Mobile phone and SIM

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. By the end, you should have a working Spanish number, a fair plan and no unwanted lock-in.

Start with "Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain". It helps you pick the type of plan that fits your usage and budget, and the other pages build on that choice.

Key rules

• Minimum term: A minimum-term (permanencia) clause in a consumer phone contract can last at most 12 months, and you must be offered a contract without one.
• Price rise notice: The operator must give at least one month's notice of a price rise, and you can leave without a permanencia penalty during that notice.
• Porting time: Moving your number between Spanish operators is free and is completed within one working day once the request is validated.
• EU fair use: Within the EU, a SIM used mostly abroad can be checked over four months, and you get 14 days to change usage after a warning before any surcharge.
• Foreign numbers: A foreign mobile number cannot be ported to a Spanish operator, so keep the foreign SIM or eSIM active if you need its codes.
• Best default: A low-cost mobile-only line usually gives the most data for the lowest price, with no minimum term.

Mobile phone and SIM: the whole process, step by step

From landing to a settled phone line

• Before you travel: decide whether a data-only eSIM is enough or you need a real Spanish number. Read: eSIM or physical SIM before you land in Spain: Before you leave

• Before you travel: if you need foreign codes, plan to keep your home SIM or eSIM active, because a foreign number cannot be moved to Spain. Read: Keeping your home number or moving your number to Spain: Before you leave

• Pick a plan type that fits your budget and stay. Read: Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain: Before you buy a SIM

• Compare network owners and virtual operators for coverage where you live. Read: Network owners versus virtual operators (MVNOs) and coverage in your area: Before you buy a SIM

• Buy and activate a prepaid SIM with your passport or other ID. Read: Getting a working Spanish SIM in your first days without a NIE: In your first days in Spain

• Give your new number to your bank, doctor and apps. Read: Setting up your Spanish phone number: ID, lock-in and where to update it: In your first weeks

• Check roaming limits if you travel in the EU with a Spanish or foreign SIM. Read: Roaming in the EU and beyond with Spanish and foreign SIMs: Before any trip abroad; a SIM used mostly abroad can be checked over four months, with 14 days to change usage after a warning

• Before signing a contract, check the minimum term and any phone financing. Read: Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract: Before you sign; a minimum term can last at most 12 months

• Move your number between Spanish operators if you switch. Read: Porting your number to a Spanish operator step by step: Free, and completed within one working day once the request is validated

• If the operator raises the price, decide whether to stay or leave without a minimum-term penalty. Read: Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract: During the one month's notice

• If a complaint to the operator goes unanswered, take it to the telecoms users' office (OAUT).: After one month without a reply, and within three months of the reply or of the end of that month

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Passport
• Your DNI or NIE — Blocking a lost or stolen phone and SIM in Spain
• A photo of your ID and a selfie — eSIM or physical SIM before you land in Spain

The home and the lease

• Your service contract — Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract

Other documents

• A Spanish bank account — eSIM or physical SIM before you land in Spain, Setting up your Spanish phone number: ID, lock-in and where to update it
• The handset financing agreement — Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract
• The operator's notice of a price rise or change of conditions — Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract
• Your complaint to the operator and its reply — Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract
• A copy of the police report — Blocking a lost or stolen phone and SIM in Spain

Mobile phone and SIM: questions that cross several articles

Can I keep my foreign number when I move to Spain?

You can keep your foreign number active, but you cannot move it to a Spanish operator, because porting only works within one country. Use a dual-SIM phone or an eSIM to run both lines, and move services to an authenticator app where you can. Read "Keeping your home number or moving your number to Spain" and "Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain".

Do I need a Spanish bank account to get a working mobile line?

No, a prepaid line does not need a Spanish bank account. You need ID such as a passport, and you can top up with cash in shops, kiosks and tobacconists if a foreign card is refused. Read "Getting a working Spanish SIM in your first days without a NIE" and "Setting up your Spanish phone number: ID, lock-in and where to update it".

Which plan avoids a minimum term altogether?

Prepaid plans and most low-cost mobile-only plans have no minimum term. Contracts and fibre bundles are more likely to tie you in for up to 12 months. Read "Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain" and "Minimum-term clauses (permanencia) and leaving a phone or internet contract".

Which brands share the same network, and does that affect my choice?

Many low-cost brands run on one of the big networks, so two brands can have the same coverage at different prices. For example, Lowi is Vodafone's and O2 is Telefónica's, while Pepephone and Yoigo use the MasOrange network. Hosting deals change, so read "Network owners versus virtual operators (MVNOs) and coverage in your area" and then "Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain".

Can I use my Spanish SIM abroad in the EU, and my old EU SIM in Spain?

Yes, a Spanish SIM is charged as at home in other EU countries, but a SIM used mostly abroad can be checked over four months. Likewise, an EU SIM works at home prices in Spain only for temporary stays. Read "Roaming in the EU and beyond with Spanish and foreign SIMs" and "Keeping your home number or moving your number to Spain".