Visiting Portugal soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Portugal SIM card.
In this guide, weâll explain where to buy a SIM card in Portugal in person and online. Weâll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
That said, if youâre 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 Portugal.
If you donât mind not having Internet, youâll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call an Uber, or translate Portuguese â you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Portugal.
Note that your mobile phone provider may already offer Portugal coverage if youâre European.
If thatâs the case, you wonât need a SIM card for your adventures in Portugal.
Best SIM Card For Portugal
If youâre traveling in Portugal, we recommend using a SIM card from Meo, Vodafone, NOS, or Airalo. (Iâll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if youâre 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 Portugal SIM Card
You can either buy a European 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 donât recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you wonât necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so itâs essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, Iâd 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 wonât 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, letâs look at the Portuguese SIM cards offered by Meo, Vodafone, and Nos.
Meo Portugal SIM Card
Meo offers three different types of plans:
- Plans for visitors
- Pay as you go
- Monthly
As a visitor, the best options are probably the first two, depending on the length of your trip.
You can buy the first SIM card online for EUR 9.99, and youâll get:
- 5 GB
- 5 GB bonus
- 1000 minutes/SMS
Vodafone Portugal SIM Card
Vodafone Portugal has 2 different prepaid plans available:
- 15 days, with unlimited data for EUR 15
- 30 days, with unlimited data for EUR 30
As you can see, itâs more expensive than Meo, but you also get unlimited data, which can be helpful.
NOS Portugal SIM Card
NOS offers lots of plans to travelers between 200 MG to 10 GB. All plans are under EUR 29. Once again, itâs slightly more expensive than Meo.
Overall, we think Meo is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you canât find their store!
How To Buy A Portugal 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.
Youâll find different Portugal SIM cards on Amazon. For example, the Orange Holiday Europe Prepaid SIM Card works in more than 30 countries and gives you 20BG of data for 14 days. Portugal is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries youâre planning on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid European SIM card on SimOptions.
They currently offer various data plans in Portugal.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Portugal, or Europe.
How To Buy A Portugal eSIM Card
eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.
If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards â itâs definitely one of the best options to get data in Portugal.
Curious? Learn more about eSIM for travelers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it.
To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs in Portugal.
Airalo ESIM Portugal
If you want to buy an eSIM for Portugal, you could purchase one on Airalo.
This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Europe and Portugal.
Iâve been using Airalo in Europe for several years, and it works fine.
Here are the options available for Portugal only:
- Meo: 30 GB, valid for 15 days for $19
- Fofo Mobile: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
- Fofo Mobile: 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $7
- Fofo Mobile: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $9.50
- Fofo Mobile: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $10
- Fofo Mobile: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $17
- Fofo Mobile: 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $32
Hereâs 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 Portugal.
Alternatively, if youâre traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including Portugal.
Hereâs 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 youâll 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 youâre connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, youâll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly ESIM Portugal
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Holafly Portugal offers the following plans:
- Unlimited data for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data for 7 days for $27
- Unlimited data for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data for 60 days for $87
- Unlimited data for 90 days for $99
Iâve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine.
Nomad ESIM Portugal
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider in Portugal.
Hereâs an overview of the plans available for Portugal:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $12
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $15
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $24
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $34
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards For Portugal
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Portugal or even an eSIM for your travels in Portugal is pretty easy.
Youâll 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 Portugal if you wish to have data upon your arrival.
This way, you wonât need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.
Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Portugal soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
