--- title: "SIM card for Europe 2026: options and countries | Gigapass" description: "With a line from an EU country you need nothing inside the Union. Coming from outside, it changes. The real options and their small print." url: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/sim-card-europe markdown: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/sim-card-europe.md lang: en site: Gigapass generated: 2026-10-24 languages: es: https://getgigapass.com/blog/tarjeta-sim-para-europa de: https://getgigapass.com/de/blog/sim-karte-europa it: https://getgigapass.com/it/blog/scheda-sim-europa fr: https://getgigapass.com/fr/blog/carte-sim-europe pt: https://getgigapass.com/pt/blog/cartao-sim-europa nl: https://getgigapass.com/nl/blog/simkaart-europa ja: https://getgigapass.com/ja/blog/europe-sim-card ko: https://getgigapass.com/ko/blog/yureop-yusim zh-hans: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hans/blog/ouzhou-sim-ka pl: https://getgigapass.com/pl/blog/karta-sim-europa sv: https://getgigapass.com/sv/blogg/simkort-europa no: https://getgigapass.com/no/blogg/simkort-europa da: https://getgigapass.com/da/blog/simkort-europa tr: https://getgigapass.com/tr/blog/avrupa-sim-kart ru: https://getgigapass.com/ru/blog/sim-karta-evropa zh-hant: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hant/blog/ouzhou-sim-ka-hant ar: https://getgigapass.com/ar/mudawana/sim-uruba he: https://getgigapass.com/he/blog/sim-eiropa index: https://getgigapass.com/llms/en.txt --- # SIM card for Europe: what you need depending on where you're from > With a line from an EU country you need nothing inside the Union. Coming from outside, it changes. The real options and their small print. [Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › SIM card for Europe: what you need depending on where you're from Comparisons With a line from an EU country you need nothing inside the Union. Coming from outside, it changes. The real options and their small print. **Tomás Berruezo** 10 Aug 2026 6 min Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash In this article › If your line is from an EU country › If you are coming from outside Europe › The countries that fall off the list › What to check before buying a regional plan There are two different questions hidden in this search, and they are worth separating because the answers are nothing alike: the one from someone who lives in an EU country and is going to travel around Europe, and the one from someone coming from outside to cross several European countries. ## If your line is from an EU country You do not need a new card. Inside the European Union and the European Economic Area your gigabytes travel with you on your own tariff, by regulation. If your line is from the United Kingdom, that guarantee ended with Brexit and several operators brought the charges back, so it is worth checking yours. The only thing worth checking otherwise is how many gigabytes you have a month, because you use more when travelling, and whether your tariff has a roaming data cap, which the larger tariffs usually do. ## If you are coming from outside Europe Here you do need something, and there are three routes: a local card from the first country, a European regional card, or a regional eSIM. The practical difference is how many countries each one covers. | Option | What to check | | --- | --- | | Local SIM from the first country | It usually works across the rest of the Union with its own roaming | | European regional SIM | Check the list of countries covered | | Regional eSIM | The same, and with nothing to change in the phone | ## The countries that fall off the list It is the most common mistake on a European route: assuming the whole continent is the same thing. Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Turkey and the western Balkans are not in the Union, so they are in some plans and not others, and with an EU line they are not included by regulation either. The case that confuses people most, with its border traps, is in [roaming in Switzerland](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/roaming-in-switzerland). ## What to check before buying a regional plan - The exact list of countries, not just the word Europe. - The days of validity, which run from the moment the plan starts. - Whether it can be topped up, useful on long routes. - Whether it includes a number, which in Europe is rarely needed but can come in handy. If your route includes a night train or a ferry, expect to lose signal in stretches. On ships, besides, the onboard network runs over satellite and is billed separately. Leaving soon? Pick the days and the data you need. Install it before you leave and pay once. [See plans](https://getgigapass.com/en/europe) Tomás BerruezoPlans and small print Thirty years reading operator terms, first for work and now out of habit. If something is billed separately, he finds it. ## Frequently asked questions **Do I need a SIM card to travel around Europe?** If your line is from an EU country, no: roaming is included inside the European Union and the European Economic Area. Coming from outside Europe, a local or regional option is worth having. **Does a SIM from one European country work in the others?** Inside the Union yes, with its own roaming included. Outside the Union it depends on the plan. **Which countries are not included?** Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Turkey and the western Balkans are not part of the Union, so they have to be checked plan by plan. **How many gigabytes do I need for a month around Europe?** Between 10 and 20 GB with normal use, more if you work along the way or share your connection. **Does it work on a cruise?** Not out at sea. Ships use satellite networks that belong to no country and are billed separately. ## Keep reading - [Comparisons](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/best-esim-europe) | Best eSIM for Europe: when you actually need one | 7 min - [On the road](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/interrail-mobile-data) | Interrail: how many gigabytes you need and what to prepare before leaving | 7 min - [Comparisons](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/unlimited-esim) | Unlimited eSIM or one by the gigabyte: which you actually need | 8 min