Compare the visitor cards before selecting a counter
Chunghwa Telecom sells 4G and 5G tourist prepaid cards in both physical SIM and eSIM form. Its English product page says day passes include mobile data, access to CHT Wi-Fi and voice credit, and lists counters at four major airports as well as service centres around Taiwan. Chunghwa says these tourist products must be bought with New Taiwan dollar cash. If you intend to buy at the airport, have cash ready and check the counter location and hours for your actual terminal.
Taiwan Mobile advertises a tourist card in physical SIM and eSIM formats with 4G and 5G options. It offers airport-counter application, online reservation followed by shop pickup, or direct application at a shop. The reservation is a collection arrangement rather than a fully activated line delivered before travel. Taiwan Mobile's page lists New Taiwan dollar, credit card, China UnionPay and Alipay as payment methods, but acceptance should be confirmed for the particular counter and card.
Prepare both original identity documents
Taiwan Mobile says a foreign visitor normally needs an original foreign passport as primary identification and a second original document, such as a visa, valid alien resident certificate, Taiwan driving licence or entry and exit permit. Its published list distinguishes travellers from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, for whom different primary documents apply. Check the exact list for your status before travelling to a counter; a passport alone is not what the operator's public instructions ask foreign visitors to bring.
Chunghwa's eSIM guidance likewise asks overseas travellers for two identity documents and directs them to a business office or outlet. It lists an original passport, entry and exit permit or resident certificate as primary ID, with alternatives for the second document. The wording is not identical to Taiwan Mobile's, so do not assume a document accepted by one operator will automatically pass the other's check. A second photo ID and any applicable visa or entry permit are worth keeping accessible with the passport.
Install the right eSIM on the right handset
Chunghwa's English eSIM instructions show QR-code installation on iPhone and Android and say the download can use free airport Wi-Fi or staff-assisted CHT Wi-Fi. The same page says an unlocked eSIM-only iPhone can use its network, and explains how to check the Carrier Lock entry on an iPhone. Check compatibility and unlock status before leaving home; an airport Wi-Fi connection does not fix a locked or unsupported phone. Keep the QR and confirmation details available until the eSIM is working.
A dual-line phone can preserve a home number for calls or messages while using the Taiwanese line for data. Chunghwa notes that two lines can be active on a suitable iPhone, but only one cellular data network is used at a time. Set the Taiwanese line as the data source and review the home line's data-roaming switch; keeping it active for incoming calls can still have charges set by the home operator. Test the settings while the shop is nearby.
4G voice support is a safety requirement
Taiwan's Tourism Administration says the 3G network was shut down on 30 June 2024. Its visitor guidance warns that a phone or SIM without 4G voice, also called VoLTE, may be unable to place ordinary or emergency calls. Taiwan Mobile says its prepaid service supports VoLTE on a compatible device. This is a reason to verify the handset's calling capability rather than checking only whether its data screen shows 4G or 5G. A data connection alone does not prove that a voice call will connect.
The Tourism Administration lists 110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, and 112 for an emergency call when reception is poor. These are voice numbers. The checked official pages do not establish that a data-only travel eSIM can dial them, so keep a functioning voice line and test that it can place calls. If heading into the Central Mountain Range or a remote trail, save the nearest trailhead and emergency details offline as well as the phone numbers.
Check mountain and offshore coverage by route
Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs describes subsidies for telecom infrastructure in rural, mountain and offshore areas. It reports 5G mobile broadband coverage of 95% in 87 statutory rural areas among participating operators after those programmes. That is the ministry's measure for defined areas and supported networks, not a promise that every trail, ferry or coastal road has 5G. A plan that works well in Taipei, Taichung or Kaohsiung still needs route-level checking before a trip to the east coast or an offshore island.
Ask the chosen carrier to check coverage for the actual stops, especially accommodation outside a town, a mountain trail or an island port. The ministry's emphasis on remote construction shows why an islandwide headline can hide local differences. Save a map area and an address in Chinese characters before leaving urban transport. If navigation is essential, consider keeping a second route to contact a host or driver when the phone has no signal.
Use Wi-Fi strategically on rail and in cities
Taiwan High Speed Rail says its stations provide free Wi-Fi in lobbies, paid areas and platform waiting areas under the THSR_freeWIFI_ALL network. It also lists onboard wireless internet. This is useful for checking a ticket or making an eSIM download between journeys, though station Wi-Fi should not be treated as continuous mobile coverage after leaving the platform. Save the train number, destination and QR ticket while connected, particularly on a multi-leg journey through Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Zuoying.
Taiwan Railway Corporation's official app ticketing page covers train search, booking, payment and display of mobile tickets. It says a traveller should show the ticket in the official app for an on-train inspection rather than rely on a screenshot. That makes a working data connection and charged phone particularly useful for a rail day; check the ticket before boarding and keep the app signed in. High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railway are separate systems, so check which one the itinerary actually uses.
For metro and bus travel, EasyCard is a separate way to pay without relying on mobile data at every gate. The company lists card sales and top-ups at Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung metro stations and at several convenience-store chains. A physical EasyCard and mobile data complement each other: the card handles fares, while the phone handles changing routes, station information and messages.
A short checklist for arriving in Taiwan
Before flying, confirm eSIM support, carrier unlock and VoLTE. Pack the passport and a second original document that appears on the chosen operator's list. If buying Chunghwa's tourist pass, prepare New Taiwan dollar cash; if choosing Taiwan Mobile, check whether its airport counter or reserved shop pickup fits the arrival time. Keep enough initial connectivity to locate the counter and travel onward in case it is closed or there is a queue.
At the counter, compare the exact start and expiry times, voice credit and hotspot allowance. Ask staff to install the eSIM or physical card and test data plus a voice call before leaving. After installation, set the correct data and calling defaults, check the home SIM's roaming state and save the operator support number. Chunghwa publishes a prepaid customer service number, while Taiwan Mobile gives a service hotline on its tourist page. A few minutes of testing at the counter can save a second trip back through the airport.
Networks our Taiwan plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Taiwan, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Chunghwa5G
- Chunghwa Telecom5G
- Chunghwa Telecom Mobile5G
- Far EasTone Ltd.5G
- FarEasTone5G
- Taiwan Mobile5G
- Taiwan Mobile Ltd.5G