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May 14, 2025

Best International SIM Cards

Written by Valeria

If you’re gearing up for some international travel this year, put choosing an international phone plan on your to-do list. Domestic phone providers’ data roaming rates can get real expensive real fast. If you’re looking for the best options for getting affordable, reliable data service while visiting another country, international SIM cards are your answer.  

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Summary: Best International SIM Cards

Category Provider Countries Supported Price*
Best Overall
Airalo
Airalo
200+ Starting at $6.50/7 days
Best For Unlimited Data
Orange
Orange
100+ $48.99/30 days
Best for International Roaming
Google Fi Wireless
Google Fi Wireless
200+ $65/month
Best Budget
Jetpac
Jetpac
200+ Starting at $1/4 days
Best for a Short Trip
Maya
Maya
200+ Starting at $2.52/day

*For the sake of comparison, we chose Spain as a destination for all SIM cards.

Best Overall International SIM Card

Airalo
Price Starting at $6.50/7 days
Data 1GB – Unlimited
Our Take Airalo offers similar services to other international SIM card providers, but it has an edge when it comes to how easy and intuitive its selection and activation processes are. You can download its app to be able to top up data, purchase a SIM for a different region, or check how much data you have left.
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Affordable.
  • Broad coverage.
  • eSIM support for instant activation.
Cons:
  • Doesn't offer plans shorter than 7 days.
  • No physical SIM option if you don't have a phone that supports eSIM.

Best International SIM Card for Unlimited Data

Orange
Price $48.99/30 days
Data 100GB
Our Take Unlimited international plans are rarer than domestic ones. This is the best option for data with a high-enough limit that it would count as unlimited during your stay.
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • High data limits.
  • Offers physical SIM cards as well, at a 30GB limit.
Cons:
  • Offerings for different data packages and durations are more limited.

Best SIM Card with International Roaming

Google Fi Wireless
Price $65/month
Data 100GB
Our Take Google Fi Wireless’ coverage internationally is included in its Unlimited Premium plan, allowing you to use your allotted 100GB anywhere you go without racking up any extra charges. The ease of not having to purchase a separate package or SIM card is also unmatched.
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Doesn't require separate purchase and activation of a SIM card or plan.
  • Comes with 6 months of YouTube Premium.
  • High data limit.
Cons:
  • Google Fi's domestic coverage may not be great in your area.

Best Budget International SIM Card

Jetpac
Price Starting at $1/4 days
Data 1GB – Unlimited
Our Take Jetpac is a great option for the budget-conscious, as it has various options for data less than $10 that are perfectly usable (you won’t run out of data on the first day).
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Affordable with a good range of options.
  • Broad range of destinations.
Cons:
  • Does not support physical SIM cards, only eSIM.

Best International SIM Card for a Short Trip

Maya
Price Starting at $2.52/day
Data 3GB – 40GB
Our Take Maya is a great solution for those who may need to pay for a period shorter than 7 days (average package). You can choose to pay by the day or purchase a package that starts at 5 days.
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Flexible.
  • Allows you to pay by the day.
  • Can filter for the best package based on your exact travel dates.
Cons:
  • Does not support physical SIM cards, only eSIM.

Methodology: How We Picked the Best International SIM Cards

With the introduction of eSIMs, international SIM card providers have been popping up everywhere, as it’s easier than ever to get users activated quickly when they land in a new country (or even beforehand). It’s advantageous for shoppers because it presents more choices than ever before, but that means it can be overwhelming to find the right one for your travel plans. When selecting the best international SIMs, we focused on three main criteria:  

  • Affordability. We know that international roaming can get very expensive very quickly, so we only looked for options that would be more affordable than adding on a roaming package from your own provider.  

  • Ease of purchase and activation. The last thing you want to worry about when landing is finding a store where you can pick up a SIM card and activate, so we focused on providers that made purchase, activation, and management/customer support easy.  

  • Reliability. We looked at real customer reviews and cross-checked the network partners each provider works with to determine the ones that won’t leave you hanging.  

Each of these factors are considered with their own weight, leading to a score that helps us determine the best picks.  

Beginner's Guide to International SIM Cards

What is an International SIM Card?

Like any other SIM card, an international SIM card is what connects your phone to the local network in the country you’re visiting, granting you access to data to use for apps and services away from Wi-Fi. It also alleviates the need to swap out your SIM card each time you cross a border.  

Types of International SIM Cards

Most international SIM cards are prepaid SIM cards, where you pay for service upfront. It’s rarer to find a postpaid international SIM card; those are better for extended periods of travel (more than one month).  

Regardless of form of payment, the most common types of international SIM cards are: 

  • Global SIM cards. These cards have worldwide coverage and allow you to travel both across countries and continents easily without having to swap out your SIM or change your phone plan.  

  • Regional SIM cards. These cards have broad coverage across a specific region (e.g. Europe) that will allow you to cross borders within that region without having to swap out your SIM or change your plan.  

  • Local SIM cards. These cards have coverage specifically for one country (e.g. Spain) that will allow you to travel within that country comfortably but will require you to swap out your SIM card if you were to cross borders.  

What are the Advantages of an International SIM Card?

There are many advantages to using an international SIM card, including:  

  • Avoiding expensive roaming fees from your own local provider.  

  • Connecting to the best network(s) in the country you’re visiting automatically without having to research which local provider you should pick up a SIM card from. 

  • Easy and seamless activation either before or right when you land.  

What are the Disadvantages of an International SIM Card?

While international SIM cards are a great hack for travel, they do also come with some disadvantages, including:  

  • You may experience inconsistent network speeds, as international SIM card providers rely on roaming agreements, and coverage may vary by country or city.  

  • Requires an unlocked phone. If your phone is locked to a carrier, you won’t be able to use an international SIM card at all.  

  • Most providers omit a local phone number, only providing data, so you would be required to find another alternative, like a virtual number. 

TextNow Tip: A TextNow phone number will work like a local U.S or Canada number anywhere in the world, due to its virtual nature. This means that you can still text and call friends and family back home without either of you racking up any extra charges.  

Where Can You Buy an International SIM Card?

Most international SIM cards will be offered by online retailers, as the most common type of a SIM card is an eSIM, which does not require any kind of physical packaging. You might also find select international SIM cards available at airports (in vending machines, no less!), or in rare cases, in Best Buy or 7-Eleven.  

How to Pick Out the Best International SIM Card

The best international SIM card is quick and easy to install/activate, requires minimal to no customer support, and connects you to the network you need at a reasonable price. There are, however, necessary technical factors you should consider first, to ensure that you’re ready to go straight out the (airport) gate: 

  1. Find out if your phone is eSIM compatible or can only take a physical SIM card. While eSIM activations are significantly easier for travel, not all phones support them. Figure out if your phone can support an eSIM (confirmed on the manufacturer website), as it will narrow down your choices of international SIM cards.   

  1. Determine if your phone is dual-SIM compatible. While it’s not necessary, it does make activating an international SIM card significantly easier if your phone has a dual-SIM capacity. If it doesn’t, then you will need to temporarily disconnect your existing local SIM card to activate the international one while you’re travelling.  

  1. Know the difference between a regional SIM card and a local SIM card. If you’re only visiting one country, then search for a SIM card that will cover that country specifically. If you’re visiting multiple countries in a specific region, such as Spain and France, or Thailand and Vietnam, then you’ll find more value in a regional international SIM card that will cover all of Europe or Asia.  

  1. Find out how much data you need, and for how long. Before you start shopping around, you can calculate how much data you’ll need based on the amount of time you’ll be traveling. Unlimited data for international SIM cards is not the default option (and frankly, not necessary most of the time).  

  1. Set your budget. Thankfully, international SIM cards are the more affordable option in comparison to data roaming through your own carrier. Based on your travel budget, you can look for options that will still leave you enough left over to enjoy that delicious local treat every morning!  

How to Activate an International SIM Card

The process, though similar to any other SIM card, will vary slightly based on the type of SIM card you get, so we broke it down by the two options.  

Activating a physical international SIM card:  

  1. With your phone turned off (or in Airplane Mode), locate the SIM card tray in your phone and remove it with a SIM ejector tool (an opened paperclip or the post of an earring will also work).  

  2. Insert the SIM card into the tray correctly and put it back in the phone.    

  3. Power your phone on and wait for it to detect the SIM.    

  4. If it prompts for a PIN, or to dial a specific code, complete those steps.   

  5. Wait for the phone to connect to a network (check for signal bars). 

If you run into any issues with your activation, contact the carrier directly for further support.    

Activating an international eSIM:  

  1. Once you make a purchase, the carrier will provide you with either a QR code to scan or a link to click on to activate the eSIM.  

  2. Scan the QR code using the mobile device with which you want to use the eSIM.  
     iPhone:  
    - Go to Settings –> Cellular –> Add eSIM 
    - Scan the QR code or enter the activation information manually.  
      Android:  
    - Go to Settings –> Network & Internet –> SIMs –> Add eSIM  
    - Scan the QR code or use activation details.  

  3. After scanning the QR code, your mobile device will ask you to select or manually insert information. After you complete all the steps, you will activate the eSIM successfully. 

  4. In your settings, you can then set that eSIM as the “primary” for your cellular connection (if you have a dual-SIM phone).  

>> Read More: How to activate a SIM card.
How to reset a SIM card.

Frequently Asked Questions About International SIM Cards

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