The best eSIM for Spain depends on your trip. If you only visit Spain, a Spain data plan sized to your stay is the simplest choice. If you also travel to France, Portugal or other countries in Europe, or you need a phone number for calls and texts, pick a Bouygues Telecom Europe plan with a French +33 number. Either way, you install the eSIM at home before you fly and it connects when you land. This guide compares the eSIMs for Spain sold on SimOptions by trip length, data and phone number, using the current plan details on our Spain eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Spain, two weeks in Spain, and two weeks with a phone number.
Spain 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Spain 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Spain
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Spain
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs for Spain. Here is how they compare.
Spain data plans (1 GB to 100 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, 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days and 100 GB for 180 days.
- Countries: Spain only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- 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 Spain, France, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, Italy, the UK and Switzerland.
- 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.
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 Spain trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself two questions: do you visit other countries, and do you need a phone number?
City break or short trip (up to a week): Spain 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a weekend in Madrid or a week in Barcelona, a small Spain plan covers maps, messages, ride apps and browsing. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks in Spain: Spain 20GB or Travel Basic
For a two-week holiday, you have two data-only options with 15 days of validity.
- Spain 20GB gives you 20 GB in Spain, and you can top it up.
- Travel Basic from Bouygues Telecom gives you 15 GB on 5G in 46 countries. It's the better fit if your trip also takes you to France, Portugal or elsewhere in Europe. It can't be topped up.
A month or a long stay: Spain 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Staying longer, working remotely or spending the winter in Spain? Spain 50GB lasts 30 days. Spain 60GB lasts 90 days and Spain 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
Data-only Spain plans · 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days, 100 GB for 180 days · See all eSIMs for Spain
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Spain plans 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 car rental desk or a restaurant in Spain needs to call or text you on a normal number, the Bouygues Telecom plans give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, Spanish numbers included:
- Travel Basic+: 20 GB for 15 days.
- My European eSIM 30GB: 30 GB for 30 days.
- My European eSIM 60GB: 60 GB for 30 days.
- My European eSIM 120GB: 120 GB for 30 days.
The plan details list calls and SMS within Europe only, not to the US, Canada or other countries outside Europe. Our guide to Europe eSIMs with a phone number explains when you really need one.
All Bouygues Telecom · French +33 number · calls, SMS and 5G data in Spain and 45 other countries in Europe · See all eSIMs for Spain
Spain plus other countries: a Bouygues Telecom plan
Driving on to Portugal, taking the train to France or flying to Italy? A Spain plan only works in Spain. The Bouygues Telecom plans cover 46 countries, so one eSIM works for the whole trip. For trips that include Turkey or the Balkans, compare the other plans in our guide to the best eSIM for Europe.
How much data do you need in Spain?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel or rental helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 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 friend's phone? Hotspot (tethering) uses data fast, so go a size up. You can track what you use in your phone's settings.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Spain?
Your phone plan is from the EU: check it first
Under the EU's "Roam like at home" rules, you can use a plan from an EU country in Spain at domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits. The rules also cover Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). A travel eSIM still helps if your plan has a small data allowance abroad.
You're coming from the US, Canada, the UK or Australia
Roam like at home doesn't apply to plans from outside the EU and the countries listed above, and that includes UK plans. Your carrier sets its own roaming prices in Spain, 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.
What about a Spanish SIM or eSIM?
You can buy a prepaid line from a Spanish carrier, but you need an ID document such as your passport, and some carriers only hand out the eSIM in a store. It makes sense if you stay for months or need a Spanish +34 number. Our guide to eSIM providers in Spain compares the local carriers, and it also helps if your phone doesn't support eSIM, since Spanish carriers sell physical SIM cards too.
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: About eSIM on iPhone). 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 Spain
- Buy your plan on the Spain eSIM page. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM.
- Label the line "Spain" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, 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: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Spain?
It depends on your trip. For a week in Spain, Spain 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Spain 20GB, or Travel Basic if you also visit other countries. For a long stay, Spain 60GB or 100GB. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
Which eSIM is best for Spain and France or Portugal?
A Bouygues Telecom plan. Travel Basic, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM cover Spain, France, Portugal and 43 other countries with one eSIM. The Spain plans only work in Spain.
Can I get a Spanish phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. The Spain plans are data only. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number that you can use to call and text Spanish numbers. For a +34 number, you need a line from a Spanish carrier.
Does a Spain eSIM work in the Balearic and Canary Islands?
Yes. The plan details on our Spain eSIM page include Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and the Canary Islands in the Spain coverage. If you use a Europe plan, check that Spain is on its country list.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot in Spain?
Yes, the Spain eSIM lets you share your connection with a hotspot. Keep in mind that a laptop uses much more data than a phone.
Can I top up my Spain eSIM?
The Spain data plans can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data and days before you go.
When should I install my eSIM for Spain?
Install it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. It connects automatically when you arrive in Spain. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
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.