This is an overview of Taiwan’s TPASS public transportation pass.
I have an obsession for Taiwan’s smart cards and transportation passes and with the release of the TPASS, I had to know whether this purchase will lower my transportation costs.
What is Taiwan’s TPASS?
- Best for: Traveling throughout a specific region and staying in Taiwan for a month
TPASS is a public transportation card that targets locals or long-term stayers that’ll give folks unlimited usage on the following public transportation methods:
- Taiwan Railway Association (TRA): Local train
- YouBike: Not actually unlimited
- Intercity & city buses
- Light rail transit (LRT): Above-ground transit
- Mass Rapid Transit (MRT): Subway
- Certain ferries: Boats to outlying islands
This pass lasts for 30 days, after which you must renew it. Each pass you purchase is only usable in the region where you buy it.
The “T” in TPASS represents “Taiwan” and “Transport.” Why not call it TTPASS, then?
I digress.
The Ministry of Transportation released the card on July 1, 2023. It supports 11 cities and counties where the most commute happens. They’re working on adding more areas to enhance the cards’ coverage.
Large-Scale TPASS Regions Compared
Taiwan has divided the TPASS into a million smaller areas. However, these are the larger-scale passes I could find information on.
I’ll provide information on pricing for the smaller-scale passes (e.g., for only Taitung County), afterward.
Northern Taiwan / 基北北桃
- Price: NT$1,200
- Where to Buy: Service counters or ticket kiosks at New Taipei and Taipei MRT stations, any Taoyuan MRT station (except Xingnan Station)
- Where it’s Usable: Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan
- Applicable Ticket Type: EasyCard
| Transportation | Details |
|---|---|
| Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) | Taipei MRT, New Taipei MRT (Circular Line), and Taoyuan MRT. |
| Light Rail (LRT) | Danhai and Ankeng light rails. |
| City Bus | All city buses within supported areas. |
| YouBike | Free usage for 30 min. 60 free minutes in Taoyuan. |
| Intercity Bus | All intercity buses within supported areas. |
| Taiwan Railway Association | All stations on the Yilan Line, Pingxi Line, Shen’ao Line, & Zhongguan Line. |
Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli / 桃竹竹苗
- Price: NT$1,200
- Where to Buy: Any convenience store
- Where it’s Usable:Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli
- Applicable Ticket Types: EasyCard and iPASS
| Taoyuan Metro | Taiwan Railways |
| City bus | Highway bus |
| YouBike |
Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Miaoli / 中彰投苗
- Price:
- NT$699: Taichung residents
- NT$999: Non-residents
- Where to Buy: Any convenience store
- Where it’s Usable:Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Miaoli
- Applicable Ticket Types: EasyCard, iPASS, icash 2.0
| Taichung MRT | Taiwan Railways |
| City bus | Highway bus |
| YouBike |
Southern Taiwan / 南高屏
- Price: NT$999
- Where to Buy: MeNGo website or app, Kaohsiung MRT station, and any convenience store
- Or the following bus stations in Pingtung: Hengchun, Donggang, Fangliao, and Pingtung
- Where it’s Usable: Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, and Tainan City
- Applicable Ticket Type: iPASS (second-generation)
| Transportation | Details |
|---|---|
| YouBike | Free for 30 minutes. |
| City Bus | All city buses within supported areas. |
| TRA | Houbi Station <-> Fangshan Station |
| LRT | Kaohsiung Light Rail (LRT) |
| Ferry | Gushan <-> Cijin & Qianzhen <-> Zhongzhou |
| Intercity Bus | All intercity buses within supported areas. |
| MRT | Kaohsiung MRT |
Chiayi / 嘉義
- Price: NT$399
- Where to Buy: Any convenience store
- Where it’s Usable:Chiayi
- Applicable Ticket Types: EasyCard, icash 2.0, iPASS
| Taiwan Railways | Highway bus | City bus |
| YouBike |
Taipei, New Taipei, Yilan / 北宜
- Price: NT$1,800
- Where to Buy:
- Yilan: Luodong transfer stations, Yilan Jiaoxi
- Taipei and New Taipei: Banqiao station, Science and Technology Building MRT station, Taipei City Hall station, Nangang station
- Where it’s Usable: New Taipei, Taipei, and Yilan
- Applicable Ticket Types: iPASS, EasyCard
| Transportation | Details |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Railway Association | Pingxi Line stations, Shenzhen-Ao Line, Yilan Hanben station <-> Yingge Station |
| Buses | Buses in Yilan county |
| Intercity Buses | Beiyi |
Here’s the Pricing in Different Regions
Here’s the pricing for the TPASS throughout different areas, starting in Northern and Eastern Taiwan:
| Region | Price (Lasts 30 Days) |
|---|---|
| Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan | NT$1,200 |
| Keelung | NT$288 |
| Taipei-Yilan | NT$1,800 |
| Yilan County | NT$750 |
| Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli | NT$1,200 |
| Taoyuan-Hsinchu | NT$799 |
| Hsinchu-Miaoli | NT$699 |
| Hsinchu City | NT$288 |
Central Taiwan:
| Region | Notes (Important) | Price (Lasts 30 Days) |
|---|---|---|
| Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Miaoli | Taichung resident | NT$699 |
| Non-resident | NT$999 | |
| Taichung City | Taichung Resident | NT$299 |
| Non-resident | NT$599 | |
| Yunlin County | NA | NT$199 |
| Chiayi County | NT$399 |
Southern Taiwan:
| Region | Notes (Important) | Price (Lasts 30 Days) |
|---|---|---|
| Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung | NA | NT$999 |
| Tainan City | Including TRA | NT$399 |
| Excluding TRA | NT$299 | |
| Pingtung County | Including TRA | NT$399 |
| Excluding TRA | NT$299 |
Eastern Taiwan:
| Region | Notes (Important) | Price (Lasts 30 Days) |
|---|---|---|
| Hualien County | Including Hualien-Taitung bus | NT$399 |
| Excluding Hualien-Taitung bus | NT$199 | |
| Taitung County | NA | NT$299 |
All the passes for smaller areas will work with city/county-wide inner- and intercity/highway buses, YouBike rentals, and Taiwan Railway Association (TRA) trains. There are restrictions with using the TRA, I’ll cover those later.
It took 20 minutes for me to wrap my head around the pricing, but it does seem practical. Considering it’s for commuters and not tourists.
The North’s card may seem expensive, but it’s much cheaper than the previous model (NT$1,280), which had unlimited MRT and bus rides in only New Taipei and Taipei cities. Plus, with the TPASS, you get the TRA access.
How to Buy It
To get the TPASS Easy Card, One Card, or icash 2.0, you must pay NT$100 for an empty card before paying one of the rates in the above table.
Do I Need to Buy a TPASS Card to Purchase a Commuter Pass?
You can also use your existing EasyCard, iPASS, or icash 2.0 to set up a commuter pass. However, the Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan monthly passes only use EasyCard.
The Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, and Miaoli monthly passes can use EasyCard, iPASS, or icash2.0. The Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung monthly passes can only use iPASS MeNGo cards. The government will gradually add cards in the future.
Taiwan Railways and public bicycles temporarily do not accept icash 2.0 monthly passes since they don’t generally accept icash.
Existing EasyCard regular cards, EasyCard student cards, and co-branded EasyCards can all purchase specific commuter passes. However, you cannot use cards such as senior citizen cards and love and care cards.
The Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung monthly pass requires the use of iPASS second-generation cards with the following designs:
- TPASS Tainan/Kaohsiung/Pingtung
- MeN Go general card
- iPASS digital student card second-generation (with “IPass PLUS” on the back).
How to Add More Money
Refill your TPASS’ balance by visiting customer service counters or kiosks at metro, train, and bus stations.
How to Use it
Purchase and set up the pass at the designated commuter pass sales points (MRT, Taiwan Railways, bus stations, etc.) announced by each city and county.
Activate within 30 days after purchase by tapping the card on the automatic gate at the following stations or when entering these modes of transportation:
- MRT stations
- Buses
- Highway buses
- Intercity buses
- Light rail ticket machines
The validity period is 30 consecutive days starting from the date of activation.
TPASS EasyCard uses the new generation SuperCard. By becoming a member of Easy Wallet. Thus, you can buy commuter passes online directly through the Easy Wallet APP on your mobile phone.
For iPASS MeNGo cards, new purchases or renewals of monthly passes on the website/APP require a card setup at Kaohsiung MRT station service counters, 7-11 ibon, or TPASS service centers before use.
Taiwan Railway Association Usage & Rules
Unlimited rides on local (express) trains, Chu-Kuang Express, and PP Push-Pull Tzu-Chiang Limited Express are allowed.
However, you can’t use the pass on the following tourist trains:
- Taroko Express
- Puyuma Express
- 3000 series Tzu-Chiang Limited Express
- Other designated trains (exclusive or non-reserved seat trains)
The commuter pass has restrictions on the entry and exit stations, and passengers cannot exceed or transfer beyond the designated usage area. If the entry or exit station is not within the usage area, the full fare will be deducted from the electronic ticket.
FAQs
Can I Upgrade or Change my TPASS Plan?
You cannot upgrade or change your TPASS plan type. You must buy a new card or wait until your current plan expires.
