All the main mobile carriers in Spain offer eSIM: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, the other MasOrange brands such as Yoigo, MásMóvil and Pepephone, and Digi. The catch for visitors is that most of these eSIMs are made for customers with a Spanish plan. As a tourist, you can buy a Vodafone prepaid eSIM online, get a Movistar prepaid eSIM in a Movistar store, or install a travel eSIM before you fly. This guide covers what each Spanish provider offers, the ID rules for prepaid lines, and when a travel eSIM is the simpler choice.
Just need mobile data in Spain? These data-only Europe eSIMs work in Spain and you can install them at home, before your trip.
Data-only plans for Spain and 33 other countries in Europe · 10 GB, 20 GB or 50 GB · See all eSIMs for Spain
Which mobile providers in Spain offer eSIM?
Here are the Spanish carriers you'll come across, and what they say about eSIM on their own websites.
Movistar
Movistar is Telefónica's mobile brand in Spain. Its eSIM is free with a new mobile line, and contract customers can request one in the Mi Movistar app or their online account. Movistar also says its eSIM works with prepaid (prepago) plans, but you have to get the eSIM QR code in a Movistar store.
Looking for Movistar's eSIM info in English? Its eSIM and prepaid pages are in Spanish, so your browser's translate feature helps. To check your phone first, dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM.
Vodafone Spain
Vodafone sells its prepaid plans as a SIM card or an eSIM, and you can order online. Each prepaid plan has a Spanish number, calls and data, and the page has a "See in English" version. Vodafone also sells a data-only eSIM for travellers to Spain and the EU, called Vodafone DataOnly. It has no phone number or calls.
Orange Spain and the MasOrange brands
Orange Spain is part of MasOrange, the group behind brands such as Yoigo, MásMóvil, Pepephone, Simyo, Lebara and Llamaya. Orange Spain's general terms say a SIM can be a physical card or an eSIM, downloaded to a compatible phone. Ask the brand you're interested in whether eSIM is available on the plan you want, especially if it's prepaid.
Pepephone
Pepephone offers a free eSIM with any of its mobile plans. You ask for it when you sign up. If you're already a customer, you request it by phone. Pepephone emails you a QR code with a PIN code. Each QR code works only once, so if you move the eSIM to another phone or reinstall it, you need a new code.
Which network does Pepephone use? Older guides say Movistar, but Pepephone is now a MasOrange brand, so that may be out of date. Check Pepephone's coverage map for the places you'll be.
Digi
Digi offers a free eSIM on its contract (contrato) mobile lines. New customers ask for it when they sign up. Existing customers request it in Mi DIGI and upload a photo of their ID. Digi's eSIM page doesn't mention prepaid lines.
Can you get a Spanish eSIM as a tourist?
Yes, but plan for the paperwork. Spanish law says carriers that sell prepaid lines must keep a register of their customers' identity, based on an ID document (Ley 25/2007, BOE). In practice:
- Bring ID. As a visitor, that usually means your passport.
- Movistar prepaid: the eSIM QR code is only available in a Movistar store.
- Vodafone prepaid: you can order the eSIM online. The ID rules for prepaid lines still apply.
- Digi: its eSIM is only for contract lines, which suit people living in Spain more than short trips.
A Spanish prepaid eSIM makes sense if you stay a while, need a Spanish number, or want lots of data at local prices. For a holiday, a travel eSIM you buy before you leave skips the store visit and the ID check on arrival. Our guide to prepaid SIM cards for Spain has more on local SIM options.
Already have an EU phone plan? Check it first
If your plan is from an EU country, you may not need a new eSIM. Under the EU's "Roam like at home" rules, you can use your plan in Spain at domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits. The rules cover the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova (European Commission: Roaming).
UK plans aren't covered by these rules since Brexit, and neither are plans from the US, Canada or other countries outside the EU. 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.
Spanish provider or travel eSIM: which fits your trip?
A Spanish provider's eSIM is better if
- You live in Spain or stay for several months.
- You need a Spanish (+34) number, for example for a rental, a job or Spanish apps.
- You're happy to show your passport and, for Movistar prepaid, visit a store.
A travel eSIM is easier if
- You're in Spain for a holiday or a few weeks.
- You want to be online the moment you land, with no store visit.
- You also visit other countries in Europe on the same trip.
- You want to keep your home number on your phone for calls and texts.
The SimOptions Europe data plans cover Spain and 33 other countries, and you can top them up if you run low. They're data-only, so 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 eSIM for Europe.
Need a phone number in Spain?
The SimOptions plans don't include a Spanish number. If you need a number that people in Spain can call or text, for a hotel, a rental car or a tour guide, the Bouygues Telecom plans come with a French +33 number. They include unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, so you can call Spanish numbers too, and 5G data in 46 countries, Spain 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 Spain.
How to set up a travel eSIM for Spain
- 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 before you fly. The eSIM connects when you arrive in a covered country.
- When you land in Spain, choose the travel eSIM as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it.
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad. See the correct roaming settings for an eSIM.
On iPhone, you pick the data line in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data (Apple: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM). On Android, look for the SIM settings under Settings > Network & internet or Connections, depending on your phone.
Going beyond Spain? See all Europe eSIMs, or find your destination. Heading to Mexico next? See eSIM providers in Mexico and which one to pick.
FAQs
Which mobile providers in Spain offer eSIM?
Movistar, Vodafone, Orange and the other MasOrange brands (such as Yoigo, MásMóvil and Pepephone), and Digi all offer eSIM. Most of them offer it with a Spanish contract or prepaid plan, not as a stand-alone tourist product.
Does Pepephone have eSIM?
Yes. Pepephone's eSIM is free with any of its mobile plans. You ask for it when you sign up, or by phone if you're already a customer. The QR code works once, so you need a new one to reinstall the eSIM.
Which network does Pepephone use in Spain?
Pepephone is a MasOrange brand. Older articles say it uses the Movistar network, which may be out of date. Check Pepephone's coverage map for your area.
Can I get a Movistar eSIM as a tourist?
Movistar says its eSIM works with prepaid plans, but you need to get the eSIM QR code in a Movistar store. Bring your passport. Movistar's eSIM pages are in Spanish, so your browser's translate feature helps.
Do I need a passport for a prepaid eSIM in Spain?
You need an ID document. Spanish law requires carriers to record the identity of every prepaid customer. For visitors, that's usually a passport.
Can I use my own phone plan in Spain?
If your plan is from an EU country, "Roam like at home" lets you use it in Spain at domestic prices, within fair use limits. UK, US and other non-EU plans follow their carrier's own roaming prices.
Do I get a Spanish number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. The Europe data plans have no number. The Bouygues Telecom plans come with a French +33 number that works for calls and texts in Spain and the rest of Europe.
