The best eSIM for Portugal depends on your trip. If you only visit Portugal, a Portugal data plan sized to your stay is the simplest choice. If you also travel to Spain 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 Portugal sold on SimOptions by trip length, data, coverage and phone number, using the current plan details on our Portugal eSIM page. It also covers the tourist eSIMs from Portuguese carriers and other travel eSIM providers.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Portugal, two weeks in Portugal, and two weeks with a phone number.
Portugal 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Portugal 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Portugal
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Portugal
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs for Portugal. Here is how they compare.
Portugal 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: Portugal only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- 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 Portugal, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Andorra, 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 Portugal 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): Portugal 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a long weekend in Lisbon or a week between Porto and the Douro Valley, a small Portugal 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 Portugal: Portugal 20GB or Travel Basic
For a two-week holiday, from Lisbon and Sintra down to the Algarve, you have two data-only options with 15 days of validity.
- Portugal 20GB gives you 20 GB in Portugal, 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 Spain or elsewhere in Europe. It can't be topped up.
A month or a long stay: Portugal 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Staying longer, working remotely from Lisbon or spending the winter in the Algarve? Portugal 50GB lasts 30 days. Portugal 60GB lasts 90 days and Portugal 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
Data-only Portugal plans · 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days, 100 GB for 180 days · See all eSIMs for Portugal
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Portugal 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 Portugal 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, Portuguese 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 Portugal and 45 other countries in Europe · See all eSIMs for Portugal
Portugal and Spain, or a longer Europe trip: a Bouygues Telecom plan
Driving on to Seville, taking the train to Madrid or flying on to Paris? A Portugal plan only works in Portugal. The Bouygues Telecom plans cover 46 countries, including Portugal and Spain, so one eSIM works for the whole trip. Our guides to the best eSIM for Spain and the best eSIM for Europe compare more options, and our guide on how to use an eSIM in Europe explains how one eSIM works across borders.
Portugal eSIM coverage: mainland, Madeira and the Azores
Here is what the plan details on our Portugal eSIM page say about coverage:
- Mainland Portugal: the Portugal data plans list one country, Portugal. The Bouygues Telecom plans list Portugal among their 46 countries.
- Madeira and the Azores: both are part of Portugal, but the Portugal plans' coverage list doesn't name the islands. If your trip includes them, check coverage with our support team before you buy. Our Madeira and Azores eSIM pages list the Bouygues Telecom plans with a French number.
- Speed: the Portugal plans support 4G and 5G, and the Bouygues Telecom plans support 5G. You get 5G where the local network offers it and your phone supports it, and 4G elsewhere.
Like any mobile network, coverage can be weaker in remote mountain areas and on hiking trails, so download offline maps before you head out.
Other eSIM options for Portugal
Tourist eSIMs from Portuguese carriers
Portugal has four mobile operators: MEO, NOS, Vodafone and DIGI. Three of them sell offers for visitors:
- MEO sells prepaid travel eSIMs online for Portugal, including Madeira and the Azores, or for Portugal and other European countries. They can't be recharged (MEO: eSIM Enjoy Portugal and Europe).
- Vodafone sells a travel eSIM online with data for Portugal only or for Portugal and Europe. It has no minutes or texts (Vodafone: eSIM Vodafone Travel).
- NOS sells prepaid plans for visitors in its stores, at points of sale in airports and online as an eSIM (NOS: visiting Portugal, in Portuguese).
A local line makes sense if you stay for months or need a Portuguese +351 number. Our guide to the best prepaid SIM card for Portugal covers each carrier's tourist offers and what you need to buy one, and our list of eSIM providers in Portugal shows more options.
Other travel eSIM providers
International travel eSIM brands such as Airalo and Holafly also sell Portugal eSIMs. According to their own Portugal pages, Airalo offers fixed and unlimited data plans from 3 to 30 days, with top-ups. Holafly sells data-only plans with unlimited data, by the day, with a daily limit on hotspot sharing. When you compare, look at the same things: data and days, top-ups, hotspot rules, coverage of the places you visit, and whether you need a phone number.
How much data do you need in Portugal?
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 Portugal?
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 Portugal 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, the UK, Canada 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 Portugal, 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 Portugal
- 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 "Portugal" 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: 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 land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes. Still planning your route? Our Portugal holiday guide has ideas for Lisbon, Porto and beyond.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Portugal?
It depends on your trip. For a week in Portugal, Portugal 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Portugal 20GB, or Travel Basic if you also visit other countries. For a long stay, Portugal 60GB or 100GB. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
What are the best eSIM options for traveling to Portugal?
You have three kinds: a travel eSIM for Portugal or Europe that you buy online before you go, a tourist eSIM from a Portuguese carrier such as MEO, NOS or Vodafone, or your own plan's roaming. Travel eSIMs are the easiest for short trips, local lines suit long stays, and roaming is worth checking first if your plan is from the EU.
Are there tourist-friendly eSIMs in Portugal?
Yes. MEO, NOS and Vodafone sell eSIMs for visitors online, and you can buy a Portugal eSIM from us before you travel. All of them install from a QR code, so you don't need to visit a shop.
What is the best eSIM for Portugal and Spain?
A Bouygues Telecom plan. Travel Basic, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM cover Portugal, Spain, France and 43 other countries with one eSIM. The Portugal plans only work in Portugal.
Does a Portugal eSIM work in Madeira and the Azores?
Madeira and the Azores are part of Portugal, but our Portugal plans' coverage list doesn't name them, so check with our support team before you buy. Our Madeira and Azores eSIM pages list the Bouygues Telecom plans.
Can I get a Portuguese phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. The Portugal plans are data only. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number that you can use to call and text Portuguese numbers. For a +351 number, you need a line from a Portuguese carrier.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Portugal?
The smallest plan, Portugal 1GB for 3 days, is the cheapest one on our Portugal 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 use my phone as a hotspot in Portugal?
Yes. Our Portugal eSIM page says hotspot is allowed. Keep in mind that a laptop uses much more data than a phone.
Can I top up my Portugal eSIM?
The Portugal 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.