Phones in Taiwan

First question Footprints teachers often asked in regard to phones in Taiwan is, "Can I bring my cell phone to Taiwan?".

Simple answer, maybe.

The mobile network operates on GSM 900MHz / 1800MHz – Check the GSM on your phone before bringing it with you. Phone in Taiwan are pretty cheap and are awesome! Often cell phones in Taiwan are much better than the phones you can get back home as they are cutting edge in Taiwan - heck, this is where they are made and tested before they hit market back home.

More often than not, the easiest way to obtain a cell phone is to purchase a GSM phone in Taiwan or to bring one with you from your home country (ensuring ofcourse that you have the proper MHz capabilities). Once you have the phone, you now have to decide which company you want to go with, you can go to any convenience store and for as little as NT$ 600, you can buy a cell phone number. You'll have to fill out a simple form and they'll give you a SIM card. This SIM card provides a phone number and voice mail. Your SIM card will be activated within 24 hours.

Learn more about the phone system providers at the bottom of this page.

When you've used up the initial phone credit (usually NT$600), people will still be able to call you, but you won't be able to call out or listen to your voice mail messages. All you have to do then is go on back to the local 7-11 and buy some more time.

The 7-11 clerk will give you a card that looks like a calling card, that has a scratch-off serial number. You can use your cell to call the 24 hour help line to activate your calling credit.

If you want to run with traditional means of communicating, there is always a public phone around every corner.

Public Phones in Taiwan

Public phones in Taiwan are divided primarily into two types, coin and card. Coin phones accept coins in denominations of NT$1, NT$5, and NT10. For local calls, NT$1 buys one minute of phone time. Phone cards are divided into magnetic strip stored value cards and IC stored value cards, and can be used all over Taiwan. Magnetic strip cards sell for NT$100 each, and IC cards are available in NT$200 and NT$300 versions. The cards are sold in railway stations, bus stations, scenic spots, and convenience stores.

When making local calls it is not necessary to dial the area code; when making long-distance calls, however, the area code of the party being called must be dialled in first (see explanation on the public telephone) and then the number itself dialed.

International calls in Taiwan

International calls can be made from private cell phones, public IDD phones, or hotel IDD phones. International calls are charged in units of six seconds. It is best to have a phone card when making these calls to prevent a shocking bill in the future. Teachers have a habit of “drunk dialing” – in fact, that seemed to be the only time I called home when I was abroad. My folks thought I had a bit of a problem but it was just that I got a little over emotional after the 12th bottle of beer. After the first phone bill I ALWAYS used phone cards.

The procedure for making international direct dial calls from Taiwan is as follows:

Dial Taiwan's international access code, 002
Dial the country code of the country being called (1 for North America, 86 for mainland China, etc.)
Dial in the area code of the called party (leaving out the long-distance recognition digit, "0")
Dial in the number of the called party.

For operator-assisted international calls, please dial "100."

For international information, call this free number: 0800080100.

Reduced price periods and fees for International Subscriber Dialling (ISD) are as follows: