Albania SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know

Visiting Albania soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing an Albania SIM card.

This guide will explain where to buy a SIM card in Albania in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

That said, if you’re traveling to other countries in Europe, you should be able to use the same SIM card because most SIM card providers also offer coverage in other European countries.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Albania. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call an Uber, or translate Albanian – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Albania.

Note that your mobile phone provider may already offer Albania coverage if you’re European. If that’s the case, you won’t need a SIM card for your adventures in Albania.

Best SIM Cards In Albania

If you’re traveling in Albania, we recommend using a SIM card from Vodafone, One, ALBtelecom, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Europe, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other European countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In Albania

You can either buy a Europe prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind.

And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival.

So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Vodafone, One, and ALBtelecom.

Vodafone Albania SIM Cards

Vodafone offers several different types of plans:

• 300 MB, valid for 3 days for ALL 300 ($2.66)
• 1.5 GB, valid for 10 days for ALL 700 ($6.20)
•  5 GB, valid for 30 days for ALL 1500 ($13.29)
•  Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for ALL 2000 ($17.73)

One SIM Cards

One has one tourist plan available, which includes the following:

• 35 GB, valid for 21 days for ALL 2000 ($17.73)

ALBtelecom SIM Cards

ALBtelecom offers three different types of plans:

• 8 GB, valid for 30 days for ALL 1100 ($9.75)
• 24 GB, valid for 30 days for ALL 1300 ($11.52)
• 36 GB, valid for 30 days for ALL 1900 ($16.84)

Overall, we think Vodafone is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy An Albania Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, OneSimCard works in more than 100+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Albania is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Another option is to purchase a prepaid European SIM card on SimOptions.

They currently offers 1 package that covers Albania.

• 5 GB, valid for 14 days for $49.90

Browse your options on SimOptions

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Europe.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For Albania

eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.

If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Albania.

Curious? Learn more about eSIM for travelers on esimroamers.com.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo.

Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs in Albania.

Airalo Albania

If you want to buy an eSIM for Albania, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Europe and Albania.

I’ve been using Airalo in Europe for several months, and it works fine.

Here are the options available:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $8
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $11
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $15.50
• 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $26

Here’s an overview of the options available in Europe:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
• 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
• 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
• 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185

The options mentioned above are part of Eurolink and offer coverage in 39 countries, including Albania.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including Albania.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $17
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $24
• 5 GB, valid for 60 days for $35
• 10 GB, valid for 180 days for $59
• 20 GB, valid for 365 days for $69

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.

In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Go to Airalo

Holafly Albania

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

I’ve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine. They offer the following plans in Albania:

• Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $27
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $34
• Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $37
• Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
• Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54

Go to Holafly

Nomad Albania

Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Albania:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days for $20
• 3GB, valid for 30 days for $48
• 5GB, valid for 30 days for $54

Go to Nomad

Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Albania

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Albania or even an eSIM for your travels in Albania is pretty easy.

You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Europe without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase a European SIM card.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Albania if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.

Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling soon? Read one of the following blog posts:

• Georgia SIM cards
• Serbia SIM cards
• Estonia SIM cards