I'm Going To / Just Got To Taiwan & Need a Phone or SIM Card

Life Technology
41

Wow, awesome, just what I need. Everything was closed when I originally arrived and I figured there would be no difference inside vs. outside the airport. I’ll go there soon.

42

Good luck!

43

So is farEas the only prepaid SIM card option?

44

i’m under 20. How can i be able to purchase any of these sim card?

45

welcome @Meccar, when you arrive you can buy them at Taoyuan airport. Take left turn as you go through last auto-doors into receiving hall.
if already in Taipei or Kaohsiung, go to local airport, they are there too.
Bring passport.

46

Guys, which package would you recommend for a friend who is staying until December? Her budget is really tight, say tops 400 NTD a month. Since her stay is so short, she is not a candidate for most plans. There is one offering 20 gigas of data I think, no idea how useful that is. Icon is quite tech deficient.

47

Where are you located? What city?

48

I am flying to Taiwan at the end of August. At this point, I am expecting to be there 3–4 months.

For mobile phone service, I assume the best thing to do is to get a SIM card at Taoyuan Airport after I land. (Right?)

Which carrier/plan makes the most sense for my situation?

According to Adventure Filled Life, Taiwan Mobile’s pre-paid SIM cards are the “best for residents or long-term stays.” But the English website to which it links seems outdated (shows a promotion ending in 2019).

Formosa Guide recommends Chunghwa Telecom. I’m confused about whether this option could last more than a month. On this page from Chunghwa, the longest option is “4G day plan pre-paid card -30 day pass NT$1000(includes NT$430 credit for voice).” Of course, I don’t want to have to change SIM cards and phone numbers after 30 days. This page says “the expiry date cannot be extended.” But this other page says “For those already equipped with a valid 4G Day Pass Prepaid Card service number, please bring your SIM card to the service counter for extension,” which implies that extension beyond 30 days is possible. And Formosa Guide says, “I have had a prepaid account with Chunghwa Telecom … for over a decade, and have never had any problems.”

Does anyone know whether a Chunghwa 30-day pass can be extended for additional months? Can I pay for one month at a time as I go and keep the same phone number and SIM card?

One issue complicating things: My flight arrives at TPE before 5 a.m. Adventure Filled Life says, “You will need to get a tourist SIM card at a branch location if you are arriving at Taoyuan Airport outside of normal hours,” but I won’t have the option of going to a branch location, because I have to do the 14-day quarantine. Can I wait around at the airport for a couple of hours until the mobile phone kiosks open? Chunghwa appears to open at 07:00; Taiwan Mobile, according to the map here, opens at 06:00 (but I don’t know whether the pandemic has affected the hours). I’ve read that I will need a Taiwanese number for the authorities to contact during my quarantine.

In case it matters, my phone is an iPhone.

I am a Gold Card holder going to Taiwan for the first time. I am going to use the 境外核准證明 (Resident Authorization certificate) to enter Taiwan. After my quarantine, I will go to the NIA to convert my certificate into an ARC and receive the actual, physical Gold Card.

49

If you plan to stay in Taiwan for less than 3 months , then you could just rent a SIM and pocket Wifi monthly plan ,
You can reserve them online and pick them up at the Airport or deliver to your selected address such as home, office, or hotel.

these are some options:

Also Taiwan , specially Taipei city has many free public wifi spots https://itaiwan.gov.tw/en/hotspotQueryList.php

1 Like
50

Unlimited 4G Prepaid is about $1000 every month.

51

Thanks, @chydals. I am going to stay for a bit more than three months—probably closer to four months. If that changes your recommendation, please let me know.

52

You can try the options from Taiwan Mobile , Chunghwa Telecom and so on , however the pick up at airport counters starts at 6am , 7am or 8am ,

this links shows more options for getting a prepaid SIM card

Other option is to buy the ibon mobile 4G Prepaid Rate Plan at the 7-11 store Taoyuan Airport Terminal 2, 5F and terminal 1 -B1 which is operating 24 hours.

image
image1337×284 98 KB

1 Like
53

Which carrier do you use, @Marco?

And can you “renew” for additional months, keeping the same SIM card and phone number? How does that work?

54

I use APT. They have a no contract plan with unlimited 4G for $299 at 21mbps or $399 full speed.

You wont be able to buy it without an ARC though.

Just walk into the store. Give them your number. Pay $1000. Done.

55

Thanks, @Marco. That sounds like a good plan. Maybe I will change plans after I have completed quarantine and converted my certificate into an ARC.

Good to know that extending for additional months is easy.

1 Like
56

When I arrived in March I got a SIM at Taoyuan Airport with Taiwan Mobile, I think the cost was $1000 for 30 days unlimited 4G data. The card worked fine in those 30 days, but I was unable to renew online or at the store. At the store, I was told the number was ONLY good for 30 days. So I got a new sim and number using my ID, and I now pay $899 per month for unlimited 4G, which I also use as a hotspot for my PC and tablet. Maybe I got the wrong card at the airport, but wanted to share my recent experience.

edit: I should add that this is the prepaid plan as I do not expect to stay long enough to justify a contract.

1 Like
57

There are claims that SIM vendors exist before the quarantine checkpoints. Was this the case or was it necessary to wait until the vendors open at ~6/7 a.m.?

58

@ionosphere, I just flew to TPE a few days ago; I can’t remember which terminal off the top of my head.

Yes, there was a T Star (台灣之星) booth before the quarantine checkpoint that was open. However, there was a long queue to get SIM cards. I think I waited well over an hour. I suppose they have to provide a vendor booth before the quarantine checkpoint, because I am pretty sure that one cannot get through it without a working Taiwanese mobile number.

Maybe other carriers have booths later in the day, but that early in the morning, T Star was the only option for me.

I was able to get a six-month plan, so I don’t need to worry about getting a new SIM card or changing my phone number after quarantine.

2 Likes
59

Hi @Marco,

Thanks for the information!

May I ask where this offer is advertised? All I found that looks similar to this is 壹網打勁 壹網打勁單辦門號 - 亞太電信 Gt智慧生活, but that’s obviously a contract and the price for full speed is higher. In your experience, is 21mbps enough for Line / WhatsApp video calls?

Cheers,
Fabian

60

Here you go. This is today’s sale. $299 for unlimited speed.