The 2 Best eSIMs for Taiwan: My Top Recommendations

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If you are here, it means you’ve decided to visit Taiwan and I couldn’t be happier for you! Taiwan is one of my favourite places in the world and knowing more and more people are visiting it gives me pure joy ✨

If you’re looking for the best eSIMs for Taiwan, I’ve got your back! Alessandro and I spent almost 2 months in Taiwan and tested 2 different eSIM providers from Trip.com and Taiwan Mobile directly, so stay tuned for more details.

Best eSIMS for Taiwan – The Basics

• First off, what is an eSIM? It is basically a digital version of a physical SIM card. install it on your phone using the instructions of the provider before arriving at your destination, activate it when you land and you’re good to go.
• Why choose eSIMs over physical SIM cards? You can keep your home country’s physical SIM active and switch physical and eSIM via a simple toggle. For us this was essential to have for receiving SMS codes for government sites or banking. Plus, you avoid collecting and carrying a tiny bag of physical SIM cards and SIM ejector pins, and create zero waste.
• Does my phone support eSIM? Open your phone’s keypad and dial *#06#. If the EID* is displayed then it means your phone supports eSIM. You can also just type in Google your phone’s model and check your phone provider’s official website. The first method is faster though.
• Do I need an eSIM in Taiwan? Yes, unless you have an international roaming plan from home, you will need data immediately upon landing to figure out transport and stay connected throughout your trip.

* EID (Embedded Identity Document) a unique 32-digit serial number that identifies the built-in eSIM chip inside your phone.

The 2 Best eSIMs for Taiwan – My Review

1. Trip eSIM

I discovered Trip.com’s eSIM services while searching for affordable options for our South Korea trip. I stumbled on Trip.com and was shocked by how affordable it was. Having used their eSIMs across South Korea, Okinawa, and Taiwan, I was very happy with the coverage and cost.

This eSIM for Taiwan covers the whole country using Taiwan Mobile and Chunghwa Telecom (Taiwan’s 2 largest network carriers). Don’t worry – you’ll keep access to AI tools, social media, and navigation apps without issues.

The plan I choose: I opted for the ’30 Days’ option (see Package and Price section), and the ‘Total 30GB’ option since we would stay in Taiwan for a long time. This only cost me €10.20, which is a big difference compared to other eSIM providers out there.

❗️The only downside of such providers like Trip or Airalo, Holafly etc is that they don’t come with a Taiwanese number. If you need to make or receive phone calls, for example to make or confirm restaurant reservations, you will need to use apps like Line or Whatsapp.

How to install & activate it: When you purchase the eSIM via Trip you will receive an email with step-by-step instructions. You’ll to install it before you arrive in Taiwan, and activate it once you land.

It looks intimidating the first time, but it’s very straightforward once you follow the ‘How to use’ section once. Although for me this is considered one of the best eSIMS for Taiwan, there are arguably other providers out there too at slightly higher prices.

2. Taiwan Mobile eSIM

Alessandro, opted for an eSIM plan with one of Taiwan’s largest network carrier providers: Taiwan Mobile. He chose the ’30 Day Pass’, which gave him unlimited data for 30 days and local phone call minutes for 1000 NTD (~ €27.3 / $31.50).

He bought his at the Arrival hall at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. You can also reserve online and pick it up at physical stores, but the airport landing option is much easier.

❗️Remember to keep your passport handy, as registration is mandatory.

The cost of his plan with Taiwan Mobile was almost triple compared to mine, but we didn’t mind because we wanted a secondary option to test and a reliable backup in case we decide to do any remote hiking.

We also used it a couple of times to make reservations at some restaurants but if you don’t have a local number there are ways around this, like using Line or Whatsapp as I said before, or booking via an online system.

After 2 months in Taiwan, I had zero connectivity issues with my Trip.com eSIM and will definitely use it again for its unbeatable affordability.

Final Thoughts on best eSIMs for Taiwan

There are many reputable eSIM providers out there and I am sure they all work fine. As a matter of fact, I never had any problems with eSIM connectivity or not working at all so whichever you choose, I am sure it will do the work!

However, there are some cases where the price difference between the providers is significant and for this main reason I believe the Trip’s eSIM is one of the best eSIMs for Taiwan (and for other countries I’ve used it at, but more on this later).