Guide
Best eSIM for Spain: data for Barcelona, Madrid and the islands
For a trip to Spain, a travel eSIM installed before you leave is the simplest way to stay online. It connects when you land in Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga or Palma, and it works the same on the Balearic and Canary Islands.
If your SIM is from an EU country, your home plan may already cover Spain. This guide is for travellers whose plans don't: from the Balkans, Turkey, Switzerland, the UK, Morocco and further away.
Your options for internet in Spain
| Option | Works when you land | Keep your number | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your home plan | Yes | Yes | None, but often costly outside the EU |
| Spanish SIM card | After you find a shop | No, new number | Passport, a shop visit, and swapping SIMs |
| Free Wi-Fi | In hotels, cafés and some beaches | Yes | Logins and patchy signal |
| Travel eSIM | Yes | Yes, for WhatsApp and iMessage | Two minutes at home |
Which networks does it use?
Our Spain plan connects to Movistar and Orange, two of Spain's biggest networks, with 5G where it's available. If one is weak, your phone can use the other. Coverage is strong in the cities, along the coasts and on the islands. In the mountains of the interior, signal thins out on every network.
How much data do you need?
| Trip | Plan we'd pick |
|---|---|
| A long weekend in Barcelona or Madrid | 1 GB for 7 days |
| A week on the beach | 3 GB for 15 days |
| Two weeks touring Andalusia | 5 GB for 30 days |
| A month, with video calls home | 10 GB for 30 days |
| A family sharing one plan, or remote work | 20 GB for 30 days |
Our data calculator works it out for your trip.
Tips for Spain
The islands are included. Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and the other islands all use the same Spanish networks, so one Spain plan covers them.
Watch the Strait of Gibraltar. In Tarifa and Algeciras, and on the ferry to Morocco, phones can pick up Moroccan networks across the water. If data stops near the coast, pick Movistar or Orange by hand in your network settings. Going on to Morocco? Our Morocco guide covers that leg.
Maps for the road. On a road trip, offline maps save data and work in the mountains. Hotspot is allowed on every plan with no daily cap, so one phone can serve the whole car.
Late dinners, late messages. Restaurant bookings and beach-club confirmations often come by WhatsApp. Your usual WhatsApp number keeps working on the eSIM's data.
Is your phone ready?
You need a phone that supports eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier. Our guide shows how to check in two minutes.
How to set it up
- Buy the plan on our website or in the Blue eSIM app.
- Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. On recent iPhones the app installs it with one tap; on any phone you can scan the QR code.
- When you land, choose the eSIM for mobile data and switch on data roaming for it. Leave data roaming off on your home SIM.
- If you run low, top up the same eSIM in the app.
The plan only starts when it first connects in Spain, so installing early costs you nothing.
What you get with Blue eSIM
- Two networks, Movistar and Orange, with 5G where available
- The islands covered by the same plan
- Hotspot on every plan, with no daily cap
- Top-ups on the same eSIM
- Plans changed? Cancel any eSIM you haven't installed, for full credit, up to 5 months after buying
- An app and support in eight languages, including Albanian, Macedonian and Turkish
Going on to Portugal or France?
A Europe plan covers Spain, Portugal, France and 31 more countries with one eSIM.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best eSIM for Spain?
One that uses more than one network and covers the islands. Our Spain plan connects to Movistar and Orange, works on the Balearic and Canary Islands, and allows hotspot.
Does a Spain eSIM work in the Canary Islands?
Yes. The Canaries use the same Spanish networks.
Does it work in Gibraltar or Andorra?
No. Both have their own networks. A Europe plan doesn't include them either, so check before a day trip.
Can I keep my WhatsApp number?
Yes. WhatsApp stays on your usual number while the eSIM provides the data.