The best eSIM for Sweden depends on where else you go. If you stay in Sweden, a Sweden data plan sized to your trip is the simplest choice. If you also visit Norway, Denmark or Finland, a Europe eSIM covers all four countries with one plan. And if 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 and it connects when you land. This guide compares the eSIMs for Sweden sold on SimOptions by trip length, data, coverage and phone number, using the current plan details on our Sweden eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Sweden, two weeks in Sweden, and two weeks with a phone number and room to cross into the rest of Scandinavia.
Sweden 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Sweden 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Sweden
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Sweden
SimOptions sells three kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in Sweden. Here is how they compare.
Sweden 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: Sweden only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- Top-ups: available.
SimOptions Europe 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: 34, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Iceland isn't on the list.
- 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 Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Åland Islands.
- 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 Sweden trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself two questions: do you cross a border, and do you need a phone number?
City break (up to a week): Sweden 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a long weekend in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö, a small Sweden plan covers maps, messages, transport 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 Sweden: Sweden 20GB
For a longer holiday, say Stockholm, a few days in the archipelago and a trip north, Sweden 20GB gives you 20 GB for 15 days, and you can top it up.
A month or a long stay: Sweden 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Studying, working remotely or spending the summer at a cabin? Sweden 50GB lasts 30 days. Sweden 60GB lasts 90 days and Sweden 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Sweden 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 tour operator 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, Swedish numbers included. 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.
Visiting Norway, Denmark or Finland too? Pick one eSIM for Scandinavia
Many Sweden trips don't stop at the border. You take the train over the Öresund Bridge from Malmö to Copenhagen, drive on to Oslo or head into Finnish Lapland. A Sweden plan only works in Sweden. A Europe eSIM keeps you online in all of them, so you don't need a new eSIM in each country.
- Europe 20GB (SimOptions): 20 GB for 15 days in 34 countries, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Data only, 4G/LTE, top-ups available. When we checked, it cost slightly less than Sweden 20GB, so for a two-week trip you lose nothing by covering the neighbours too. For 10 GB, the Sweden plan was the cheaper one.
- Travel Basic (Bouygues Telecom): 15 GB for 15 days in 46 countries, Iceland included. Data only, 5G.
- Travel Basic+ (Bouygues Telecom): 20 GB for 15 days in the same 46 countries, with a French +33 number.
Going to Iceland as well? Pick a Bouygues Telecom plan, since the SimOptions Europe plans don't cover it. Neither covers the Faroe Islands or Greenland, so check our destinations page if they are on your route.
Europe 20GB (SimOptions, data only, 34 countries) · Travel Basic and Travel Basic+ (Bouygues Telecom, 46 countries, Travel Basic+ adds a French +33 number) · See all eSIMs for Europe or the Norway, Denmark and Finland pages
Our guide on how to use an eSIM in Europe explains how one eSIM works across borders, and our guide to the best eSIM for Europe compares more options for a longer trip.
Local SIM cards and eSIMs in Sweden
You can also get a Swedish prepaid line (a "kontantkort"). Swedish law requires every prepaid card to be registered before you can use it. Telia, for example, lets you register online with BankID, a Swedish e-ID, or in one of its stores with your passport (Telia: register a prepaid card). As a visitor without BankID, that usually means a shop visit after you land. Our guide to eSIM providers in Sweden compares Telia, Tele2, Telenor, Tre and prepaid brands like Comviq.
A local line makes sense if you move to Sweden or need a +46 number. For a holiday or a business trip, a travel eSIM you install before you leave is quicker: no shop visit and no registration on arrival.
How much data do you need in Sweden?
You'll use data for more than maps. In Stockholm, for example, you can buy public transport tickets in the SL app (SL: ticket app). Wi-Fi at your hotel helps, but plan for data on the go. 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 family member's phone on a road trip? Our Sweden eSIM page says hotspot sharing is included. Hotspot uses data fast, so go a size up.
Where you'll use your eSIM in Sweden
A few places from our original guide, with what to know before you go:
Gamla Stan and the Vasa Museum, Stockholm
Stockholm's old town is a maze of narrow lanes, so a map on your phone helps. Across the water, the Vasa Museum shows the warship Vasa, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged after 333 years. It is one of Scandinavia's most visited museums (Vasa Museum).
Drottningholm Palace
Built in the 1600s, Drottningholm is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. The King and Queen live in the southern wing, and the rest of the palace and its grounds are open to the public year round, including the Chinese Pavilion (The Royal Palaces: Drottningholm).
The Göta Canal
The Göta Canal runs 190 km from Sjötorp by Lake Vänern to Mem by the Baltic Sea, with 58 locks (West Sweden: experience the Göta Canal). You can cruise it, cycle the towpath or take your own boat. On a slow trip like this, a plan with more days, such as Sweden 20GB, fits better than a short one.
Kiruna and the Icehotel, Swedish Lapland
North of the Arctic Circle, Kiruna has the midnight sun from about 28 May to 14 July (Visit Sweden: midnight sun). Nearby, in Jukkasjärvi, the Icehotel is carved from the Torne River's ice and reborn in a new form each winter. Its ICEHOTEL 365 part stays open all year (Icehotel). Away from towns and roads, signal can drop, so download offline maps before a hike or a dog sled tour. Cold can also drain your battery faster, so carry a power bank.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Sweden?
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 Sweden at domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits. The rules also cover Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which are in the European Economic Area, plus Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). So an EU plan also works at home prices on a trip to Norway, Denmark or Finland. A travel eSIM still helps if your plan has a small data allowance abroad.
You're coming from the US, the UK, Australia or Canada
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 Sweden, 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.
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 Sweden
- 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 "Sweden" 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 Sweden?
It depends on your trip. For a week in Sweden, Sweden 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Sweden 20GB. For a long stay, Sweden 60GB or 100GB. If you also visit Norway, Denmark or Finland, Europe 20GB or Travel Basic. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
What is the best eSIM for Norway and Sweden?
A Europe eSIM, since a Sweden plan doesn't work in Norway. Europe 20GB covers both for 15 days, data only. Travel Basic and Travel Basic+ cover both too, and Travel Basic+ adds a French +33 number.
Is there one eSIM for all of Scandinavia?
Yes. The SimOptions Europe plans cover Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The Bouygues Telecom plans cover those four plus Iceland.
Does a Sweden eSIM work in Denmark?
No. The Sweden plans only cover Sweden. For a day trip to Copenhagen, pick a Europe plan instead.
Can I get an eSIM for Sweden with calls?
Yes. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, including calls to Swedish numbers. The Sweden plans are data only.
Can I get a Swedish phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. For a +46 number, you need a registered line from a Swedish carrier.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Sweden?
The smallest plan, Sweden 1GB for 3 days, is the cheapest one on our Sweden eSIM page. For a longer trip, pick the plan that matches your days and data, so you don't pay for more than you use.
Can I top up my Sweden eSIM?
The Sweden and SimOptions Europe data plans 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.
