Not 100% sure though as your luck with them seems to be a bit random and dependent on how knowledgable the person working the counter is at the time.

While things may have changed recently, last time I was here in 2005, I don’t remember any trouble getting a sim card…

At 7-11, you might need a TW point of contact (obviously helpful to have a friend), but now I think you can just get the simcard at the airport no problem except that their working hours end at 9pm (no help for late flights).

I’m not too familiar with the technology but for whatever reason roaming and international call barring might be two seperate things with your particular provider.

Take any advice you get from locals with a bit of salt when it comes to stuff like this. A lot of the times they forget foreigners are on things like pre-paid cards etc. and have to undergo a few extra steps or processes to get what we want .

This makes me wonder if “international” SIM cards are functional in Taiwan?

Jon: I might sound ignorant, but will a local (in your case Australian) prepaid card work even if you go Taiwan? Saves the hassle of buying the card there

It might if the prepaid has roaming enabled – I’m not sure if any prepaid has this feature. Also, roaming call costs are a rip off. Think $2AUD a minute for a local call vs. the $7NT (approx 20 cents a min). Its even cheaper if you go on a post paid.

I’ve also been to TW for a few short trips and got a sim card in about 10-15 mins at the 7-11. Copy of passport and the shop keep filled in the forms for me. Was working in about 15 mins.

This was a few years back; I think 5 years ago? The mobile stores owned by the carriers also do them quickly, no need for the ARC.

The guy at the counter let me pick out my number, took my passport and did all the paperwork for me and sent it off. My service was working about 2 hours later. The guy spoke minamal english but I guess working next to a hotel he did this sim card thing a lot.

The service works great for me…no issues.

After looking at the rates and asking few locals about the coverage and size of the company I chose Chunghwa Telecom, the sales girl just asked for passport and took some detail and copied the page with photo and ID details.

That was it, and it cost around $10(US) which at that day the Australian was at same value with US dollar. The other two providers there had cheaper rates but the were off peak and the off peak there was from 11pm to 5am. Not much use when you are fond of bottle and inebriated way beyond redemption in those hours.

When you exit the terminal at Taoyuan Airport to reach the phone desk you have to turn right. It’s hard to miss as it’s there’s not really much else at the international terminal other then some chairs, an information desk and some vending machine.

If you get lost you can always hit up the information desk, they speak good enough English. There’s also free WIFI in the area too so if you have a laptop you can sit in the chairs and hook yourself up.

The phone stall isn’t that big and is up against the wall on your left if you exit turning left from the terminal after customs.

The process I believe is just showing them a passport and maybe one photo ID. I haven’t actually bought a card from there but I do know it’s an easier process than buying one once you’ve left. Had I of known it was a hassle to get a prepaid sim card without an ARC I’d have definitely picked up a sim card before leaving the airport.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

Insightful information there. Am planning for a trip to Taiwan this coming December. Read your article, you have elaborated that the only way is to get these prepaid cards from Carrefour. But, you did not elaborate further how was the process of getting a prepaid card worked from the mobile phone desk from Taoyuan Airport (which you stated in one of your comments).

Hope you could enligthen me more on this. Again, really thanks for such valuable info!

Hope your backpacking trip goes well!

Let us know how it goes or if you need any further help.

I flew into Taipei, arrived at the main train station and asked for a SIM card at one of the 7-11s. They told me none of the 7-11s there sell SIM cards but they gave me directions to a nearby branch that did. I just filled in a couple of forms, gave them a copy of my passport and ID and got the SIM card on the spot. They told me it probably would take at least 2 hours for the card to be activated but it actually worked within minutes.

It cost $299 for the starter kit with $299 credit. Local sms is $2 and international sms is $5 but the local call rate was $0.71/6s = $7.1/min! I thought it was gonna last me for the 3 weeks I’d be in Taipei but I used it all up within week 1…

Actually i managed to get my prepaid card on the first day here.

When and where?

instead of going to a convenience store, you go to a cell-phone store, and of course they have prepaid sim cards there.

I went to several cell phone stores across Taichung, Taipei and two small towns. Yeah these stores have prepaid cards but you need an ARC to get one.

Each time they’d ask for one before we even did any paperwork.

I’ve since found out that a few years back they changed the law and you could get prepaid cards readily without an ARC before they changed it. If you got your card recently maybe they’ve changed the law again.

As far as I know though the only place that retails prepaid cards without an ARC is the mobile phone desk at Taoyuan Airport and Carrefour.

they should call it foreigner resident certificate instead of using the word Alien. makes people sound like they are being alienated.

That’s the thing though, outside of Taipei half the time you do feel alienated.

Try walking onto a bus and having half of the people sitting on it stop talking and stare at you wide eyed.

Or fixing your bike outside and some kid rides up. You say ‘hello’ and he just sits on his bike 3-4ft away saying nothing and staring at you.

‘Alien Resident Certificate’ is awkwardly appropriate.