Taipei has got some real highlights, like the towering Taipei 101, its colorful temples, and the soothing Beitou Hot Springs. It is the biggest city in Taiwan and doubles as the country's capital city.
There is so much stuff to do in Taipei that I could fill a whole blog post—or maybe even dedicate an entire blog to the city! But today, I am zeroing in on the best Taiwan SIM card and eSIM options you as travelers can find at the airport.
I will be talking about the main international hub for Taiwan, not the more central Taipei Songshan Airport. Though you can grab SIM cards at Songshan too, I have covered that in another guide about snagging SIM cards there.
So, what is the deal with SIM card options at Taiwan’s main international airport?
This guide is about Taiwan's main international airport, not the airport in the middle of Taipei, called Taipei Songshan Airport. You can also get SIM cards at Songshan Airport, which you can read in my Songshan Airport SIM card buying guide.
Over at TPE, you have choices like Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone. Prices kick off at 230 NTD (that is about 7.15 USD) and can hit up to 3 999 NTD (124.10 USD).
Why such a wide range in prices?
The airport primarily offers tourist SIMs and plans. Before you worry about potentially excessive prices typical of airport SIM card purchases, you should know that acquiring a Taiwanese SIM card here is quite beneficial. They offer genuinely unlimited data plans.
I am serious—during a three-month period with a Chunghwa Telecom one SIM card, I used about 200 GB of data without any reduction in speed!
This is generally true for most SIM cards available at TPE.
If you are heading to Taiwan and planning to stay connected: most local mobile providers won't hand out prepaid SIM cards to tourists once you step outside the airport. So, grabbing one at a counter in the airport might be your best and perhaps your only shot at staying connected there.
Let’s scope out what is available at Taipei's main airport.
Mobile Operators in Taiwan
When you land, you will see there are 3 main mobile operators plus one Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) at the airport:
- Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信)
- Taiwan Mobile (台灣大哥大)
- Far EasTone (遠傳電信)
- Ibon Mobile (統一超商電信 – Far EasTone MVNO)
While there are additional MVNOs that operate primarily online, these aren't accessible to tourists.
Here is my guide for choosing a SIM card from Taiwan, filled with everything important to understand.
Finding a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
After you arrive at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, there will be many spots where you can get a physical SIM card and eSIM from the five main telecom companies. These are the sole options for mobile network services in Taiwan.
You can find SIM card locations in the arrival hall sections of Terminal 1 and also in arrival in Terminal 2.
Search for the vivid and easily noticeable shops of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone – they are quite prominent.
Due to Taiwan’s SIM card registration laws, upon arrival you must purchase SIMs directly from the official stores of these providers or authorized phone resellers at the airport.
Here, you can find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and the necessary requirements.
This regulation ensures that SIMs are not sold through other channels, like 7-Eleven, despite 7-Eleven Taiwan offering a mobile service under the brand Ibon Mobile; these, however, are not available at airports.
Now, let’s explore what each mobile operator has to offer.
Chunghwa Telecom Prepaid SIM Card Options at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport
You have just entered the arrival hall at TPE and you are looking to purchase a SIM card; Chunghwa Telecom can help with this. They have many choices with prices starting at 280 and going up to 3 999 NTD.
If you are similar to me and need to calculate the amount in your currency, I would recommend using a tool such as the Wise Currency Converter. It is very useful for accurate conversions.
Chunghwa Telecom, also known as 中華電信 or CHT by people here, is considered the major company in this area for mobile services. They have been present for more time than others and they are the biggest service provider in Taiwan.
Their SIM card machines are not hard to locate; there are two in the first terminal and another three in the second.
Looking for what they offer? Well, they have two main types of tourist SIMs: the 4G Traveler SIM and the 5G Traveler SIM.
Here is a quick rundown of the 11 different 4G Traveler SIMs with the local number options they have:
- 280 NTD: 4G SIM card, 1.2 GB data pass, 100 NTD call credit, valid for 16 days.
- 300 NTD: 4G SIM card, 3-Day Pass, unlimited data, 100 NTD call credit, valid for 3 days.
- 300 NTD: 4G 5-Day Pass, unlimited data, 50 NTD call credit, valid for 5 days.
- 400 NTD: SIM card, 4G 2.2 GB data pass, 100 NTD call credit, valid for 16 days.
- 500 NTD: 4G 5-Day Pass, unlimited data, 300 NTD call credit, valid for 5 days.
- 500 NTD: 4G 7-Day Pass, unlimited data, 150 NTD call credit, valid for 7 days.
- 500 NTD: 4G 10-Day Pass, unlimited data, 100 NTD call credit, valid for 10 days.
- 699 NTD: 4G SIM card, 5 GB data pass, valid for 16 days.
- 700 NTD: 4G 15-Day Pass, unlimited data, 100 NTD call credit, valid for 15 days.
- 800 NTD: 4G 15-Day Pass, unlimited data, 250 NTD call credit, valid for 15 days.
- 1 000 NTD: SIM card, 4G 30-Day Pass, unlimited data, 430 NTD call credit, valid for 30 days.
© Chunghwa Telecom
If you are planning a longer stay, perhaps over 30 days or several weeks, Chunghwa Telecom also offers specific plans that provide unlimited data for extended periods.
For instance, one prepaid SIM card costs 2 199 NTD for 90 days, while another offers 180 days for 3 999 NTD. Note that these prices include credit deductions of 199 NTD and 399 NTD, respectively.
I had to figure out that Chunghwa Telecom tourist SIMs can't be topped up to extend their usage, which definitely swayed my choice to snag a few extra during my trip, considering the whole visa extension drama.
If you plan to stay in a city in Taiwan for a long time, buying a SIM card with extended validity could help save money rather than accumulating many short-term cards.
So, diving back into what is up with Chunghwa Telecom – here is the scoop on their 5G Traveler SIMs:
Regarding eSIM options, as of October 2022, Chunghwa Telecom began offering eSIMs to prepaid customers, previously a service only available to postpaid subscribers. You can only purchase these eSIMs directly from Chunghwa Telecom stores at the airport, not from resellers.
You can buy a Chunghwa Telecom eSIM with no additional cost over a physical SIM card, but you will need to meet Taiwan's SIM card registration requirements. If you are after a no-frills rundown on eSIM options in Taiwan, you might want to take a look at my guide.
Need the lowdown on Chunghwa Telecom's goods? Don't miss my deep dive into their best SIM card options.
Taiwan Mobile Prepaid SIM Card Options at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport
At Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan Mobile is the recommended choice for tourists looking to purchase a SIM card. They offer various plans starting from 300 NTD to as much as 3 200 NTD.
Known to locals as 台灣大哥大, Taiwan Mobile is the second-biggest mobile service provider around here. Once you hit Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, scout out one of the three Taiwan Mobile booths to snag your local SIM card.
They have a couple of tourist SIM options: the Airport 4G SIM and the 5G Airport SIM.
Here is what you can find in terms of 4G options:
© Taiwan Mobile
Yes, these plans give you unlimited data and yes, that includes tethering with no limits—well, unless the phone and data plan says otherwise.
Oh, and get this! There are some special plans you can only snag at the airport, and you won’t see them advertised anywhere else.
If you are planning on staying connected and hanging around Taiwan for more than 30 days, you might want to look into the long-term 4G/LTE options they have for longer stays as tourist SIMs from Taiwan Mobile can’t be topped up or extended.
Let’s talk about the 5G options—they have three kinds of 5G Traveler SIMs:
© Taiwan Mobile
Just like their 4G predecessors, these cards provide truly unlimited data, though there are limits on tethering allowances set at 3 GB, 5 GB, and 7 GB.
A quick note: Curious about the eSIM availability from Taiwan Mobile at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport? As of now, eSIMs aren't accessible for prepaid phone users at this location.
If you are thinking about opting for a Taiwan Mobile SIM card, make sure to check out my thorough review on Taiwan Mobile to help guide your decision.
Far EasTone Prepaid SIM Card Options at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport
In Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, only Far EasTone has tourist SIMs for sale; they cost from 300 to 3 200 NTD.
Far EasTone, which ranks as the third biggest company for mobile services in Taiwan, was in the news because it merged with GT Mobile Taiwan's parent company Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) in February of 2022.
When you get to Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, there are at least three places where buying a Far EasTone SIM card is possible.
Far EasTone offers two kinds of SIMs for travelers: one is a 4G Tourist SIM, and the other is a 5G Tourist SIM.
Here is what is available for the 4G Tourist SIMs from Far EasTone:
- 4G Plan A
- Price: 300 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: Not specified
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 3 days
- 4G Plan B
- Price: 300 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 50 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 5 days
- 4G Plan D
- Price: 400 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 100 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 7 days
- 4G Plan E
- Price: 400 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 50 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 8 days
- 4G Plan C
- Price: 500 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 300 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 5 days
- 4G Plan F
- Price: 500 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 100 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 10 days
- 4G Plan G
- Price: 700 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 100 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 15 days
- 4G Plan H
- Price: 1 000 NTD
- SIM Card: Included
- Call Credit: 430 NTD
- Data: Unlimited
- Validity: 30 days
These offer truly unlimited data, including unlimited tethering (mobile hotspot).
However, there are more plans available that are only advertised directly at the airport.
If you are planning to stay in Taiwan for more than 30 days, you cannot prolong the validity of your SIM cards, so you might be interested in these additional 4G/LTE plans:
- At 1 800 NTD, you get unlimited data valid for 90 days.
- For 2 800 NTD, you enjoy the same unlimited data but for a longer period of 145 days.
- For 3 200 NTD, you still get unlimited data, now valid for 180 days.
As for the 5G Tourist SIMs, Far EasTone offers these three options:
The 5G packages offer unlimited data usage but the tethering, which is using the internet connection of your mobile as a hotspot, has certain restrictions. They give you either 3 GB, 5 GB, or 7 GB for this purpose.
One last thing: are you wondering if Far EasTone eSIMs are available at Taoyuan International Airport? The answer is no. While Far EasTone does offer eSIMs, they are not currently available to prepaid customers.
Also, make sure to read my review of Far EasTone, especially if you think about buying one of their SIMs.
Is It Worth Getting a Taiwan Airport SIM Card?
I highly suggest you get a SIM card at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport. The SIM cards there are good value and sold for cheaper than regular prices. More importantly, many mobile providers don't offer prepaid SIM cards at their standard retail locations.
In the airport, there are choices like Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone. They offer tourist SIM cards with unlimited data that can be used for mobile hotspot too.
A Chunghwa tourist SIM card can have a validity period ranging from three to 180 days, with prices from 280 NTD to 3 999 NTD, and they include options for 5G NR SIM cards. You can visit a Chunghwa telecom counter for their tourist SIM cards, but you might find the process cumbersome and be advised to try Taiwan Mobile instead.
Taiwan Mobile's SIM cards also have a three to 180-day validity, priced between 300 NTD and 3 200 NTD, with 5G NR available. While you can get these SIM cards at most of their stores, they tend to be around 10% more expensive than those at the airport—though sometimes, promotions may bring the price down to what you would expect to pay at the airport.
Far EasTone's offerings are similar in terms of duration and price and include 5G NR SIM cards. However, their stores typically do not carry tourist SIM cards, and the price for regular prepaid SIM cards might be inflated.
Generally, the SIM cards that you can buy at airports in Taiwan are a very good deal. If you try to get a prepaid SIM card somewhere else other than the airport, you might need some extra time to spare.
I hope this guide will be a time and energy saver for you, as I have researched many plans to select the optimal choices for you!