Which companies offer eSIM in Portugal? The three big mobile networks, MEO, NOS and Vodafone Portugal, all do. Apple lists all three for eSIM on iPhone. They are a good fit if you live in Portugal or need a Portuguese number. If you're visiting, a travel eSIM is usually simpler: you buy it online, install it before you fly and it connects when you land. This guide covers each carrier's eSIM, what they offer visitors, and how Portugal travel eSIMs compare.
Just visiting? These eSIMs are data only, so you keep your home number for WhatsApp, calls and texts. Here are three plans for a week, two weeks, and two weeks with a French phone number.
Portugal 10GB (7 days) · Portugal 20GB (15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 46 countries) · See all Portugal eSIMs · All destinations
eSIM providers in Portugal at a glance
Apple's list of carriers that support eSIM on iPhone includes MEO, NOS and Vodafone for Portugal. All three are listed for eSIM Quick Transfer, for activation by QR code or carrier app, and for prepaid plans for international travelers (Apple: carriers that offer eSIM service on iPhone). Here is how the options compare:
- MEO: sells a prepaid tourist eSIM called Enjoy Portugal & Europe, online.
- NOS: sells Travel eSIM plans with data, minutes and SMS, signed up online.
- Vodafone Portugal: sells data-only Portugal and Portugal & Europe eSIMs online.
- Travel eSIMs: sold online by providers like SimOptions. Data only (or with a French number on some plans), no Portuguese sign-up form, ready before you leave.
Apple's list doesn't include Telefónica, so it isn't one of the Portuguese networks Apple lists for eSIM. Want a comparison by trip length instead? See our guide to the best eSIM for Portugal.
MEO eSIM
MEO has a tourist eSIM, the MEO eSIM Enjoy Portugal & Europe. According to MEO's blog:
- Coverage: Portugal, Madeira, the Azores and more than 30 European countries, with no roaming fees.
- Works next to your home SIM: you keep your home number for calls and texts, and the eSIM gives you data. Hotspot is supported.
- How to get it: choose a plan on the MEO website, get the QR code by email and scan it. You need an internet connection to activate it.
- No top-ups: MEO says you can't recharge these plans. When the data or the days run out, you buy a new eSIM.
MEO also has eSIM for its regular plans (see MEO's eSIM page). Plan sizes and prices change, so check them on MEO's site before you buy.
NOS eSIM
NOS has a travel offer for visitors. According to NOS's travel page:
- Plans: Travel 15GB for 7 days, plus Travel Unlimited for 15 days and for 30 days. The unlimited plans come with a set amount of data you can use in the EU.
- Calls and SMS: all plans include 3,500 minutes/SMS, and 5G.
- Coverage: Portugal and the EU, plus the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
- Sign-up: online, with a form for your personal details and a Portuguese address. Worth knowing if you don't have one.
- Top-ups: NOS says plans don't renew by themselves and expire at the end of their validity. For more data, you buy a new Travel SIM.
NOS also has prepaid plans with online eSIM sign-up. NOS says that with an eSIM you can start in a few minutes (NOS: visiting Portugal). To check that your phone supports eSIM, NOS says to dial *#06#: if an EID shows up, it does.
Vodafone Portugal eSIM
Vodafone Portugal sells eSIMs for visitors on its eSIM Portugal page. According to Vodafone:
- Plans: a Portugal-only plan with no roaming, and Portugal & Europe plans that include data in the EEA and the UK. The EEA covers the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The page lists different data amounts for the Europe plans in the plan cards and in the FAQ, so check the amount on the plan you pick.
- Data only: the plans don't include SMS or minutes.
- Buy online: you get the eSIM by email within minutes. You can also buy a physical SIM at a Vodafone store.
- Install: use the link in the email, scan the QR code or enter the codes by hand, then turn on Data Roaming for the eSIM.
- When the plan starts: the validity starts when the eSIM is activated, and Vodafone suggests installing it once you've arrived.
- Phones: Vodafone says it works on any eSIM device, unlocked or locked to Vodafone.
EU roaming in Portugal
If your SIM comes from an EU country, you generally pay your domestic rates when you travel to Portugal. Your operator can apply fair use limits on data (Your Europe: roaming in the EU). Check your operator's terms before you buy anything else.
If your SIM is from the US, the UK, Canada or Australia, those rules don't apply and your own operator sets the prices. That's where a travel eSIM helps. More in our guide to roaming settings for an eSIM. Continuing to Ireland? Read about eSIM providers in Ireland: Three, Vodafone, Eir, Sky and travel eSIMs.
Portugal travel eSIM: data without a local sign-up
A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy online. You get a QR code by email, install it on Wi-Fi before you leave, and it connects when you arrive. Here is what the SimOptions plans include, according to their plan details on our Portugal eSIM page:
- Portugal plans: from 1 GB for 3 days up to 100 GB for 180 days. Data only, 4G and 5G, and you can top them up.
- Europe plans: the Bouygues Telecom plans cover 46 countries, including Portugal and Spain. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. They can't be topped up.
- Activation: once installed, the eSIM activates automatically when you reach a covered country.
- No local paperwork: you don't fill in a Portuguese address or visit a store.
Heading to Madeira or the Azores? Check the plans on our Madeira and Azores pages first. Going on to Spain? Our guide to eSIM providers in Spain covers that side, and the Europe eSIMs work across borders.
Data only means no phone number. You can still call and text with apps. See how to make phone calls with a data-only eSIM, or Europe eSIMs with a phone number if you need one.
Local eSIM or travel eSIM: which one is right for you?
A MEO, NOS or Vodafone eSIM fits if
- You live in Portugal or stay for several months.
- You need a Portuguese number, for example for local services.
- You're happy to fill in the carrier's sign-up form and your phone works with it.
A travel eSIM fits if
- You're on a short trip and want data the moment you land.
- You'd rather skip the local sign-up and the store.
- You want to keep your home number active at the same time. See how to set up a dual eSIM.
How to set up a Portugal eSIM
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, your phone supports eSIM. More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Buy your plan and wait for the QR code by email.
- Install it on Wi-Fi. On iPhone, open the Camera app, scan the QR code and tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone). Step by step for iPhone and Android: how to install an eSIM.
- Label the line "Portugal" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, make the eSIM your data line and turn on data roaming for it.
Not connecting? Go through our eSIM activation fixes.
FAQs
Who provides local eSIM services in Portugal?
MEO, NOS and Vodafone Portugal. Apple lists all three for eSIM on iPhone, activated by QR code or carrier app.
Is there a flexible prepaid eSIM for a short stay in Portugal?
Yes. MEO, NOS and Vodafone each sell tourist or prepaid eSIMs, and travel eSIMs like the SimOptions Portugal plans start at 3 days. Pick the data and days that match your stay.
Does MEO have an eSIM for tourists?
Yes. MEO sells the Enjoy Portugal & Europe eSIM online. MEO says you can't recharge it, so you buy a new eSIM when the data or days run out.
Does NOS offer an eSIM for visitors?
Yes. NOS has Travel eSIM plans with data, minutes and SMS. Its sign-up form asks for a Portuguese address.
Does Vodafone Portugal include calls with its eSIM?
Not on its visitor eSIMs. Vodafone says they don't include SMS or minutes, so they are data only.
Can I use a Portugal eSIM in Madeira and the Azores?
MEO says its Enjoy Portugal & Europe eSIM covers Madeira and the Azores. For SimOptions plans, check our Madeira and Azores pages.
Do I get a Portuguese phone number with a travel eSIM?
No. The SimOptions Portugal plans are data only. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM give you a French +33 number with calls and SMS within Europe.
Can I use my EU SIM in Portugal without roaming fees?
Generally yes, you pay your domestic rates, but your operator can apply fair use limits. Check its terms.
