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The short answer
If your phone plan is from outside the EU (the UK, the US, Canada, Latin America and so on), an eSIM is the simplest way to have mobile data in Andalusia for maps, train tickets, Alhambra and Alcázar bookings and WhatsApp. You buy it online before you go, install it with a QR code and it starts working when you land.
- Who needs one: visitors whose operator charges for roaming in Spain. Phones on an EU plan already roam at no extra cost under the EU’s “Roam like at home” rules.
- Our pick for unlimited data: the Holafly Spain eSIM, with unlimited data on Spain’s main networks.
- Price: from about €3.90 for one day, €17.50 for five days or €22.90 for a week (Holafly’s prices in euros, checked on 30 October 2026; they change, so check the current price).
- Discount: use our code ANDALUSIABASE for 5% off any Holafly travel eSIM, or 10% off Holafly Plans for the first 12 months. Through our links the code is added for you.
- Good to know: it is data only, with no Spanish phone number, and your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked.
Do you need an eSIM in Andalusia?
It depends on where your phone plan comes from:
| Your phone plan | Using it in Spain | Do you need an eSIM? |
|---|---|---|
| EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway | “Roam like at home”: your normal allowance at no extra cost | Usually not |
| UK | Free EU roaming is no longer guaranteed; each operator sets its own charges | Often worth it, check your operator first |
| US, Canada, Latin America, Australia and elsewhere | Your operator’s international roaming rates | Yes, usually much cheaper |
Even with an EU plan, a separate eSIM can make sense if your allowance is small and you will use a lot of data, for example on a road trip with maps running all day.
Holafly’s Spain eSIM
We think Holafly’s Spain eSIM is the easiest choice for a trip to Andalusia: you pick the number of days, not a data allowance, so you don’t have to count gigabytes.
- Data: unlimited, for 1 to 90 days. Holafly says the networks rarely apply fair-use limits, and only for up to a day.
- Networks: Orange, Movistar, Vodafone and Yoigo, with 5G where available and 4G elsewhere. One eSIM covers the whole of mainland Spain, including Andalusia, and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
- Sharing: you can share data with a hotspot, up to 1 GB a day.
- Calls and texts: none. It is data only, with no Spanish number. Your own number stays on your phone, and WhatsApp keeps working with your usual number.
- Support: 24/7 by chat and email.
Prices
Holafly’s prices in euros, checked on 30 October 2026:
| Days | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €3.90 |
| 3 days | €11.42 |
| 5 days | €17.50 |
| 7 days | €22.90 |
| 10 days | €30.90 |
| 15 days | €42.50 |
| 30 days | €61.90 |
Prices change and are shown in your local currency, so check the current price before you buy. Our code ANDALUSIABASE takes 5% off.
Also visiting Portugal?
The Spain eSIM only covers Spain. If you are adding Lisbon, the Algarve or another European country, the Holafly Europe eSIM covers 33 countries, including Spain and Portugal, for a little more.
Going to Gibraltar or Tangier?
Neither the Spain nor the Europe eSIM covers Gibraltar or Morocco. Holafly sells separate eSIMs for Gibraltar and Morocco. For a day trip, we’d simply download maps and tickets before you cross. See our guides to Gibraltar and the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier.
Best eSIM for Spain: Holafly compared
No single eSIM is best for everyone. It depends on how much data you use. For most short trips with light use, a small data plan from Airalo, Nomad or Ubigi is cheaper than Holafly. Holafly makes more sense if you want unlimited data and don’t want to count gigabytes.
Please read this first. We earn a commission if you buy Holafly through our links. We earn nothing from Airalo, Nomad or Ubigi, so keep that in mind as you read. See our affiliate disclosure. We have not tested network speeds ourselves, and this is not a ranking by performance. The table only shows what each provider says on its own website.
Prices are in euros, read on each provider’s official site on 3 November 2026. Prices change, so check before you buy.
| Provider | Smaller data plan | 7-day unlimited plan | Speed limit on unlimited | Hotspot | Phone number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holafly | None, unlimited only | €22.90 | No daily figure given; networks may slow speeds in rare cases, for up to a day | Yes, up to 1 GB a day | No |
| Airalo | 5 GB, 7 days: €7.50 | €22.00 | 1 Mbps after 5 GB a day | Yes, if your phone and the network support it | No, data only |
| Nomad | 5 GB, 30 days: €8.06 | €22.39 | 1 Mbps after 2 GB a day | Yes, no limit stated; stability not guaranteed | No |
| Ubigi | 3 GB, 30 days: €5; 10 GB, 8 days: €9 (no 5 GB plan) | €18 | 2 Mbps after 5 GB a day | “Data sharing allowed”, no limit stated | No |
Holafly’s prices come from its own Spain eSIM page with the currency set to euros. Its price table in English shows US dollars, so what you see may depend on your currency. The speed limits are each provider’s published terms, not our measurements. Our code ANDALUSIABASE takes 5% off Holafly, which makes the 7-day plan about €21.76.
Before the code, Holafly costs the most of these four for 7 days. It also costs more for 5 days: €17.50, against €16.00 at Airalo and €16.12 at Nomad.
The providers also name different networks. Holafly names Orange, Movistar, Vodafone and Yoigo. Nomad names Movistar and Orange. Airalo and Ubigi name Orange. A longer list doesn’t prove a better signal where you will be.
Who should choose Holafly
- You want to use data freely, without watching a total or a daily allowance.
- You expect heavy days with video calls, uploads or streaming, and the 2 GB or 5 GB daily limits above would bother you.
- You want a plan that matches your trip exactly: Holafly sells 1 to 90 days.
Who should choose something else
- Light users. If you mostly need maps, tickets and WhatsApp, a small plan is often enough. Airalo’s 5 GB plan costs about a third of Holafly’s 7-day price. Airalo, Nomad and Ubigi all let you add more data later.
- Lowest price for unlimited data. Ubigi was the cheapest 7-day unlimited plan we found, if 5 GB a day at full speed is enough for you.
- Sharing with a laptop or family. Holafly’s limit of 1 GB a day is the only hotspot limit stated in this table. If you share a lot, one of the others may suit you better.
Best eSIM for Europe
The same logic applies if you are visiting more countries. For 7 days, Holafly’s Europe eSIM (33 countries) costs €25.50 with unlimited data. Airalo’s Europe eSIM (41 countries) costs €25.00 for unlimited data or €17.50 for 5 GB. We only compared these two for Europe, on the same date, so check that your countries are on the list.
Holafly Plans for frequent travellers
Holafly Plans are monthly subscriptions that work in more than 150 destinations, for people who travel often. In October 2026 they cost €45.95 a month (25 GB), €59.95 (unlimited) or €84.90 (Ultra), and you can cancel at any time. Our code ANDALUSIABASE gives 10% off for the first 12 months. For a single trip to Andalusia, the Spain eSIM is cheaper.
How to set up your eSIM
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked (not tied to one operator). Most recent iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones do.
- Buy the eSIM online for the number of days of your trip. The code ANDALUSIABASE is added automatically through our link.
- Install it before you leave. The QR code arrives by email within minutes; scan it, or install it in the Holafly app. The plan does not start when you install it.
- Turn it on when you land. Select the Holafly eSIM for mobile data and turn data roaming on. The days start counting when it first connects to a Spanish network.
- Keep your own SIM for calls and texts if you want, or turn its roaming off to avoid charges.
An eSIM can’t be moved to another phone once installed, so install it on the phone you will travel with.
Our tips
- Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. You need internet to download the eSIM, and arriving with it ready saves time at the airport.
- Book the big sights in advance anyway. Data is handy, but the Alhambra and the Real Alcázar sell out, so book before you fly. Our pre-trip checklist lists the rest.
- Save offline maps of the places you visit as a back-up for mountain roads and villages with weak signal.
FAQ
What is the best eSIM for Spain?
It depends on your data use. For light use on a short trip, a small plan is usually cheapest: in November 2026, Airalo sold 5 GB for 7 days at €7.50. If you want unlimited data without a stated daily limit, we’d choose Holafly, at €22.90 for 7 days. We earn a commission on Holafly and have not tested network speeds ourselves.
Is Holafly worth it?
It is worth it if you use a lot of data and don’t want to count gigabytes. It is not the cheapest choice. Light users will usually pay less with a small data plan, and Ubigi’s 7-day unlimited plan cost €18 when we checked. Holafly also limits hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day.
What is the best eSIM for Europe?
For several countries, use a regional eSIM and check that it covers all of them. In November 2026, a 7-day unlimited plan cost €25.50 with Holafly (33 countries) and €25.00 with Airalo (41 countries). Airalo also sold 5 GB for 7 days at €17.50, which is cheaper for light use.
Do I need an eSIM in Spain if I have an EU phone plan?
Usually not. Under the EU’s “Roam like at home” rules, an EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Norwegian plan works in Spain at no extra cost. An eSIM only helps if your data allowance is small.
Is Holafly unlimited data really unlimited?
You don’t have a data cap, but Holafly says networks may apply fair-use limits, rarely and for up to a day, and hotspot sharing is limited to 1 GB a day.
Does the Holafly Spain eSIM include a phone number?
No. It is data only, with no Spanish number for calls or texts. You can call and message with WhatsApp or other apps, and keep your usual number on your own SIM.
When does the Holafly eSIM start?
When it first connects to a network in Spain with data roaming on, not when you buy or install it. We’d install it a day or two before you travel.
Does the Spain eSIM work in Gibraltar or Morocco?
No. Gibraltar and Morocco each need their own eSIM. The Europe eSIM doesn’t cover them either.
What is the Holafly discount code?
ANDALUSIABASE: 5% off any Holafly travel eSIM, or 10% off Holafly Plans for the first 12 months. Through our links the code is applied automatically.