Portugal
A Portugal eSIM roams onto MEO or NOS, with solid 4G nationwide and 5G in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Install and scan the QR at home before you fly, because activation needs Wi-Fi.
from$1.89
Choose a plan- Vodafone
- NOS
- 5G
Plans and prices
At a glance
- Networks
- Vodafone · NOS
- Hotspot
- Not published
- When you land
- Install the profile and scan the QR at home on Wi-Fi before you board — it cannot be scanned once the code is out of reach. On landing at Lisbon, Porto or Faro, turn off airplane mode and expect to register on MEO or NOS within a minute; make sure Data Roaming is ON for the eSIM line and your home line's data is off so nothing bills at roaming rates.
Common questions
- Does an eSIM work in Portugal?
- Yes, on any eSIM-capable unlocked phone. The profile registers on MEO or NOS and works the same way a local SIM would for data. Older handsets and some region-locked models bought on carrier contracts do not support eSIM, so check your phone's settings for an option to add a mobile plan before buying.
- Can I use the hotspot?
- Yes. Tethering is included and draws from the same allowance, so a laptop pulling updates can burn through a day's data quickly. On an unlimited plan the hotspot shares the daily full-speed cap rather than getting its own, which means a heavy laptop session can throttle the phone too.
- How much data do I need for a week in Portugal?
- Most travellers doing maps, messaging, some social and occasional streaming land around 500 MB to 1 GB a day, so roughly 5 GB covers a week. Download offline maps and any Netflix before you go and you will use noticeably less. If you tether a laptop for work, budget two or three times that.
Portugal — Read the full guide
MEO carries the broadest national footprint, which matters most once you leave the coast: it is usually the network still holding a signal on the back roads of the Alente…
Read the full guide