Taiwan is famous among travellers for its dirt-cheap unlimited-data tourist SIMs, sold right at the arrivals halls of Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) near Taipei and Kaohsiung International Airport. Connectivity across the island is superb, and a local plan with unlimited data costs less than a couple of meals. It is one of the best-value mobile destinations in Asia.
Networks & coverage
Three major carriers lead: Chunghwa Telecom (the former state operator, with the broadest and most reliable coverage island-wide), Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone. Coverage is excellent virtually everywhere — including the high-mountain roads, the east coast, and the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Green Island.
5G is widely deployed across all three networks in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, and Chunghwa now sells dedicated 5G traveller plans alongside its long-running unlimited 4G packs.
eSIM or physical SIM?
The legendary airport unlimited-data tourist SIMs are physical cards, bought with cash (NTD) at carrier counters. Among local carriers, Chunghwa Telecom is the one that offers a native tourist eSIM. Global eSIM brands such as Airalo and Nomad also cover Taiwan and are convenient if you would rather skip the airport queue.
Passport registration is required at the counter, but staff handle it on the spot.
Data, calls & messaging
LINE is the dominant messaging and calling app in Taiwan by a huge margin — it is used for chat, payments, news and even talking to shops and hotels. Most travellers install it before arriving. The famous unlimited tourist SIMs include voice credit, though LINE calls cover almost everything you need.
How much data do you need?
Because unlimited plans are so cheap, most visitors simply buy a 5, 7 or 10-day unlimited SIM and never count megabytes. If you prefer a fixed bucket via a global eSIM, 5–10 GB easily covers a week of maps, LINE and browsing. For heavy streaming or tethering, the local unlimited cards are unbeatable value.