Chunghwa Telecom is the best local SIM for most visitors to Taiwan, with the widest mountain and east-coast coverage and unlimited tourist plans from around NT$300 for 3 days up to NT$1,000 for 10 days; Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone are excellent in the cities and along the west coast. What makes Taiwan unusual is that almost every tourist plan is genuinely unlimited, so the real question is coverage, not gigabytes. A travel eSIM still beats the counter for convenience, installs before you fly, and works the second you land, see our Taiwan eSIM guide to compare, or let the eSIM Finder pick for you.
What This Guide Covers
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Taiwan's Mobile Landscape
Taiwan has three major mobile network operators: Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone. Chunghwa, the former state telecom, is the largest and has the deepest reach into the mountains, the east coast, and the offshore islands. Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone are strong urban networks that blanket the densely populated west coast with fast 5G. On this compact, mountainous island the cities are uniformly excellent on all three, so coverage only really separates them once you head into Taroko, up to Alishan, or along the Suhua Highway.
The headline for travelers is that Taiwan sells some of the cheapest unlimited mobile data anywhere in the world. Where most countries offer tourists a fixed bucket of gigabytes, Taiwanese carriers compete on unlimited high-speed plans that cost the equivalent of a few US dollars per day. That changes how you shop: you are not rationing data, you are choosing how many days you need and which network reaches where you are going.
Passport Needed, But Registration Is Painless
You do need your passport (and usually a second photo ID or your entry stamp) to buy a prepaid SIM in Taiwan, and the staff handle the registration for you on the spot. Unlike some countries, there is no quota mischief or street-stall scam culture here: carrier counters and convenience stores are honest and the listed price is the price you pay. The only real downside is the few minutes of paperwork and the swap of your physical SIM tray.
Chunghwa Telecom
Chunghwa Telecom: The Island-Wide Standard
Taiwan's largest carrier with by far the best mountain and east-coast coverage
Chunghwa is the default recommendation for almost every visitor. It is the network that keeps a signal where the others give up: along the Suhua Highway between Yilan and Hualien, inside parts of Taroko Gorge, up the switchbacks to Alishan, and out on Penghu and Green Island. The tourist passes are unlimited and cheap, starting around NT$300 for 3 days of 4G and stepping up to roughly NT$600 for 5 days and NT$1,000 for 10 days, with 5G versions costing a little more.
Because the data is unlimited, you simply choose the number of days that matches your trip. The longer passes throw in some bundled call credit and a chunk of hotspot allowance, which is useful if you want to tether a laptop on a long train ride. Buy it at the airport counter or any Chunghwa store and you get the real plan at the listed price with registration done for you.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Taiwan Mobile
Taiwan Mobile: Cheap Unlimited for the West Coast
A wide menu of unlimited tourist SIMs, often the best value in the cities
Taiwan Mobile is the value champion for a city-focused trip. It offers one of the widest ranges of tourist SIMs on the island, splitting plans into 4G and 5G tiers, and almost all of them are unlimited without throttling on everyday use. Its longer 5G passes set generous high-speed thresholds (tens of gigabytes) before any soft cap kicks in, which in practice no normal traveler will reach. If your itinerary stays on the Taipei to Kaohsiung corridor and the High Speed Rail, Taiwan Mobile is hard to beat on price.
Strengths
Weaknesses
FarEasTone
FarEasTone: The Fast Urban Third Option
Consistently quick city speeds and reliable unlimited tourist plans
FarEasTone rounds out the big three. It has long earned strong marks for fast, consistent speeds in the cities, so for a Taipei stay or a west-coast loop it performs every bit as well as the other two. Coverage tapers off in the deep mountains and along the far east coast, so it is best suited to travelers who are sticking to the urban corridor. Pricing tracks Taiwan Mobile closely, and the unlimited tourist passes are sold at the same Taoyuan counters.
Taiwan SIM Card Plans Compared
| Carrier | Typical Data | Validity | Price (counter) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chunghwa 10-Day | Unlimited + 10GB tether | 10 days | ~NT$1,000 (about 31 USD) | East coast, mountains, all-round |
| Chunghwa 5-Day | Unlimited + 5GB tether | 5 days | ~NT$600 (about 19 USD) | Short trips needing wide coverage |
| Taiwan Mobile 30-Day 5G | Unlimited (high-speed cap then 10 Mbps) | 30 days | ~NT$599 to NT$999 (19 to 31 USD) | Long city stays, best value |
| FarEasTone 7-Day | Unlimited high-speed | 7 days | ~NT$500 (about 16 USD) | City-based west-coast trips |
The numbers tell the Taiwan story: nearly everything is unlimited, and the price tracks the number of days rather than a gigabyte count. Airport counter prices are broadly the same as in-city stores here, so unlike many countries you are not punished for buying on arrival, the trade-off is the queue and the SIM-tray swap, not the cost.
Where to Buy a SIM Card in Taiwan
Taoyuan Airport Counters (Most Convenient)
Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone all run staffed counters in the arrivals areas of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Taoyuan (TPE). Prices match in-city rates and staff handle registration in minutes. Counters generally open early and run late, and some operate around the clock for pre-booked pickups, so even a red-eye arrival can get connected.
Carrier Stores in the Cities
Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone shops are on practically every major street in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. They carry the full plan range, have English-capable staff in tourist districts, and are the place to go for a top-up or a plan change mid-trip.
Convenience Stores: 7-Eleven and FamilyMart
Taiwan's ubiquitous 7-Eleven and FamilyMart stores stock prepaid SIMs and handle top-ups, and you are never more than a block or two from one. They are handy for recharging your EasyCard at the same time, though for a first SIM purchase a carrier counter is smoother for the registration step.
Test Before You Leave the Counter
Wherever you buy, insert the SIM and confirm data works before walking away. Load a map or a web page, check the validity dates match what you paid for, and keep the receipt. Taiwan is low-drama for SIM purchases, but a 30-second check still saves you a return trip.
eSIM vs Local SIM Card in Taiwan
| Factor | eSIM | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 3 minutes (before your flight) | 10 to 15 minutes at a counter with passport |
| Passport registration | Not needed | Required, done in person at purchase |
| Data style | Metered buckets (or unlimited via Holafly) | Almost always unlimited high-speed |
| Price (week of data) | ~6 to 14 USD (Airalo, Nomad, Holafly) | ~16 to 31 USD unlimited (Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile) |
| Best for | Most travelers, no counter queue on arrival | Heavy streamers who want unlimited and a local number |
Taiwan is one of the few places where the local SIM genuinely competes, because the unlimited plans are so cheap. For light and moderate users, though, a travel eSIM is still the easier path: it installs before you fly, connects the instant you land, and a 5 to 10 GB metered plan often costs less than an unlimited week at the counter. If you stream heavily or want a Taiwanese number, a Chunghwa unlimited SIM, or Holafly's unlimited eSIM, makes more sense.
Taiwan-Specific Tips
Practical Advice for Staying Connected in Taiwan
Take Chunghwa east: For Taroko Gorge, the Suhua Highway, Hualien, Taitung, and the offshore islands, Chunghwa is the network with usable signal. Expect dead spots in the canyon tunnels even on Chunghwa, with reception returning in the towns.
Unlimited is the norm, so count days, not gigabytes: Taiwanese tourist SIMs sell unlimited high-speed data, so pick the plan length that matches your trip rather than agonizing over a data cap.
Bring your passport: Registration is mandatory and handled at purchase, and you usually need a second ID or your entry stamp too. Carry the physical passport when you go to buy.
Lean on iTaiwan and free WiFi: The government iTaiwan service and the Taipei Free network cover MRT stations, libraries, and tourist sites, so your data mainly fills the gaps on the street and on transit.
EasyCard is separate from your SIM: Top up your EasyCard at any 7-Eleven or station machine for the MRT and buses; it is not linked to your mobile plan, so handle both on arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Taiwan's tourist SIM cards really unlimited?
Yes, that is the headline feature. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone all sell tourist prepaid plans with unlimited high-speed data, which is unusual worldwide. Most plans run at full speed throughout, while some long 30-day passes set a very high gigabyte threshold (tens of GB) before easing to around 10 Mbps, a cap no normal traveler reaches. You choose the number of days, not a data bucket.
Do I need my passport to buy a SIM in Taiwan?
Yes. You must show your passport, and usually a second photo ID or your entry stamp, and the staff register the SIM for you at the counter or store. The process takes a few minutes and is honest and straightforward in Taiwan, with no street-stall scams to watch for. A travel eSIM skips the registration step entirely if you would rather not bother.
Which carrier should I pick for Taroko Gorge and the east coast?
Chunghwa Telecom. As the former state operator it has the deepest tower network in the mountains and along the rugged east coast, so it is the most reliable choice for Taroko Gorge, the Suhua Highway between Yilan and Hualien, Taitung, and the offshore islands. Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone are great in the cities but fade in those remote areas. If your trip goes east, choose Chunghwa or an eSIM that uses it.
Is it cheaper to buy a SIM at Taoyuan Airport or in the city?
They cost about the same. Unlike many countries, Taiwan's airport carrier counters charge the same listed prices as the city stores, so you are not penalized for buying on arrival. The counters at Terminals 1 and 2 are run by the carriers themselves, not third-party stalls. The only reasons to wait are if you arrive at a closed hour or simply prefer to skip the queue with a pre-installed eSIM.
Should I get an eSIM or a local unlimited SIM for Taiwan?
For light and moderate users, an eSIM is easier: it installs in minutes before you fly, works the moment you land, and a metered 5 to 10 GB plan often costs less than a week of the unlimited counter SIMs, especially with Taiwan's heavy free WiFi filling the gaps. If you stream a lot, tether often, or want a Taiwanese number and truly unlimited data, a Chunghwa SIM or Holafly's unlimited eSIM is the better fit.