Quick summary
As of September 2026, Taiwan’s three big carriers list identical 5G tourist SIM prices: NT$500 for 3 days, NT$600 for 5, NT$800 for 7, NT$1,000 (about US$32) for 10, and NT$1,200–1,600 for 15–30 days. Pre-ordering no longer undercuts the counter — the same tiers cost the same either way.
The trade-off is now eSIM versus physical card, and cash: airport counters take NT dollars only. Here is what each tier costs, when Taoyuan’s counters open, and the registration and tethering rules to check first.
- What a Taiwan tourist SIM actually costs in 2026
- Airport counter vs pre-order: where the real trade-off is
- Pickup hours and airport logistics at Taoyuan and beyond
- Registration, validity, and tethering rules to check before buying
- eSIM vs physical SIM: which fits your trip
- Decide your SIM before you land
Pre-ordering a Taiwan tourist SIM no longer buys a discount.
The old advice promised savings of 20–30% against the airport counter. As of September 2026, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone publish the same 5G tourist SIM prices. You pay the same whether you reserve online or walk up to a counter in the arrivals hall. The discount no longer holds.
For travelers arriving from North America, Europe, Australia or New Zealand, the decision is now about the type of SIM and the cash in your wallet, not the price. A QR-code eSIM can skip the queue, while a physical carrier SIM still needs a passport check in person.
What a Taiwan tourist SIM actually costs in 2026
A three-day card costs NT$500 (about US$16). Five days cost NT$600 (US$19), and seven days cost NT$800 (US$25). For ten days, the price is NT$1,000 (US$32). The 15- and 30-day tiers, NT$1,200–1,600 (US$38–51), are listed by Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile only.
| Plan | Price (NT$) | Approx. US$ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day 5G | NT$500 | ~$16 | Identical at all three carriers |
| 5-day 5G | NT$600 | ~$19 | Identical at all three carriers |
| 7-day 5G | NT$800 | ~$25 | Identical at all three carriers |
| 10-day 5G | NT$1,000 | ~$32 | Identical at all three carriers |
| 15–30 day 5G | NT$1,200–1,600 | ~$38–51 | Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile only |
| 30-day 4G | NT$1,000 | ~$32 | 4G-only alternative to 5G |
| Source: Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone tourist SIM price lists, September 2026. | |||
If 5G is not a priority, 4G-only passes start lower: a three-day 4G card costs from NT$300. A 30-day 4G plan costs NT$1,000, against NT$1,600 for 30 days of 5G. The gap between the two speeds is widest on the longest plans. That is where the choice costs most.
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Airport counter vs pre-order: where the real trade-off is
A data-only eSIM bought ahead issues a QR code to scan on arrival, with no counter visit. A carrier eSIM from Chunghwa works differently. Under Taiwan’s real-name rules, it cannot be installed before you arrive. The QR code is issued only after you register in person with your passport at an airport counter.
Pre-order pickup listings dated 27 June 2026 advertise a Chunghwa 4G SIM collectible at Taoyuan Terminals 1 and 2 from US$8.79, and a 5G SIM from US$9.55. The listing does not state the length of those plans. Its headline prices are therefore not directly comparable with the NT$500–1,600 carrier tiers.
The subscription itself matters, too. Some eSIMs sold through pre-order platforms come from international resellers rather than local carriers, and as of August 2026 they may bypass Taiwan’s real-name registration altogether. That is convenient, but the plan is not a Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile or Far EasTone product, and support sits with the reseller. Installing a travel eSIM before departure allows data access on landing, the same approach that works for mainland China.
Pickup hours and airport logistics at Taoyuan and beyond
All three major carriers run dedicated service counters in the arrivals halls of Taiwan’s main airports. At Taoyuan, the other carriers keep shorter hours than Chunghwa, and some airport counters open from 4:30 in the morning until midnight.
The 27 June 2026 pickup listings show Chunghwa 4G collection at Taoyuan Terminals 1 and 2 from 6am to 11:30pm. For 5G collection, the listed hours are 4:30am to 11pm. Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung also list pickup points, with hours that vary by airport. Songshan’s SIM desk, for example, runs 6:30am–10:30pm.
Outside those windows, convenience stores are the fallback: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart and Hi-Life all stock prepaid SIMs. A passport is still required to register one. The tourist-focused tiers with English-language support are most reliably found at the airport carrier counters.
Registration, validity, and tethering rules to check before buying
Every tourist SIM in Taiwan is registered to a passport.
There is no anonymous walk-up purchase. A 2023 rule set the minimum registration age at 20, though one pre-order listing states 18.
Validity runs in exact hours from activation, not calendar days: a five-day card lasts 120 hours from the moment it goes live. Some plans cannot be topped up at all. Any free airtime included is non-refundable, and the balance returns to zero when the plan expires.
Tethering matters for anyone planning to hotspot a laptop. On unlimited plans, hotspot data may be capped; Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone are the carriers named in those warnings. A typical reseller eSIM listing offers 15 GB a day at full speed, then drops to up to 1 Mbps. That is enough for messaging, not for video calls.
eSIM vs physical SIM: which fits your trip
A physical tourist SIM can provide a Taiwan phone number, included call credit, or a person to help with setup. A data-only eSIM carries no local number, so calls run over apps.
An eSIM activates instantly on arrival, but your handset must support it; most flagships since 2020 do. It also needs a QR-code scan over Taoyuan’s free airport WiFi after landing. For a home number kept active in a dual-SIM setup, a physical card in the second slot is simpler.
Taiwan Mobile has offered prepaid VoLTE at no monthly fee since 1 September 2023 for customers who want a local line, according to its tourist prepaid page. For travelers weighing an eSIM against leaving a home SIM on roaming, the same arithmetic plays out on other corridors: see how eSIM pricing compares with roaming charges in Turkey.
Decide your SIM before you land
The remaining decisions are format, timing and cash. For the pre-order listings, check the duration before treating a headline price as a bargain; confirm the current registration age with the carrier before relying on it.
- Check your handset for eSIM support before you book anything; if it is locked or older, plan on a physical card instead.
- Carry NT dollars — airport counters require cash, so change money before you reach the arrivals hall.
- Match the counter to your arrival: Chunghwa’s Taoyuan desk runs roughly 05:00–22:00, and some airport counters open 4:30am–midnight.
- Watch: whether the carriers keep the identical NT$500–1,600 price list or start differentiating again.
A three-day trip needs no more than the NT$500 tier. A two-week stay is cheaper on the 15-day NT$1,200 card than on two 7-day cards at NT$800 each: NT$1,200 against NT$1,600.
If your flight lands after 10pm, the counter queue is not waiting for you: sort the eSIM before you board.
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Questions? Answers.
What are the SIM counter hours at Taoyuan Airport?
Chunghwa Telecom’s Taoyuan counter runs roughly 05:00–22:00, the other carriers keep shorter hours, and some airport counters open from 4:30am to midnight. Pre-order pickup listings from 27 June 2026 show Chunghwa 4G collection at Terminals 1 and 2 from 6am to 11:30pm and 5G from 4:30am to 11pm. There is no confirmed 24-hour tourist SIM desk.
Can I pay by card at the airport SIM counter?
Airport counters require cash in New Taiwan dollars, so change money before you reach the arrivals hall, and US dollars are not accepted directly. If you would rather not carry cash, a pre-ordered eSIM paid online avoids the counter altogether.
What if I don’t have my passport at the counter?
You cannot register a Taiwan tourist SIM without your passport — it is a government requirement and the counter checks it in person. A data-only eSIM from an international reseller may bypass that in-person step, but a carrier eSIM from Chunghwa cannot be installed until you have registered with your passport at a counter.
Do tourist SIM plans include voice calls?
Physical tourist SIMs can include local call credit, and Taiwan Mobile has offered prepaid VoLTE at no monthly fee since 1 September 2023. Data-only eSIMs carry no local number at all, so calls run over apps such as LINE or WhatsApp using your data allowance.
Can I extend or top up my SIM if I stay longer?
Validity runs in exact hours from activation — a five-day card lasts 120 hours — and some plans cannot be topped up at all. If your trip stretches, buying a new card is usually simpler than extending, and any free airtime is non-refundable once the plan expires.
Can I buy a prepaid SIM at a Taiwan convenience store?
Yes. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart and Hi-Life all stock prepaid SIMs, which is the fallback if you land outside airport counter hours. You still need your passport to register one, and the tourist-focused tiers with English-language support are more reliably found at the airport carrier counters.
