Buy Uk Sim Card In Ireland
Planning a trip to Ireland and looking for the best way to stay connected? Get yourself an e-sim card for traveling in Ireland or buy a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Ireland to avoid high roaming charges. In this guide you will find everything you need to know about staying connected in Ireland: where to buy a prepaid sim card in Ireland, an Ireland e-sim card comparison, the best 4G/5G network in Ireland, up to date prices as per April 2023, my recommendation and even information about international sim cards for Ireland.
buy uk sim card in ireland
One of the first things I do when I get to a new country is finding out how to get connected. Getting an e-sim card or buying a local prepaid sim card is often the answer. Which one I choose depends how long I stay and how much data I need for my trip. As I am also trying to visit every country in the world you can find more than 200 prepaid sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: Europe, USA, New York, Miami, Canada, Toronto, Mexico, Rome, London, Guatemala, Zambia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, Vietnam, Bangkok, Bali, Singapore and many more.
Saving on high roaming costs is the main reason for getting a prepaid sim card or an e-sim card when traveling to Ireland. Overseas data plans are expensive and they limit data speed. With a local prepaid sim card or an e-sim card you get the best 4G/5G connection and the fastest internet data speed.
However, not everyone needs unlimited internet and especially those who just want to stay in touch through WhatsApp, check their email and get directions from Google Maps are better off with an e-sim card for Ireland as they already start from $5 USD.
We also recommend looking into world travel sim cards with data for your trip to Ireland. These sim cards you can order online and get shipped to your home address. Have a look at my comparison of the best international sim cards with data in 2023.
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Ireland in 2023 is an e-sim card. You can only get these virtual sim cards on the internet. You order online, receive a QR code and follow the instructions. Within less than 2 minutes you are connected.
The above data-only e-sim cards are only valid only in Ireland and calls are NOT supported if you are looking for Ireland e-sim cards that also support calls and include EU data roaming then have a look at the following international e-sim cards that are valid in more than 70 countries:
Is your phone unlocked but not e-sim card compatible or you simply want a physical sim card then you can also still order one online. What about a sim card with 20 GB data in Ireland and Europe for $49.90 USD? Click here to order an international sim card for Ireland directly online and find many more deals.
There are 3 major mobile internet providers in Ireland: Three, Eir and Vodafone Ireland. On top of that there are some smaller companies like Virgin Mobile but they don't offer prepaid sim cards for tourists.
For finding the best Ireland sim card for tourists I narrowed down my research to the main mobile internet providers who all offer pay-as-you-go sim card for Ireland as they like to call prepaid sim cards.
When buying a sim card in Ireland and you are traveling onwards in Europe then make sure your prepaid sim card includes free EU roaming. That means that you can use your data, voice and text bundles from your Ireland sim card also in Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France and the rest of Europe. Since Brexit there are different rules for the UK. Check out my article about the best prepaid and e-sim cards for the UK in 2023 for more info or go to check out my guide for buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe for more tips about EU roaming.
Prepaid sim card plans in Ireland include free EU roaming, but you can also arrive prepared for your trip to Europe by ordering a sim card for traveling in Europe online. In the link you will find my comparison of the best Europe travel sim cards in 2023.
The most convenient place to buy a sim card on arrival in Ireland is at Dublin International Airport of course. In the arrival hall there are several phone stores that sell prepaid sim cards for tourists. Check out my guide for buying a sim card at Dublin Airport in 2023.
May you have missed the opportunity at Dublin airport or you simply want a cheaper prepaid sim card deal then you can easily buy a prepaid sim card for Ireland in Dublin city center or any other tourist destination in Ireland. In Dublin all mobile internet operators have official retail stores and in Henry Street you will find them pretty much next to each other. The easiest way to find the nearest mobile internet store is through Google Maps.
Traveltomtom recommends buying a prepaid sim card for Ireland in an official retail store of the internet provider, not in a random phone store or convenience shop. In these places you will find sim cards from Lycamobile or Lebara, so called MVNO's. They also work, but you will need to register yourself and activate the prepaid plans, etc. There is little service from the staff of these store.
Already mentioned before but you can also stay connected in Ireland by buying a sim card online. E-sim cards are super easy to get and you can only buy them online. They are the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Ireland, but you can also buy a sim card for Ireland and get it shipped to your home address before your trip.
When buying a prepaid sim card in Ireland you will need to bring your passport. A copy of your passport is taken in the store and your new Ireland sim card is linked to your name and passport number. The registration is free.
If you are not ok with this then you want to order an e-sim card for Ireland or an international travel sim card with data that works in Ireland. For these sim cards you don't need to register with your passport, but just with your email.
All the mobile operators offer a prepaid sim card for Ireland with unlimited data, the packages are a little different and so are prices. Some offer 5G, some only 4G and Vodafone is more expensive compared to Eir and Three when it comes to sim cards with unlimited 5G data. So what is the best sim card in Ireland for tourists?
If you don't not use much data the best sim card for Ireland is an e-sim card. You can already buy an e-sim card for Ireland for $5 USD and you get 1 GB data. Enough for staying in touch with friends on WhatsApp, email and getting directions.
If buying a sim card in Ireland sounds like too much hassle and getting an e-sim card is not possible because your phone is not compatible for e-sim cards then you can also still order a sim card for Ireland online. Arrive prepared in Ireland with an international prepaid sim card with data. These travel sim cards will be shipped to your home address and are pre-activated from its first use. Put the sim card in your phone in the plane and be online as soon the plane touches the ground.
Also another reminder that you can very easily get an e-sim card for traveling in Ireland. On Airalo you can order data-only e-sim cards for Ireland starting from just $5 USD and on SimOptions you can find international e-sim cards for Ireland including calls.
I hope this article with my comparison of the best sim cards for Ireland was helpful for your upcoming trip. If you have any questions then please leave me a comment below and Im happy to help you out.
For a complete guide about the best UK (e)sim card for tourists in 2023, buying a sim card at Dublin Airport or the best European sim cards for travelers in 2023 have a look at my guides in the links.
Before travelling overseas and purchasing a SIM card for UK travel, you want to make sure that your mobile phone is unlocked completely and will work with a different carrier to what you use back home.
This SIM card comes with 12GB data, 3000 minutes of calls and 3000 texts which can be used for 30 days across a total of 71 countries including the EU countries and even in the US, Canada & Australia!
All in all, the Orange Prepaid SIM card with 20GB data is a fantastic option for a UK sim card for visitors that need a large data allowance and the ability to make some short phone calls back home!
Hi Micheal, I am a visitor in Uk and will stay there for 3 weeks.I need just internet data service on my phone as I am planning to use it for just navigation or texting / calling via whatasapp whenever I am out .I will arrive in Heathrow.As far as I check it seems that there is no good deal for me at the airport.I need a simcard that can be bought and activated right there .I checked O2 deals ,but not sure any option would be there that can be bought right in place in any O2 stores or any other service providers that meets my requirement.what is your recommendation?Thanks in advance.
Traveling to Ireland and flying to Dublin Airport? Wondering if you can buy a sim card for Ireland on arrival at Dublin Airport? This is a complete guide with you everything you need to know about buying a sim card at Dublin Airport. Where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per March 2023, info about free EU roaming and e-sim cards for Ireland and much more.
As part of my journey to travel to every country in the world I get to a lot of different countries every year. Being a full time nomadic travel blogger I always need to find ways to stay connected and that is how I have written more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Asia, USA, New York, Newark, Miami, Canada, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and many more.
Therefore Traveltomtom always recommends buying a local prepaid sim card or an e-sim card. Dublin Airport is the easiest, fastest and most convenient place to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival in Ireland. An e-sim card is the easiest way to stay connected in general.
However, there are better Ireland prepaid sim card deals if you can wait till Dublin city center! Check out my article about the best sim card for Ireland in 2023 for more info on where to find the cheapest sim card deals for Ireland. 041b061a72