Buying a SIM card in Italy from the best mobile operators

The ultimate guide to getting your Italian SIM card. Our comparison of Italy’s top providers helps you pick the plan that suits you best.

Ellie Whyte

5 minute read

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Updated on 29 Sep 2023

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Living

If you've just moved to Italy, getting an Italian SIM card and phone number is a great way to kickstart your life in Italy. Having a local SIM means you can enjoy cheap rates for local calls and data usage. Super handy when you’re new to Italy and need to translate Italian or use Google Maps to navigate the streets!

Want to quickly find out which provider or phone plan is the best for your needs? This guide will compare the best mobile operators in Italy and show you how to buy an Italian SIM card.

Getting an Italian SIM card is absolutely recommended for expats in Italy, even if you've got an EU SIM card.

Switching from an international SIM to an Italian one is a no-brainer — you'll enjoy free EU roaming when traveling throughout Europe and cheaper phone bills.

Even if you've got an EU SIM card, you'll want to switch to an Italian SIM because Italy has the cheapest data plans in Europe, with an average cost of €0.11 per GB of data.

There’re 4 main Italian mobile operators that you can pick from.

1. Vodafone: for best worldwide coverage

Vodafone is a popular choice among expats looking to buy an Italian SIM card because they have excellent worldwide coverage and usage, including 5G coverage in rural Italy. Besides, Vodafone has customer support in English.

Their plans range from €14.99 – €39.99 a month. They offer excellent deals for combining your home broadband with your mobile SIM and discounted monthly plans for under 25-year-olds.

2. Windtre: for discounts for those under 30s

Windtre has the best coverage of the 4 main networks in Italy.

Their plans range from €12.99 – €39.99 a month. They offer broadband and mobile package plans as well as discounted monthly plans for under 30-year-olds.

3. TIM: for great coverage in Italy

Tim has the lowest level of 5G coverage in Italy but decent 3G and 4G coverage across Italy. They also have support staff who can speak English.

They provide several plans ranging from €14.99 – €39.99 a month. Besides excellent home broadband and mobile package deals, TIM offers discounted monthly plans for under 25-year-olds.

4.Iliad: for the best cheap phone plan

Iliad has incredibly cheap monthly plans and very good 5G coverage. Iliad is unique in including unlimited international minutes even in their cheapest plan.

Their plans range from €7.99 – €13.99 a month. If you combine your mobile with your broadband plan, you can enjoy a discount.

Check out how the most popular monthly pay-as-you-go plans compare in Italy.

How do you choose which provider is the best for you? To help you make a good decision, here’re some important factors to consider:

1. Coverage

Some Italian networks have poor coverage in rural regions of Italy. It’s worthwhile checking the network coverage in the Italian city you'll live in before choosing your phone plan.

2. Data

Since data usage varies depending on what you use your phone for, you should check your current or previous data usage to choose a plan that suits you As a guideline, the average person uses 12GB of mobile data per month, according to a 2021 study.

You can choose from 2 types of phone plans in Italy: pay-as-you-go and fixed contract. Here’s our recommendation, depending on your length of stay.

Pay-as-you-go plan: best if you’re staying in Italy for a few months to a year

A pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM is good if you've a good idea of how many minutes or how much data you use.

Positives: no signing a contract, no surprise high bills, no early termination fee, top up on the go and whenever you want.

Negatives: plans for PAYG sims are typically worse value than contract plans. You can expect less data and minutes for the same price.

Phone contracts: best for expats planning to live in Italy for a few years

Positives: perks, such as discounts on broadband or services like Netflix, and never running out of minutes and data.

Negatives: termination fees for dropping out of a contract early, and you need an Italian bank account to sign up.

Data-only bundles vs all-in bundles

Once you've picked the SIM type, you'll see that Italian providers usually offer 2 types of bundles: data-only and all-in bundles.

Data-only bundles You get a high data allowance and little to none minutes. This option is best for those who use apps such as Whatsapp or Zoom to make calls. If you ever need to make a call normally, you can always top up credit to do so.

All-in bundles You get a a certain amount of call minutes, texts, and data allowance. Some all-in bundles will even include international minutes in their plan, as you see in the table above.

You can easily purchase your SIM card in-store at your chosen network’s shop or online. Considering how identifying yourself using an ID is a requirement for most most SIM card activations, you should get it in-store.

The requirements are:

• A Codice Fiscale
• Identification- such as a passport or driving license
• For contract sims only: you'll need an Italian bank account so that the company can automatically debit the monthly bill cost.

How to top up your PAYG SIM card in Italy

Buying credit (ricarica) for your PAYG SIM is simple. You can buy credit for your SIM on your provider's website, or purchase credit in a grocery store, phone shop, or tabacchi shop.

How much should a SIM card cost in Italy?

Buying a SIM card in Italy has 2 initial costs: the activation fee of the SIM (€5 – €10) and the price of the plan__ you choose.

Can I use an Italian SIM card in my phone?

If you've got a phone from countries like USA, Canada, or Japan, it's highly likely that you've got a locked SIM. In this case, you can get your phone to work in Italy with an international plan. But this will be excessively expensive.

To get your phone to work in Italy with a local SIM, contact your old provider before moving to Italy and have them unlock it for global use.

What is a PIN and PUK code?

Italian SIM cards have a PIN and PUK code to protect your data. Each time you restart your phone you need to provide your PIN code. Your PUK code is only used if you block your PIN. So keep your PIN handy!

Once you’ve got your new Italian SIM card and a phone plan, you’re ready to call and browse freely. To make your life in Italy easier, have a look at the most useful apps in Italy.

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