How do you get a mobile phone number in Taiwan in 2026?

The three main carriers are Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and FarEasTone. All three have counters in the arrivals hall at Taoyuan and other airports, where you can buy a prepaid tourist or starter SIM on your passport alone, often before you even reach the train into Taipei. Prepaid is the fast route: no ARC needed, data-heavy plans, and easy top-ups at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart.

Postpaid contracts are a different tier. Because they bill monthly, carriers usually want your ARC or Employment Gold Card plus passport, and sometimes proof of address or a local bank account for direct debit. Many movers run prepaid for the first weeks, then switch to postpaid once the residence card lands and monthly plans get cheaper per gigabyte.

Any Taiwan mobile number starts with 09, and that prefix is what banks accept for their SMS one-time passwords. Without a local 09 number, enabling online banking, app transfers, and card activation is a fight. This is exactly why the smart sequence is to get the SIM before you try to open a bank account: the number has to exist before the bank will bind two-factor login to it. The same 09 number then verifies food-delivery apps, ride apps, and many e-services.

eSIM support has grown across the major carriers, which helps if your phone is eSIM-only or you want to keep a home line active alongside. Confirm eSIM availability and the exact ID rules for your plan directly with the carrier, since prepaid and postpaid conditions differ.

Do not confuse your SIM with your travel card. The EasyCard and iPass are stored-value cards for the MRT, buses, and YouBike bike share, and you buy them at metro stations or convenience stores independently of any phone plan. They are cheap and worth grabbing on day one, but they do nothing for your bank OTP. For how transport fits daily costs, see utilities, internet and transport and price it against your monthly budget.