The best eSIM for Gibraltar is one that actually lists Gibraltar. That sounds obvious, but many Spain, UK and Europe eSIMs leave it out, some of ours included, so check the country list before you buy. If you only visit Gibraltar, a Gibraltar data plan sized to your stay is the simplest pick. If you come on a day trip from Spain, fly in from the UK or need a phone number, a Bouygues Telecom Europe plan covers Gibraltar, Spain and the UK with one eSIM. This guide compares the eSIMs that work in Gibraltar, using the current plan details on our Gibraltar eSIM page, and explains what to check before you go.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a few days in Gibraltar, Gibraltar plus Spain, and Gibraltar plus Spain with a phone number.
Gibraltar 3GB (data only, 3 days) · Travel Basic (data only, 15 days, 46 countries incl. Gibraltar and Spain) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Gibraltar
Which eSIMs cover Gibraltar?
Gibraltar has its own mobile operators and its own +350 phone numbers, so an eSIM for Spain or the UK doesn't cover it automatically. Here is what we found on our own plans:
- Gibraltar data plans: cover Gibraltar only.
- Bouygues Telecom Europe plans (Travel Basic, Travel Basic+, My European eSIM): 46 countries, including Gibraltar, Spain and the UK.
- Europe Unlimited 7 Days and 14 Days: 54 countries, including Gibraltar, Spain and the UK.
- Not covered: our Spain plans, our UK plans and our Europe 1GB to 50GB plans (34 countries) don't list Gibraltar.
Whatever eSIM you look at, open its country list and search for Gibraltar. If it isn't there, the eSIM won't connect on the Rock.
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Gibraltar
Gibraltar data plans (1 GB to 50 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days and 50 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: Gibraltar only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- Top-ups: available.
Bouygues Telecom Europe plans (15 GB to 120 GB)
- Data and days: Travel Basic 15 GB and Travel Basic+ 20 GB for 15 days, My European eSIM 30 GB, 60 GB or 120 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: 46, including Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal, France and the UK.
- Phone number: Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. Travel Basic is data only.
- Speed: 5G where available.
- Top-ups: not available, so pick enough data and days for your trip.
Europe Unlimited (7 or 14 days)
- Data and days: unlimited data for 7 or 14 days.
- Countries: 54, including Gibraltar, Spain and the UK.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Gibraltar trip?
Start with where you sleep and how long you stay. Then ask yourself two questions: do you cross into Spain, and do you need a phone number?
A day or a weekend in Gibraltar only: Gibraltar 1GB, 3GB or 5GB
For a cruise stop, a day on the Upper Rock or a weekend on Main Street, a small Gibraltar plan covers maps, messages, cable car and bus times, and your photos of the macaques. The 1 GB and 3 GB plans last 3 days, the 5 GB plan lasts 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
A week or more, or Gibraltar plus Spain: Travel Basic or Travel Basic+
Staying a week or longer? Look at the Bouygues Telecom plans before the larger Gibraltar plans. When we checked, Travel Basic (15 GB for 15 days) cost less than Gibraltar 10GB (7 days), and it also works in Spain, Portugal and the UK. Travel Basic+ adds 5 GB and a phone number.
A month or a long stay: My European eSIM or Gibraltar 50GB
On a work assignment or a long stay on the Costa del Sol with regular trips into Gibraltar, My European eSIM gives you 30 GB, 60 GB or 120 GB for 30 days in Gibraltar, Spain and 44 other countries, with a French +33 number. When we checked, My European eSIM 30GB cost less than Gibraltar 20GB. If you only need Gibraltar and want to top up as you go, Gibraltar 50GB lasts 30 days.
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Gibraltar plans and Europe Unlimited are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If a hotel, a restaurant or a car rental desk needs to call or text you on a normal number, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. The plan details list calls and SMS within Europe only, so calls to the US, Canada or Australia aren't included. Our guide to Europe eSIMs with a phone number explains when you really need one.
Day trip from Spain or flying in from the UK?
Lots of Gibraltar trips start or end in Spain: a day trip from the Costa del Sol, or a flight into Gibraltar and a drive on into Andalusia. Either way, you need data on both sides of the border. Our Spain eSIMs stop at the border, and a Gibraltar eSIM stops on the Spanish side. One eSIM that lists both saves you the switch.
- Travel Basic: 15 GB for 15 days, data only.
- Travel Basic+: 20 GB for 15 days, with a French +33 number.
- Europe Unlimited 7 Days or 14 Days: unlimited data, data only.
- My European eSIM 30GB: 30 GB for 30 days, with a French +33 number.
Europe Unlimited 7 Days and 14 Days (data only, 54 countries) · My European eSIM 30GB (Bouygues Telecom, French +33 number, 46 countries) · All three cover Gibraltar, Spain and the UK · See all eSIMs for Europe
Spending most of your trip in Spain? Our guide to the best eSIM for Spain compares the Spain plans. Coming from the UK, or carrying on to London afterwards? See the best eSIM for the UK. Continuing to Morocco? None of the plans above list Morocco, so see the best eSIM for Morocco.
Near the border with a one-country plan
Gibraltar is small, and the border with Spain at La Línea is never far away. Close to a border, your phone can connect to a network from the other side on its own, even before you cross. European telecom regulators call this inadvertent roaming (BEREC: Retail Roaming Guidelines, section N). With a Gibraltar-only plan, a Spanish network isn't covered, so data can stop. If that happens, turn off automatic network selection in your phone's mobile network settings and pick a Gibraltar network. A plan that covers both Gibraltar and Spain avoids the problem.
Will your own phone plan work in Gibraltar?
Your plan is from Spain or another EU country
Gibraltar isn't part of the EU or the EEA, so the EU's "roam like at home" rules don't guarantee it. Each carrier decides whether Gibraltar counts as part of its free roaming zone. Vodafone Spain, for example, says on its Gibraltar roaming page that free roaming there depends on your plan (Vodafone Spain: roaming in Gibraltar). Check your own carrier's roaming page or app before you cross.
Your plan is from the UK
UK carriers set their own rules and prices for Gibraltar too, and they don't all treat it the same way. Check your carrier's roaming page before you go. If it charges a daily fee or has a small data allowance abroad, a travel eSIM gives you data at a fixed prepaid price.
You're coming from the US, Canada, Australia or India
Your carrier's international roaming prices apply, so check them before you go. A travel eSIM gives you local data at a fixed prepaid price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and security codes. Our guide on how to avoid roaming charges has more tips.
Local SIM in Gibraltar: Gibtelecom
Gibtelecom sells Pay As You Go SIMs with data bundles valid for 30 days, plus a 7-day data pass, and you top up online, in its app or by SMS (Gibtelecom: Pay As You Go). It also has pay monthly plans with no contract. Its Pay As You Go page doesn't mention eSIM. A local line makes sense if you live or work in Gibraltar and need a +350 number. For a visit, a travel eSIM you install before you leave is quicker: no shop visit and no SIM swap.
How much data do you need in Gibraltar?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- A day trip or 3 days: 1 GB to 3 GB for maps, messages and photos.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop or a family member's phone? Our Gibraltar eSIM page says hotspot is allowed. Hotspot uses data fast, so go a size up.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Gibraltar
- Buy your plan and get your QR code by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Gibraltar" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you arrive, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you arrive? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Gibraltar?
It depends on your trip. For a day or a weekend in Gibraltar only, Gibraltar 1GB or 3GB. For a week or more, or if you also visit Spain, Travel Basic or Travel Basic+ from Bouygues Telecom. For unlimited data across Gibraltar and Spain, Europe Unlimited. For a month with a phone number, My European eSIM.
Does a Spain eSIM work in Gibraltar?
Our Spain plans don't list Gibraltar, so they won't work there. Pick a plan whose country list includes both, such as the Bouygues Telecom plans or Europe Unlimited.
Does a UK eSIM work in Gibraltar?
Our UK plans don't list Gibraltar either. The Bouygues Telecom plans and Europe Unlimited cover Gibraltar and the UK.
Is there a travel eSIM for Gibraltar with calls?
Yes. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. The Gibraltar plans are data only.
Can I get a Gibraltar phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. For a +350 number, you need a line from a Gibraltar carrier such as Gibtelecom.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Gibraltar?
The smallest plan, Gibraltar 1GB for 3 days, is the cheapest one on our Gibraltar eSIM page. For a week or more, compare it with Travel Basic, which cost less than Gibraltar 10GB when we checked.
Can I top up my Gibraltar eSIM?
The Gibraltar data plans and Europe Unlimited can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data and days before you go.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.
