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Prepaid SIM card for Portugal: Where to Buy in 2024?
If you are traveling to Portugal and you want to be connected all the time you will need the best SIM card for Portugal.
January 1, 2024
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Visiting Lisbon? Dreaming of drinking wine at the edge at sunset? If you are traveling to Portugal and you want to be connected all the time, you will need the best SIM card for tourists. No need to panic! We will tell you everything you need to know about prices, features, advantages, where to buy it, and more to make the best decision.
In addition to the SIM card for Portugal, we will also introduce you to what is set to be the new technological breakthrough, the virtual SIM card for Portugal. With these digital versions of the traditional SIM card, you will be connected to mobile internet with a much faster and more efficient process. Stay reading and you will discover all the opportunities you have as a traveler in Portugal.
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Where can I buy a SIM card for Portugal?
We used to think that buying a SIM card for our travels would be hard work. Solutions like international roaming from our local operator or Pocket WiFi as additional devices were expensive and inconvenient. With this situation, remote and local providers of SIM cards for Portugal have increased the number of offers available for tourists.
Each one of the alternatives may be a better solution for you. Saving money is not the only reason to opt for SIM cards; the fact of having your own internet and not depending on other devices is another reason for tourists choosing to buy them.
We will talk about the options throughout this article, but in general, you can buy your SIM card for Portugal in these ways:
- Get it before you travel through international online stores that offer international prepaid SIM cards, with shipments to many destinations worldwide.
- Look for physical stores on arrival at the airport or in the city where you arrive; local telephone companies own these stores.
- You can buy an embedded SIM card (also known as eSIM) from online stores. It is a better way to get internet on your mobile.
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Buy before you travel.
This is the option chosen by most tourists in the world; buying an international SIM card can alleviate many situations. Online stores offer this service for travelers going to Portugal and other destinations in Europe and the world. The purchase is made through the Internet and requires that the store of your choice has shipped to your country and address. Besides verifying the availability in your area, it is important to take into account some technical data of the SIM card before buying it.
Even if you buy your prepaid SIM card for Portugal with an international online store, the chip will always use a local operator network to work. For this reason, the one you choose should use a carrier with good coverage and browsing speed that will not affect your experience. There are many choices of stores and a wide variety of prices; technical data like this may be what makes you decide on one.
For these reasons, one of the alternatives to take into account is the digital SIM card for Portugal from Holafly. Their eSIMs have immediate worldwide delivery and are supported by one of the best local operators. If you are interested in them, continue reading, and you will find a section with their features.
Pros of buying a data plan for abroad before traveling
Buying a SIM card or embedded SIM card before your trip to Portugal will give you benefits such as:
- Internet in Portugal all time.
Buying your tourist SIM card before arriving in Portugal will allow you to have it in your phone from the first moment you land. This way you will be communicated with Internet during all your experience in the country.
- You won’t overpay, no additional devices.
International roaming can be very expensive, and a pocket wifi device is easy to lose if your mind is on your trip. For this reason, just having a prepaid SIM card and your phone to keep mobile internet is the best way to spend time in Portugal.
- Find a plan for you
The online stores offer international SIM cards with more service options than other alternatives. So you will have no problem finding a package that suits your needs and days spent in Portugal.
Buy your tourist SIM card in Portugal
You can use the local phone stores in Portugal to buy and install your local SIM card. This process, of course, must be done once you are in the country, and if you are a first-time visitor finding a store and its address can be complicated. It is also important to mention that you must register the SIM card as indicated in the local scheme. There are no restrictions in Portugal on the amount of SIM cards you can buy, but we can tell you that the services are not exactly cheap. We will be talking about some phone companies and the SIM cards they offer for tourists.
Vodafone Portugal
This is a well-known company in Europe that has a SIM card for tourists in Portugal. A unique package is available called Vodafone Travellers; you have 10GB of browsing to use in 30 days, including roaming in the UK. It includes 500 minutes and sms to local numbers and 50 minutes and sms to EU numbers and other destinations. In case you run out of any of the services, such as data or minutes, you can purchase additional packages through their website or customer service numbers. Finally, you can make a pre-purchase and select an airport as the pick-up location or go to a store when you arrive and buy it once you are there.
Lycamobile
Another alternative that you have as a tourist is Lycamobile and its local SIM card for Portugal without contracts. Within this type of plan, there are three options available, ranging from 5GB to 25GB of navigation to be used in a period of 30 days. You can enjoy 1000 minutes and SMS to other numbers in Portugal in all options. The service includes roaming to other EU countries at no additional cost. You must activate the auto-renewal function in order to buy it, and it should be noted that the messages, minutes, and data that you do not use within the period will not be accumulated for the next month. In some opportunities, if you pre-purchase through their website, you can opt for discounts.
NOS
This is one of the fastest phone companies in the country, and within their offers, we can find prepaid SIM cards for tourists. All their plans are to be used in a month, and they have packages of 500Mb, 5GB, and 10GB of navigation to choose from. The plans in any version include 1000 minutes of local calls but do not include SMS. By paying an additional monthly fee, you can access 5G networks that offer more speed. You can include other services to the standard versions of the plans, adding SMS and roaming to other countries, among other options.
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How much does a prepaid SIM card for Portugal cost?
So far, we have presented you with some of the options of local operators; however, there are about seven carriers in Portugal, so you have more alternatives. With this in mind, there is an important price range in which you can buy a local SIM card. Prices can range from 8$ to 40$ approximately. Remember that most packages have 30-day periods, so if your stay is shorter, it can be problematic. Local SIM cards are a good solution; however, if you want to get the most out of your trip and connect even faster to a mobile network, you should consider the Holafly eSIM that we will present below.
Holafly eSIM for Portugal: a great alternative
Sooner or later, this new device will replace traditional SIM cards. An eSIM for Portugal is a little device that is implanted in the cell phone’s hardware. It can host many different operator lines, and the data plan gets activated with a QR code. It is easier to use than a SIM card! You can get it on the Holafly virtual store. Digital SIM cards can be delivered immediately after purchase anywhere in the world, so you will not have to worry again about receiving a shipment with the physical SIM card.
We are definitely talking about the best alternative for tourists to keep mobile internet in Portugal. Holalfly offers virtual SIM cards with coverage options in several countries, as if that wasn’t enough. If your trip takes you beyond Portugal, this can be your option. The eSIM is here to stay, and if your phone is compatible, you don’t have to look for another option. This is your solution. To let you know even more about this technology, we will discuss some advantages and disadvantages that go with it.
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Advantages and disadvantages of Virtual SIM cards
Advantages:
- Activation in minutes, easy to use.
To buy them, you have to go to Holalfy’s online store; there, you will find Portugal as a destination and its available plans. When you select one and make the purchase, you will receive a QR code to your email with which you will activate your eSIM. This is ideal for visiting other nearby destinations, nothing better than buying eSIM to stay connected in Spain in a few steps!
- Talk time
As a recent feature introduced, you’ll get an Austrian phone (+43) number along with 120 total minutes to make and receive calls. This translates into 60 minutes each. You’ll be able to call local numbers and your contacts in Europe can even call you.
- Data for the whole trip
For this destination, all Holafly data packages include unlimited data and calls. This way, you will always have mobile internet to communicate with your friends and family, look up an address, or order a cab.
- Multi-Country options
In case your adventure takes you beyond Portugal, Holafly also offers eSIM Europe for travel cards with coverage throughout Europe. There are also eSIMs available for 150 other destinations worldwide, so there is always an option for you.
- Top-up options.
The great news is that Holafly embedded SIM cards can activate top-up whenever you need it. By this, we mean that if you need to extend your plan for more days, you can do it directly in the store without having to activate a new eSIM on your phone.
Disadvantages
- Reduced compatibility
We mentioned that these eSIMs are on their way to replace traditional SIM cards, however, not all phones are compatible with them today. If you need help verifying the compatibility of your phone, you can check Holafly’s updated list to find yours.
How much does a Holafly eSIM card for Portugal cost?
Currently, the virtual SIM card for Portugal has the following available plans:
| Days of use | Data | Price (USD) |
| 5 days | Unlimited data with calls | $19 |
| 7 days | Unlimited data with calls | $27 |
| 10 days | Unlimited data with calls | $34 |
| 15 days | Unlimited data with calls | $47 |
| 20 days | Unlimited data with calls | $54 |
| 30 days | Unlimited data with calls | $64 |
| 60 days | Unlimited data with calls | $84 |
| 90 days | Unlimited data with calls | $99 |
The Holafly eSIM for Portugal is a great option for people in Latin America. You will enjoy your Mobile data right when you land at your destination without having to look for spots or stores from the national operators.
Frequent questions about the best SIM card for Portugal
Vodafone, Lycamobile, and NOS are the most popular operators in this country. Anyway, we recommend the Holafly eSIM, since with this card you will always have the internet.
Depending on the operator you choose, your problem can be solved. If you get the Holafly eSIM card, you will have 24/7 chat service and support.
You can buy it when you land, in some of the physical stores at the airport. Also, you can get a digital SIM card by buying it in digital stores, like the Spanish company Holafly.
The price depends on what the plan or package includes. The more data, minutes or SMS, the more expensive. Check exactly what your SIM includes to get the best option!
Recommendations to choose the best SIM card for Portugal.
- Please don’t buy your SIM card at the airport because it is more expensive.
- Please buy it before arriving at your destination because if you don’t speak Portuguese, you might have problems with communication.
- If you are not using your phone, turn off your data plan. This way, you will avoid consuming your data quickly.
- Before traveling to Portugal, check the requirements, conditions, and recommendations here: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation.
Alright, we have reached the end of this article. Hopefully, this information will help you pick the SIM card for Portugal that best suits your needs. You won’t regret it!
