Whether you are visiting Italy as a tourist, studying abroad, or making the big move, buying a SIM card in Italy is likely the right choice for your budget and phone coverage abroad.
There are many reasons to get a SIM card in Italy to help facilitate travel or easing life in a new country. Having been a tourist in previous years and now a local, I’ve learned a lot about using my phone with Italian SIM cards!
This easy to use guide will answer every question you have about SIM cards in Italy!
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What is a SIM Card & Why Do You Need a SIM Card in Italy
A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is a tiny memory card inserted into our phones that allows the phone provider to identify you as a customer and charge you. It also can store information from your phone, like contacts.
There are a ton of reasons why you would want to purchase a SIM card in Italy, whether you are traveling or you’re a new expat in Italy.
- International phone plans through your home provider are likely way more expensive than buying a local SIM card.
- You’ll want to keep in touch with your family and friends and have access to data roaming.
- Avoid being stuck in an emergency situation without a working phone.
- Coverage is likely better from a local provider than your international provider.
- You can’t rely on finding free WiFi everywhere in Italy.
Figuring out your phone plan is one of the first steps you should take as a new expat and part of the overall moving abroad checklist you should be using to ensure a smooth transition into your life abroad.
Can tourists get SIM cards in Italy? Yes! Tourists can get SIM cards in Italy either by signing up for prepaid SIM cards from large providers, regular pay-as-you-go SIM cards or international eSIMs.
Where You Can Buy a SIM Card in Italy
Before I list where you can buy your Italian SIM card, know this: you have to buy it in person.
To legally purchase a SIM card in Italy, you have to present photo ID. For this reason, I do not recommend buying SIM cards online.
There are some providers that allow you to buy the SIM card online, but you would still need to register it in person.
Pro Tip: One of the most convenient places with SIM cards available to purchase in Italy as a tourist is at the airport. Don’t do it! It’s an overpriced tourist trap!
The best way to buy a SIM card in Italy is to go directly to the store of your chosen phone provider. You can find stores in shopping malls and city centers.
Usually when I traveled to Italy (before I lived here), I would end up using my international phone plan for the first few days I arrive in the country as I waited for the SIM to be activated.
This is why, if you’re only traveling to Italy for a short amount of time, like a week, then you may just find it’s easier to pay for your international plan with your domestic provider. Buying a SIM card in Italy is still a cheaper option, but you may lose precious vacation time to go to the phone provider store and wait to activate the SIM.
Italy’s Phone Providers with the Best SIM cards for Tourists & Locals
There are a lot of different phone providers that offer specific tourist SIM Cards in Italy. The most popular are TIM, Vodafone Italy, and WindTre. (Note: I’ve linked English versions of the websites where possible, but you may have to use Google Translate for Italian web pages.)
If you’re going to Italy on vacation as a tourist, then I recommend going with one of these three main providers. They have the more detailed packages for tourists, and the process is very simple to sign up with them.
If you’re living in Italy, then looking into one of the smaller providers could mean lots of savings over time. Some of the smaller providers are branches of the larger ones and run on the larger networks (aka Vodafone and ho Mobile use the same network), so your coverage and customer service are just as good.
Here are smaller providers with cheaper prices that offer good coverage as well including:
- ho Mobile (My provider)
- Iliad – becoming a faster growing, still inexpensive option.
- Fastweb
- PosteMobile
- Kena (If you translate this site there is lots of thorough information about how their SIM works specifically.)
- CoopVoce
TIM Tourist
Vodafone Holiday
WindTre Tourist Pass
What You Need In Order to Purchase an Italian SIM Card
To get a SIM card in Italy, you will need:
- To be at least 16 years old.
- A photo ID so bring your passport!
- A Codice Fiscale. This is a tax code to used for identification in Italy. If you’re living in Italy, you will want to sign up for your Codice Fiscale ASAP through the Agenzia dell’Entrate. If you are a tourist, the phone company will create a Codice Fiscale for you on the spot in-store while you’re purchasing your SIM card.
e-SIMs in Italy
Beyond a physical SIM card, there are now e-SIMs.
e-SIMs, or electronic SIM cards, can be purchased online and allow more flexibility in plan options, country usage and being able to skip the normal SIM card purchase process.
Order your e-SIM online, receive a QR code, scan it and complete setup.
Sounds easy right? It is, but the catch here is that your phone needs to be e-SIM compatible.
Good to know: Many e-SIMs for Italy only cover data and not calls and texting.
How Much SIM cards in Italy Cost
Many companies offer prepaid SIM Cards in Italy that are affordable and ideal for short-term stays.
If you’re staying long-term in Italy, for example studying abroad or moving, prepaid packages may mean you overpay for a SIM card. It is likely cheaper for you to sign up for a phone plan and pay-as-you-go.
A SIM card in Italy comprises two different costs: first, an activation fee usually around the 10 euro mark, and second, a monthly or top-off payment that will differ depending on the plan you sign up for.
For example, with my ho Mobile plan, there was a €9.99 activation fee, and the monthly phone bill price is €6.99. I’ll explain more about this in the next section!
Ricarica or Recharging Your Account
Download your phone provider’s app to easily track how much data you have left for the month.
The “residuo” is the amount of money you have left as credit to pay for your monthly phone bill.
The amount (in my case, €6.99) is automatically deducted from this residuo when you pay through the phone app/internet account.
If the residuo amount drops into the negative, all you have to do is “ricarica” or top-off your account with the amount of your choice.
I personally always top-off the minimum amount (€5) in case I ever need to stop using the SIM. This way, I don’t have money left over in the residuo.
You can also buy credit in person at places like grocery stores in Italy or “tabaccheria” but be aware you will likely need to pay for it in cash.
In some cases you can also choose to sign up for a pay-by-month plan rather than topping off your account. Although It’s usually a hassle to exit these contracts since you can’t just cancel them on your own. So, pay-by-month is the most flexible option.
How to Activate an Italian SIM Card
Once you’ve signed up for your SIM card it’s now time to activate it so you have a working phone!
Likely, you’ll be signing up in person and the clerk will install and activate the card for you.
You can also do it yourself by making an account with the phone provider, but this is really for particular cases. For example, when I moved to Italy, my family already had an extra SIM card for me to use but because I was not an Italian citizen (yet!), so they used their documents to make the phone account under their name while signing me up through the app.
In order to activate an Italian SIM card, your phone must be “unlocked.” What this means is that sometimes US or foreign phone providers will lock the phone so that it can only be used with that provider. You’ll have to go to them first to make sure they unlock it for you.
The last thing to keep in mind is that your phone will not work immediately. It will take up to 48 hours for the SIM card to activate and for you to start using the data and coverage of your Italian phone plan!
Do you need to change your phone number if you switch to an Italian SIM card? Will you lose information on your phone?
Having an Italian SIM Card means you will now have an Italian phone number. Make sure to keep your original SIM card from your home provider for when your trip is over.
Pro tip: Keep your original SIM card in a safe place, like your wallet or where you keep important documents like your passport.
Switching to an Italian SIM card does not mean you will lose any information on your phone. The only change I had to make on my iPhone when switching to an Italian SIM card was choosing if I wanted to update my FaceTime and WhatsApp number to be my new Italian phone number.
You can try to keep it your old phone number, but it may not work.
The PIN and the PUK: What are they and what do you do with them?
On the card from which you pop out your new SIM, there are two important 4-digit codes: the PIN and the PUK.
When using a SIM card in Italy, every time you turn off your phone and turn it back on, you will have to unlock your SIM card.
This is an extra measure of privacy and security. Enter the four digit PIN code and voila, it’s unlocked! You also have the option to change the 4-digit pin to something you can remember more easily.
I recommend holding onto that card in a safe place, like your wallet, so you don’t have a chance of forgetting it.
After three attempts to unlock your phone with the PIN, you’ll then only be able to unlock it with the PUK code. This is the backup code and should also be kept super secret!
Free EU Roaming
Because Italy is a part of the European Union, almost every member country in Europe has a partner phone provider with Italy’s phone providers. This means free EU roaming – just make sure to turn data roaming on in your phone settings!
This means your phone will work if you travel outside of Italy to another EU country. However, keep in mind not every country in Europe is in the EU. I traveled to Switzerland just across the Italian border and my phone didn’t work the entire trip!
Other Useful Italy Guides
Day-to-day life and travel in Italy is not just the fun activities and breathtaking landscapes! It is also the practical aspects of getting around a new place.
Check out some of these other helpful “life in Italy” guides to prepare you for travels or life abroad!
- How to Use Buses in Italy
- The Best Places to Live in Italy According to Your Lifestyle
- How to Move to Italy from the USA
- Driving in Italy Guide
The SGTD Take
Buying a SIM card in Italy in 2024 is a relatively straightforward process, but there are significant differences to how Italian phone plans work in comparison to where I’m from, the United States.
The best part is that they are an inexpensive way to stay connected to home. Whether you are living in Italy or traveling the country for longer than a week, it’s a worthy process to go through to save money and not have to rely on free WiFi, which is still limited outside of hotels and restaurants.
Have other questions? Leave them in a comment!
Italy Trip Planning Resources
- Accommodation: For Italy, I mainly use Booking.com to search and book places to stay.
- Booking flights: I like to search for flights through Skyscanner, but I also book direct depending on the airline.
- Activities & experiences: For things to do that require a ticket, and for more unique trip activities, I use Musement.
- Road trip: For renting a car, I get the best prices by comparing companies with AutoEurope. I then use ViaMichelin to estimate road trip costs and Autostrade.it to find gas stations/have live updates on traffic.
- Transportation: Traveling by public transportation is a great way to see Italy. I use Trenitalia or Trainline to book tickets for trains and Flixbus for long-haul bus trips.
- Accessories: I always travel with this portable charger to stay connected and with a universal adapter to accommodate Italy’s plug types.
- Need help planning an itinerary? Fill out my form for a custom itinerary request!
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I hope this updated guide to buying a SIM card in Italy in 2024 helps you navigate this confusing process and put you at ease before your trip!
XOXO
Michela