
Get exclusive tech offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Portugal set a national record for overseas visitors in 2015 with more than 10 million tourists. If you’re planning a vacation to Portugal, a great way to save money abroad is to invest in a prepaid SIM card to handle your local texts and calls, along with securing an economic data bundle.
There are three major providers in Portugal:
MEO is the current market leader. Its 4G/LTE network was launched in 2012 for all networks on 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600 MHz. You can get a starter card plus 1GB of data for EUR19.99 (about AUD$30).
MEO is owned by the Dutch company Altice Group and is an ideal fit for prepaid customers because it gives them 4G/LTE coverage without a surcharge. You can buy a SIM card at any MEO store or at the national chain Phone House. The MEO starter pack costs EUR9.99 and comes with EUR5 of credit. If you have the physical address of the place you’ll be staying in Portugal, such as a hotel or relative’s house, you can buy the card online and have it shipped to your location. Top-ups are available at many shops such as Payshop, The Phone Shop and more.
There are two available combo plans that combine voice, texts and data on a weekly rate. They are:
There are three data bundles that can be added to the new combo plans.
200MB | EUR2.80 |
1GB | EUR3.30 |
3GB | EUR4.00 |
If you don’t get the combo packages, data is also available in monthly bundles for 4G/LTE at the following rates.
250MB | EUR5.99 |
500MB | EUR6.99 |
1GB | EUR9.99 |
5GB | EUR14.99 |
You can subscribe by texting the name of package you want to 12399. To check on your current credit, dial #123*. If a pack runs out, it defaults to the standard rate of EUR1.99 per 250MB per day.
There are also data bundles for social media and streaming content up to 10GB per month for EUR6.99. These include:
You can check your balance on these plans by dialling #124#.
APN: internet
Website (in Portuguese): http://www.meo.pt/
According to a network testing, Vodafone has the best coverage and speeds in Portugal on both 3G and 4G. Prepaid customers are allowed on the 4G network. Its SIM cards are purchased at Vodafone stores, with reloads available at Payshop and similar outlets.
There are five prepaid cards: Easy, Up, World, Directo and Yorn. Yorn is for people 25 years and younger who are students. Easy and Directo do not have any data on them. So the best package for tourists is Up, which is available in the following four call, text and data bundles:
Cost | Data | Calls | Texts | Extras |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUR11.99 | 200MB | Free domestic | Free domestic | n/a |
EUR13.99 | 1GB | Free domestic | Free domestic | n/a |
EUR17.49 | 3GB | Free domestic | Free domestic | n/a |
EUR20.49 | 3GB | Free domestic | Free domestic | 20GB for social media and messenger apps |
The World plan lowers your fees for international calls and gives you 500MB of data a month for EUR12.99.
Vodafone’s data bundles are called Aditivos and can be added to any prepaid voice/data line on 4G/LTE up to 300Mbps. Subscribe by texting INTERNET <size of package not including MB or GB> to 1277. For example, for a package of 500MB you would text INTERNET 500 to 1277.
The bundles are:
250MB | EUR5.49 |
500MB | EUR7.49 |
1GB | EUR10.49 |
2GB | EUR14.99 |
5GB | EUR20.49 (includes Spotify Premium) |
APN: internet.vodafone.pt or net2.vodfaone.pt or vas.vodafone.pt
Website (Portugese only): http://www.vodafone.pt
NOS is the smallest network, but it still runs on 4G/LTE. Its SIMs are available at its stores and can be topped up at outlets like Payshop.
Its basic plan is called Livre and its starter package is available for EUR2.50. The first three top-ups earn you a bonus of EUR5 apiece.
There are three monthly Internet bundles available:
250MB | EUR3.99 |
500MB | EUR6.99 |
1GB | EUR9.99 |
To activate a plan, dial 12300. The packages will renew after 30 days, so make sure to cancel your plan when you leave Portugal. If you want to check your data volume, dial *111#.
NOS sells data-only SIM cards called Kanguru Livre that cost EUR2.50 and include a 24-hour period with unlimited Internet. After that first 24 hours, there are two available plans:
The unlimited data plan comes with the catch that NOS reserves the right to throttle the amount of data you use, but it does not have a set limit. There are top-ups available for both Livre S and Livre XL from EUR5 to EUR30 as seen below.
APN: umts or internet
Website (in Portuguese): http://www.nos.pt
In addition to the traditional physical operators, there are two other options to secure a SIM card while you are visiting Portugal.
For these plans, you can check your balance by dialling *137#.
TripAdvisor has a community bulletin board that specialises in Portugal travel. Here are a few tips on Portugal SIM cards from visitors to the country.
“There are three mobile operators in Portugal, and they charge more or less the same for a prepaid SIM unless there is some special promotion. It's really not worth wearing out shoe leather to save perhaps a few cents, so go to the first shop you see and ask.”
Portugal has multiple providers on the 4G/LTE network, as well as alternate options for getting the data bundles you need. Here’s a look at some of the highs and lows of those plans.
Flexiroam provides affordable international data plans without the hassle of switching SIM cards.
Save yourself from steep roaming costs with SimCorner's prepaid international SIM cards.
Two 4G/LTE networks offer coverage in the major cities of Tajikistan.
A host of competitive network operators offer great coverage in Sweden’s big cities and most rural regions.
Multiple mobile network operators and MVNOs give lots of data options for tourists visiting Switzerland.
Two mobile network providers offer adequate coverage inside Suriname’s major cities.
A pair of telco providers offer 2G and 3G speeds in the Solomon Islands.
Myanmar telcos offer many SIM card options, but growing pains make Internet speeds a struggle outside the big cities.
Save money by opting for a prepaid SIM card when travelling to Turkey.
One 4G network is active in Senegal with two more expected in the near future, so find out about your choices for a prepaid SIM card.