SIM or eSIM for Portugal – Internet and Phone Communication Guide

Portugal has three leading mobile network providers:

MEO
Vodafone
NOS

Mobile coverage in Portugal is generally very good, with all three major networks offering 3G, 4G, 5G, and 2G coverage. If your trip includes rural or remote areas, though, coverage may be more limited.

The image below shows MEO’s coverage areas, where purple represents 5G, red is 4G, orange is 3G, and blue is 2G:
(In the major cities of Porto and Lisbon, you can see the higher concentration, which is why coverage is better there.)

It’s worth checking the coverage maps from your chosen mobile provider to see the signal strength in the areas you plan to visit.

Which SIM or eSIM plan works well in Portugal?

In general, any SIM that supports more than one network will give you coverage in almost every part of Portugal. Outside the cities, it’s especially important to have access to more than one network, since not every provider has coverage in those areas. That’s why an eSIM that supports two or three networks is usually the better choice.
If you’d rather not pay a fortune to your country of origin mobile provider or deal with buying a local SIM, you can get a good SIM for Portugal before you leave home.

If your phone supports eSIM (a virtual / digital SIM) >> click here for strong, good-value eSIM plans we’ve personally tested…

If you want a regular SIM >> here’s a comparison of several SIM cards…

Internet access and phone calls in Portugal – important to know

To stay connected, make phone calls, and of course use fast mobile internet, it’s best to have a strong mobile plan or SIM / eSIM that can connect to several networks!

So where’s the problem? Most SIM cards and virtual SIMs (eSIM) sold in most countries and abroad, connect to just one network.

Most buyers don’t realize that, get tempted by very cheap plans or a simple local SIM, and then find themselves with no cellular service at the apartment or hotel, while driving, or when visiting attractions and really needing internet access.
No matter how many times you contact support (if they even answer you in another language), if the SIM doesn’t support the cellular network available in that area, there’s nothing they can do. Customer service may tell you that “there’s no cellular coverage in the area,” but in many cases that’s simply not true — the SIM just can’t connect to that specific network.

Local SIM in Portugal – extra caution needed

Local SIM cards usually belong to one of these networks: MEO, Vodafone, or NOS, so they will connect to only one mobile network, or to other networks in a very limited way.

On top of that, you can’t always know in advance where a SIM card will be available, what it will cost, which plan it includes, or how to activate it.
We recommend a local SIM only for travelers who visit the same destination very often and already know it inside out — and even then, only as a backup SIM / secondary SIM for children.

If you still decide to buy a local SIM, you can usually get one on your way out of the airport or at mobile provider stores around the city.

6 tips to sum up:

Buy an eSIM plan or SIM card that guarantees access to multiple networks.
Browsing on a phone in Portugal
Choose a SIM that also allows phone calls, both local and back home. Better to have it just in case.
Buy enough data. Average daily usage is about 300 MB, and some people use even twice that, so for 10 days you’ll need 3GB (before sharing with family members and any unexpected overages… it’s better to buy double).
Buy several cards / plans, so other family members can also browse and stay in touch with one another.
Install and set up everything you need in advance, while you’re still at home, so you can make sure it’s all clear. Then check it again when you land.
If your SIM provider gave you a local country of origin number, consider forwarding calls from your country of origin phone to it, so your calls will be routed to your SIM while you’re in Greece.