest purchases of my trip. I used my Far EasTone SIM card in Taipei for four days without a hitch. It was simple, cheap as chips and super convenient. If your current Telco charges exorbitant roaming fees like mine does, you definitely need to get your hands on a tourist SIM card in Taiwan.

 

 

 

Teleco’s In Taiwan

There are three main Telco’s in Taiwan that offer mobile coverage; Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EastTone Telecom. Each of these companies offer a short-term pre-paid Taiwan SIM card that is suitable for travellers and all have desks at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. There are a number of minor players in the industry, but I didn’t bother looking beyond the top three.

 

 

SIM Card in Taiwan Comparison

I’m all about travelling in luxury for less. And that means paying the least amount possible for essentials so I can splurge on the things that really matter. My local mobile provider Amaysim has a great plan for domestic use (AUD$30 a month for unlimited standard calls and text, 45GB data and some free international calls and texts), but their roaming costs are eye watering. I don’t make many calls when I am overseas as I tend to use messenger to speak to family and friends, but I do use a fair bit of data. Roaming in Taiwan on my Amaysim plan would have cost me an astronomical AUD$50 per megabyte of data. For this reason, I purchase a travel SIM eveywhere I visit. I’ve successfully used T-Mobile in the USA, Metfone in Cambodia and Vinafone in Vietnam to name just a few. I usually buy a SIM card based on price, but there isn’t lot of difference in cost between each of the three major Telco’s in Taiwan. Their offerings do differ slightly though so one might suit you better that the next.

Taiwan Mobile

• Operates counters at both terminals in Taipei Taoyuan Airport
• Open between 7.30am & 10.30pm
• 5 day, 7 day and 10 day plans available
• Unlimted Data
• Multiple call options of TWD$50, TWD$100, TWD$150 or TWD$300
• Priced between ~TWD$270 – ~TWD$460
• Purchase your Taiwan Mobile SIM card here

Chunghwa Telecom

• Operates counters at both terminals in Taipei Taoyuan Airport
• Opens at 8am and closes at 10pm in terminal 2 and midnight in terminal 1
• 3 day, 5 day, 7 day, 10 day, 15 day and 30 day plans available
• Unlimted Data
• Multiple call options of TWD$50, TWD$100, TWD$150 or TWD$430
• Priced between ~TWD$250 – ~TWD$870
• Purchase your Chunghwa Telecom SIM card here

Far EasTone Telecom

• Operates counters at both terminals in Taipei Taoyuan Airport
• Open 24 hours
• 3 day, 5 day, 8 day, 10 day and 15 day plans available
• Unlimted Data
• Limited call options of TWD$50 or TWD$100
• Priced between ~TWD$200 – ~TWD$520
• Purchase your Far EasTone Telecom SIM card here

 

 

Purchasing A Taiwan SIM Card

I get a little antsy if I’m off the grid for too long. I need to be connected the minute my flight lands so the ability to collect my SIM card in Taipei airport was paramount. My China Airlines flight from Sydney landed at terminal 2 in Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport at 5am. It might surprise you to learn that Taipei Taoyuan airport is not a hive of activity at 5am. It was deserted. I was off the plane, through customs, done with baggage claim and in the arrivals area in under half an hour. It was a vary different story when my Eva Air flight from Hanoi landed at 4pm when I transited back through Taipei on my way home. The queues were horrendous and it took me well over an hour just to clear customs. Landing at 5am reduced my choices for a Taiwan SIM card to one. Far EasTone Telecom was the only operator with a desk that is open 24 hours a day to suit my early arrival. Taiwan Mobile opens at 7.30am and Chunghwa opens at 8am. There was no way that I was waiting around for either to open after 9 hours on the red eye flight. As a nifty bonus, Far EasTone was the cheapest of the three for my needs. I purchased my 5 day Far EasTone Taiwan SIM card through Klook for ~AUD$10 (~TWD$220). It included unlimited data and TWD$50 of calls. As soon as I walked into the arrivals area I spotted the private driver I booked through Klook. I explained that I needed to pick up my Taiwan SIM card and hit the ATM before we could be on our way and he was most obliging. The Klook counter at Terminal 2 is hard to miss. Turn right after you exit and walk all the way down the end. It’s on your right just before the exit to meeting points 28, 29 and 30. I spent 4 days in Taipei with ten other ladies who flew in the day after me from Chicago. One of the ladies asked me to grab a SIM card in Taiwan for her the day before I left home. Time got away from me and I didn’t get the chance to pre-order her card through Klook as I did with my own. I was able to purchase hers at the counter for TWD$300 (~AUD$14.50), which was not much more than I paid, but when every cent counts it pays to order ahead. On my return trip I had a layover of about eight hours in Taipei Airport, three of which I spent in the Plaza Premium Lounge. I hadn’t intended to purchase another Taiwan SIM card for this short stay and figured I would just rely on the free WiFi in the airport before I could enter the lounge. Best laid plain often go awry and after about 30 minutes of messing around trying to get it to work, I succumbed and purchased another Far EasTone SIM card at the same counter I visited two weeks earlier. I had hoped to purchase a 1 day option, but 5 days was the minimum they offered. Whatever, it’s AUD$15. I wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it and it meant I could while away the hours surfing the net instead of staring at the wall. Well worth it! ID must be shown for every Taiwan SIM card purchased. If you pick up at the airport, your passport and boarding pass are sufficient. If you purchase from an outlet outside of the airport, you are required to show two forms of photo ID. There is one form to fill in, which is in Chinese, but the details required are minimal. A maximum of three SIM cards can be purchased by the same person, which shouldn’t be a problem for most. The Klook desk has a little area to the side of the counter with those special pins you need to pop the SIM card out of your phone. Mine did not immediately connect (still not sure why), but the lady at the counter changed one of the settings and I was online in minutes.

 

 

Using My SIM Card In Taipei

My Far EasTone SIM card did not miss a beat from the moment I was connected. I spent most of my time in Taipei City, but I did venture out for a day trip to the North East Coast and Juifen without any noticeable loss of speed or connection. I used Uber extensively when I was in Taipei and a solid connection is vital when you are trying to book and track a ride. Even though I had TWD$50 of calls included, I didn’t have the need to make a voice call, so I can’t speak to that functionality. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a Far EasTone SIM card. Get yours here from Klook.

 

 

Have you been to Taipei? I’d love to hear about you stayed connected during your stay in the comments below …

 

 

Until Next Time …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pin “Taiwan SIM Card” for later

 

 

Disclosure Statement: This review is not sponsored and I paid for my Taiwan SIM card in full. The information in this article is based on my own personal experiences and has not been influenced in any way by the brand(s) featured. This post may contain affiliate links which if clicked may earn me a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.