Bulgaria has three mobile networks: Vivacom, A1 and Yettel. All three offer eSIM. Yettel also sells a data-only prepaid eSIM online for visitors, and A1 offers eSIM on its prepaid packs. A regular Bulgarian SIM line with calls has to be registered to your name with an ID document, so for that you'll show your passport. If you'd rather skip the paperwork, you can install a travel eSIM at home before you fly. This guide covers what each Bulgarian provider offers, the ID rules, and how to have data the moment you land.
Just need mobile data in Bulgaria? These data-only Bulgaria eSIMs work across the country and you can install them before your trip.
Data-only plans for Bulgaria · 5 GB, 10 GB or 20 GB · Also visiting Greece, Romania or Turkey? See the Europe eSIMs or all eSIMs for Bulgaria
Which eSIM providers in Bulgaria can you choose from?
Here's what each Bulgarian carrier says about eSIM on its own website, checked in October 2026.
Vivacom eSIM
Vivacom (formerly BTC) says eSIM is available to all current and new customers, on both contract and prepaid plans. Here's how it works:
- New customers: you can choose between a SIM card and an eSIM at no extra charge.
- Setup: you activate the eSIM by scanning a QR code. Keep that QR code: you need it again if you move the eSIM to a new phone.
- New phone: delete the eSIM from the old phone first, then scan the QR code on the new one. An eSIM can't run on two devices at once. iPhone users can also transfer it digitally from one iPhone to another.
Looking for a Vivacom tourist eSIM you can buy online before your trip? We couldn't find one on Vivacom's website. A new Vivacom prepaid line with calls needs to be registered with your ID, like with every Bulgarian carrier (more on that below).
A1 Bulgaria
A1 (formerly Mtel) has offered eSIM on contracts since 2019 and on prepaid since November 2023. It says eSIM works with all its prepaid packs, both starter packs with minutes and data and data-only packs. A1 describes it as a good fit for foreign visitors who want to keep their home number on the same phone.
A1's prepaid mobile internet packs are sold without registration, for an eSIM or a physical SIM. They only work on the A1 network in Bulgaria and don't include SMS. We couldn't find an A1 prepaid eSIM you can buy online from abroad, so plan to pick it up in an A1 store.
Yettel
Yettel (formerly Telenor) sells a prepaid eSIM for tourists on its website. You get the QR code by email and install it yourself. What to know:
- Data only: no calls or SMS.
- Bulgaria only: it doesn't work in roaming, so it stops when you cross into Greece, Romania or Turkey.
- Two packs: one for 30 days and one for 60 days, each with a few days of unlimited data at the start. The validity can't be extended.
- Activation: starts with your first data session in Bulgaria (Yettel eSIM terms).
For a regular Yettel prepaid line with a number, you register the SIM to your name. Yettel lets you do that in a store or in the Yettel app, with a photo of your ID document and a selfie (Yettel: prepaid registration in the app).
Can you get a Bulgarian eSIM as a tourist?
Yes. How easy it is depends on what you need:
- Data only: Yettel's tourist eSIM is sold online, and A1's prepaid data packs are sold without registration. Both work in Bulgaria only.
- A Bulgarian number with calls: Bulgarian law caps prepaid cards with voice service at 10 per person, and each one is registered to a named customer (A1: prepaid packs). Bring your passport to the store. Yettel also lets you register in its app with a digital ID check.
A Bulgarian prepaid eSIM makes sense if you're staying a while, need a Bulgarian (+359) number, or only travel inside Bulgaria. For a holiday, a travel eSIM you buy before you leave skips the store visit and also works if you go on to other countries. Our guide to prepaid SIM cards for Bulgaria has more on local SIM options.
Already have an EU phone plan? Check it first
Bulgaria is in the EU. If your plan is from an EU country, you may not need a new eSIM at all. Under the EU's "Roam like at home" rules, you use your plan in Bulgaria at domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits (Your Europe: Roaming).
Plans from the UK, Turkey, the US, Canada and Israel aren't covered by these rules. Your carrier sets its own roaming prices, so check them before you go. If they're high, a travel eSIM for data is a simple way to avoid roaming charges. Continuing to Serbia? See our guide to eSIM providers in Serbia.
Bulgarian provider or travel eSIM: which fits your trip?
A Bulgarian provider's eSIM is better if
- You live in Bulgaria or stay for several months.
- You need a Bulgarian (+359) number, for example for work, a rental or Bulgarian apps.
- You stay in Bulgaria the whole time and are happy to sort it out after you arrive.
A travel eSIM is easier if
- You're in Bulgaria for a holiday or a few weeks.
- You want data the moment you land in Sofia, Varna or Burgas, with no store visit.
- You also visit Greece, Romania, Turkey or other countries on the same trip.
- You want to keep your home number on your phone for calls and texts.
The SimOptions Bulgaria plans are data-only and you can top them up if you run low. For a trip across several countries, the SimOptions Europe plans cover Bulgaria and 33 other countries, Turkey and Greece included. You call and message with apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime. Here's how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. Still comparing? See our guide to the best eSIMs for Bulgaria.
Need a phone number in Bulgaria?
The SimOptions data plans don't include a Bulgarian number. If you need a number people can call or text, for a hotel, a car rental or a tour pickup, the Bouygues Telecom plans come with a French +33 number. They include unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, so you can call Bulgarian numbers too, and 5G data in 46 countries, Bulgaria included. Learn more in our guide to a Europe eSIM with a phone number.
Travel Basic+ gives you 20 GB for 15 days, which fits most holidays in Bulgaria. Visiting Hungary too? Read about eSIM providers in Hungary.
Install your travel eSIM before you fly
At home, on Wi-Fi
- Check your phone. It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, it supports eSIM. More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Buy your plan. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. Scan the QR code and follow the steps on screen. Our eSIM installation guide walks you through it on iPhone and Android.
- Leave it there. The eSIM connects when you arrive in a covered country, so you don't need to do anything else before you land.
When you land in Bulgaria
- Choose the travel eSIM for mobile data. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). On a Google Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (Google: dual SIMs on Pixel). On a Samsung Galaxy, look under Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
- Turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM. Travel eSIMs usually roam on Bulgarian networks, so data won't work without it.
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad. Keep the home line switched on if you want to receive calls and texts. See the correct roaming settings for an eSIM.
Apple's guide to using eSIM while traveling covers the same steps for iPhone. Going beyond Bulgaria? See all Europe eSIMs, or find your destination.
FAQs
Does Vivacom have eSIM?
Yes. Vivacom says eSIM is available to all current and new customers on contract and prepaid plans. New customers can choose eSIM instead of a SIM card at no extra charge, and you activate it by scanning a QR code.
Can I buy a Vivacom eSIM online as a tourist?
We couldn't find a Vivacom tourist eSIM sold online. A prepaid line with calls has to be registered with your ID. If you want an eSIM you can buy and install before your trip, a travel eSIM or Yettel's online tourist eSIM are simpler.
Does Yettel Bulgaria have a prepaid eSIM?
Yes. Yettel sells a data-only prepaid eSIM on its website, with the QR code sent by email. It works in Bulgaria only, without roaming, and has no calls or SMS.
Does A1 Bulgaria offer eSIM on prepaid?
Yes. A1 says eSIM works with all its prepaid packs, including data-only packs, which are sold without registration. Its prepaid data packs work on the A1 network in Bulgaria only.
Do I need a passport for a SIM card in Bulgaria?
For a prepaid card with calls, yes. Each one is registered to a named customer, so bring your passport. Data-only packs such as A1's prepaid mobile internet are sold without registration.
Can I use my own phone plan in Bulgaria?
If your plan is from an EU country, "Roam like at home" lets you use it in Bulgaria at domestic prices, within fair use limits. UK, Turkish, US and Canadian plans follow their carrier's own roaming prices.
Do I get a Bulgarian number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions data plans. The Bouygues Telecom plans come with a French +33 number that works for calls and texts in Bulgaria and the rest of Europe.
