Opening a Taiwan Bank Account and Getting a Phone Plan as a Foreigner: The Order That Works

Opening a Taiwan bank account as a foreigner is straightforward once you do things in the right order: prepaid SIM on arrival, lease, ARC, then the bank, then a proper phone contract. Bring your passport, your ARC and a Taiwan phone number in your own name, book an appointment at a designated foreigner branch, and you can usually walk out with an account, a debit card and working online banking in one visit.

Our recommendation for most newcomers: open your first account at E.SUN Bank at one of its designated foreigner branches, and put your phone on Chunghwa Telecom, starting with a prepaid SIM at the airport and switching to a monthly plan once your ARC arrives. Below is the order, the documents, what happens at the counter, and the mistakes that send people home empty-handed.

This guide is about the process. If you are still deciding which bank to use, read our comparison of the best bank in Taiwan for foreigners first.

The order that works

Most problems come from doing these steps out of order. Each one needs a document the previous step gives you.

1. Day 1: a prepaid SIM at the airport. You only need your passport. Now you have a Taiwan number for landlords, apps and, later, bank verification codes.

2. Week 1 to 2: a short-term stay and an apartment search. You need a real address for everything that follows.

3. Sign a lease where the landlord allows ARC address registration. Not every landlord does; ask before you sign.

4. Apply for your ARC. If you entered on a resident visa, the National Immigration Agency's rules give you 30 days from arrival to apply, and processing usually takes about two weeks (NIA residency guidelines).

5. Open your bank account with your ARC and passport.

6. Switch to a postpaid phone plan with your ARC, and set up autopay from your new account.

You can try to open an account before your ARC arrives, and some banks will do it, but expect a limited account and more questions. Waiting two weeks for the ARC usually saves you a second trip.

What you need for a Taiwan bank account as a foreigner

Requirements vary by bank, but this is the standard set:

• Your ARC (or APRC or Gold Card). This is your primary ID for banking.
• A second ID, almost always your passport. An NHI card or Taiwan driver's license also works at most banks. Government guidance for foreigners lists the ARC plus "other identification that can be used to verify identity" such as a passport, NHI card, driver's license or student ID, and notes that each bank may ask for different documents (MOFA account-opening guidance).
• A Taiwan mobile number in your own name. Online banking sends one-time codes by SMS, and banks increasingly check that the number belongs to you. This is why the prepaid SIM comes first.
• Your address. It should match your ARC. If you have moved since, update your ARC address before you go.
• Proof of why you are here, if asked: an employment contract, a school enrollment letter or your Gold Card.
• Your tax residency details. Every bank will ask you to fill a CRS self-certification form, and US citizens also get a FATCA form. Know your home-country tax ID number.

A personal seal (印章) is optional; your signature works. Bring originals, not photos on your phone.

ARC validity matters. Some products have minimum validity rules. Taishin's Richart digital account, for example, requires an ARC valid for at least one year that does not expire within a month of applying (Richart's English guide). If your ARC is close to expiry, renew it first.

Book a designated branch, not the nearest one

Since June 4, 2026, six banks run 17 designated branches for foreigners under the government's one-stop banking program: CTBC, E.SUN, Taipei Fubon, Taishin, Mega and First Bank (Focus Taiwan). At these branches you book online or by phone, the bank checks your documents in advance, and staff who handle foreign customers set up the account, debit card, online banking and a credit card application in one visit.

That is a big change from the old experience of walking into a random branch and being told "foreigners can't do that online." Our one-stop banking guide lists the seven Taipei branches with addresses.

Our pick: E.SUN's NTU Branch next to Gongguan MRT, or its Neihu Branch if you work in the Neihu tech park. If you want the most English support at the counter, book Taipei Fubon's branch at Taipei City Hall instead.

Photo: Solomon203 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

What happens at the counter

Plan on one to two hours for opening an account in Taiwan, even with an appointment. A typical visit:

1. Take a number or check in at the foreign customer desk. Even at a designated branch, the guard and the queue machine may only speak Chinese; say 我有預約 (wǒ yǒu yùyuē, "I have an appointment").

2. Hand over your documents. The staff will photocopy them and ask about your job, income range and what you will use the account for. These are standard anti-money-laundering questions, not suspicion.

3. Sign the forms. Expect a lot of signatures. AmCham's Topics magazine followed one foreign resident through a designated branch in 2026 and counted 23 signatures just for a securities account (Taiwan Business Topics).

4. Get your passbook and debit card. Most banks issue the passbook on the spot and either hand over the debit card or mail it.

5. Turn on online and mobile banking before you leave. Ask the staff to activate it with you at the counter and test a login with the SMS code. This is the step people skip and regret.

6. Set up pre-registered transfer accounts (約定轉帳) for your landlord or anyone you pay regularly. Online transfers to accounts you have not pre-registered are usually capped at around NT$50,000 per transfer and NT$100,000 a day (Anue), which can be too low for a deposit plus first month's rent.

Mistakes that send people home empty-handed

• No Taiwan phone number, or one in someone else's name. Get your own SIM first.
• The address on your ARC does not match your lease. Update it before the bank visit.
• ARC about to expire. Renew first; some banks will refuse, others will set the card to expire with your permit.
• Turning up at a random branch with no appointment. Staff at ordinary branches may not know the rules for foreigners. Book a designated branch.
• Forgetting your tax ID number for the CRS form.

If a branch says no and you think the reason is that you are foreign, ask for the reason in writing, try a designated branch, and if needed complain to the Financial Supervisory Commission's Banking Bureau.

Taiwan phone plan for foreigners: prepaid first, contract later

At the airport. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone all sell prepaid tourist SIMs at Taoyuan Airport arrivals. You only need your passport (and sometimes a second ID). Our airport guide covers what to do after you land.

After your ARC. Since 2015, Taiwan's telecom regulator has accepted the ARC as a primary ID for phone services, so you no longer need to show your passport as the main document (European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan). In practice, carriers ask for your ARC plus a second ID for a postpaid contract. Bring both, and bring your new bank card if you want autopay.

Our pick: Chunghwa Telecom. It is Taiwan's largest carrier, and dependable coverage across Taipei, in the mountains around the city and on the trains is worth more than shaving NT$100 off the bill. Its cheapest 4G unlimited plan is NT$499 a month (speed capped at 21 Mbps), and 5G plans start at NT$599, according to a July 2026 comparison by Miko3C. Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone often undercut it with promotions, so if you live and work in central Taipei and want the lowest price, compare all three in store.

Keep the same number. Ask to convert your prepaid number to a postpaid plan with the same carrier, or port it to the new one. Your bank, your landlord and your apps already know that number.

Watch the contract length. Cheap plans often come with a 24 or 30 month commitment and an early termination fee. If you might leave Taiwan within two years, ask about plans without a commitment, or stay on prepaid. Our leaving Taiwan checklist covers cancelling a contract and closing your account when the time comes.

After the account is open

• Pay rent by transfer. Most Taipei landlords want rent by bank transfer, not card.
• Link mobile payments. Once you have a Taiwan account, LINE Pay and JKOPay become much more useful; see our mobile payments guide.
• Apply for a credit card when you are ready. Our credit card guide has the order we would apply in.
• Never lend your account to anyone. Accounts used by scammers get frozen and their owners prosecuted; read about scams targeting foreign residents.

The step before all of this: an address you can register

Almost every blocker in this guide traces back to one thing: you need a lease, at an address your landlord lets you register, before you can get your ARC, and you need the ARC before the bank and the phone contract are simple.

That is exactly what TRA's home search solves:

• A consultation first on your budget, area and needs, including making ARC address registration a must-have.
• We line up listings and view them with you, asking landlords the questions in Chinese on the spot, including whether you can register your ARC there.
• We go through the contract clause by clause before you sign and help finalize the deposit and signing.

Once the in-person search starts, finding the right place typically takes anywhere from 3 to 5 days up to about 1 to 2 weeks. You pay a deposit when we start and the balance once you have found your home; we quote individually. Get in touch before you land and we will plan the search around your arrival.

Our pick

Get a Chunghwa Telecom prepaid SIM at the airport, sign a lease that allows ARC registration in your first two weeks, apply for your ARC, then book E.SUN or Taipei Fubon at a designated foreigner branch. Activate online banking at the counter, set up pre-registered transfers for your landlord, and switch your SIM to a monthly plan the same week.

FAQ

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Taiwan without an ARC?

Some banks will, using your passport, a valid visa or entry stamp and your Taiwan ID number, but you often get a limited account and more questions. It is usually faster to wait for your ARC, which takes about two weeks after you apply.

Do I need a Taiwan phone number to open a bank account?

In practice, yes. Online banking sends verification codes by SMS, and banks prefer a number registered in your own name. A prepaid SIM bought with your passport on arrival works.

Which bank is easiest for foreigners to open an account with?

The six banks in the government's one-stop program are the easiest, at their designated branches. We recommend E.SUN for most people, and Taipei Fubon if you want the most English help at the counter.

Can I get a postpaid phone plan without an ARC?

Generally no. Carriers ask for an ARC plus a second ID for monthly contracts, so use a prepaid SIM until your ARC arrives.

How long does it take to open a bank account in Taiwan?

Plan on one to two hours at the branch. With an appointment at a designated branch, you can usually leave with the account, passbook and working online banking the same day.

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