Jonas and I visited Andorra for 12 days in June 2025. To stay online and work remotely, we needed mobile data for our phones. Andorra is NOT in the EU roaming agreement, so there’s a real chance of getting hit with a high bill at the end of your trip. Jonas went the eSIM route and I bought an Andorran SIM card
Contents
- 1 Andorra: European, But No ‘Roam Like At Home’
- 2 Jonas’ Airalo eSIM for Andorra
- 3 Buying a Physical Andorran SIM Card in 2025
- 4 Wait, Can I Get Around Just Using WiFi?
- 5 Andorran SIM Card FAQ + Internet Freedom
- 5.1 Where can I buy an Andorran SIM card?
- 5.2 Is there an alternative provider to Andorra Telecom?
- 5.3 Should I download the app of Andorra Telecom?
- 5.4 How can I top-up my Andorran SIM card?
- 5.5 How can I keep my Andorran SIM card between visits?
- 5.6 Is the internet blocked or monitored in Andorra?
- 5.7 Should I download a VPN before going to Andorra?
- 6 Helpful post? Consider buying me an Andorran craft beer!
- 7 Share this post or save for later? Sweet!
Andorra: European, But No ‘Roam Like At Home’
The Principality of Andorra is a bit of a special case with regards to the European Union, Schengen, and the Eurozone. Short version: Andorra is not an EU member, not part of Schengen, but is part of the Eurozone. Upon entry/departure, there are no immigration checks, but you might have a customs check on the way out since Andorra has lower taxes on most things than Spain or France. The Principality has no visa requirements. But since you can’t fly into Andorra, you need to have a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa for France or Spain to enter. For those who don’t need a Schengen visa, entering on a passport or EU national ID card is fine.
However, the biggest issue with Andorra is that it’s not part of the free ‘Roam Like At Home’ and using mobile data is expensive. Before you know it, your pleasant visit to Andorra will return in an ugly bill at home. It’s important to either turn off roaming in your settings or to go into settings and do manual network selection to connect only to Spanish/French telecom towers. Since our EU SIM cards won’t cover Andorra, the options to stay online are:
- Buying a local prepaid SIM card with 3GB for €10 from Andorra Telecom (
expensive + effort + cost of SIM card unknown) - Staying in the border areas where there’s reception from Spain/France (unrealistic)
- Only using WiFi like a peasant in the early ’10s
- Getting a 2GB eSIM for 15 days for €7.50 with Airalo before you travel
We will be doing the latter!
Edit: If you’re wondering about the strikethroughs above, I wrote enthusiastically about going the eSIM route before finding out some facts. So we did end up getting one eSIM and one physical Andorran SIM card. As we crossed the border from Spain to Andorra, I almost immediately lost connectivity to the EU network. So option two – relying on reception from France or Spain – was impossible.
Jonas’ Airalo eSIM for Andorra
On our morning of departure for Andorra, Jonas was shopping for our Andorran eSIMs on Airalo. Once he’d bought one, he asked for my phone and tried to install it. But it wasn’t straightforward to find the eSIM functionality at all. He dug around in the model number of my Samsung Galaxy A54. He even checked the spreadsheet we created with phone options when we replaced my Xiaomi in early 2024. It said we selected this phone because it had eSIM functionality. Then he went to the two links where we could’ve bought the phone. On Amazon, they would’ve sold me this model with eSIM capabilities. But on the Dutch Amazon we used, they sold me some weird model from Malaysia without eSIM compatibility…
It’s generally a great phone for travel: 5G, dual SIM card tray, great photo and video quality, and (possibly) eSIM. If you want to get a great travel phone, you can get this model of the Samsung Galaxy A54. Don’t worry, I triple-checked it’s the right model so you won’t suffer like I did.
So thankfully, Jonas didn’t buy two eSIMs for Andorra. Jonas installed his Andorran Airalo eSIM on his own phone. In June 2025, this went for €7.50 for 2GB, valid for 15 days (plenty). He had a great time with it during our 12-day stay and had perfect connectivity in the villages, towns, mountains, and the border areas. So please get the eSIM if you can, but first check if your phone model is compatible!
If you’re only staying in Andorra for a short time, it’s easiest to get an eSIM. Airalo is currently the most reputable eSIM company. So far, we’ve used it in Switzerland, Madagascar, and Croatia 😄🗺️ Though for now, it’s a bit more expensive than getting a local SIM card, eSIMs are the future. The advantage is that you can set it up before you enter Andorra and immediately be online 📶
If you’re new to eSIMs, use NEWTOAIRALO15 at checkout to get a 15% discount on your first Airalo eSIM 🌐 And if you’re a recurring Airalo customer, use AIRALOESIM10 for a 10% discount on your next eSIM 🫡
What about the Andorra Telecom eSIM?
Andorra Telecom also offers an eSIM, but it’s more expensive than Airalo at the moment. It’s the same price per month as the physical SIM card of Andorra Telecom. But the worst part is that to get the eSIM, you need to upload a copy of your passport/ID card to their website. Airalo doesn’t require that sort of nonsense.
Other white-label eSIM products in Andorra
Our hotels in Andorra also partnered with a white-label eSIM company. You’ll find a little red box with a QR code in your room. We checked it out, but these eSIMs are more expensive than Airalo as well. The app of your ski resort might offer the same thing, which will likely also be more expensive.
Buying a Physical Andorran SIM Card in 2025
After that disappointing discovery of my smart phone being kinda dumb for 2025 standards, I decided I wanted to get a physical Andorran SIM card… so that I could also bring y’all this article 🤪
When checking into our hotel in Andorra la Vella, I asked the receptionist where to buy a SIM card in Andorra. Usually, I’d do this research for myself beforehand, but here I stood, duped by my own phone. She said it’s simple, scan this QR code and buy your Andorran eSIM from Andorra Telecom. Like a total loser, I told her I need a physical Andorran SIM card, not an eSIM. She said she didn’t know if that was even possible anymore in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Twenty-Five. I asked her where the telecom office is located. She grabbed a map of Andorra la Vella and marked it for me. It started to rain cats and dogs outside.
About 20 minutes later, we left the hotel in rain jackets to go to the Andorra Telecom Boutique. It’s next to the tourist information office and close to the famous Salvador Dalí sculpture at the Gran Valira River. Once inside, I was given a numbered ticket from the receptionist. It took two minutes before it was my turn, despite a big queue for other digital products.
Jonas and I sat down at the desk of this very professional guy and asked for a SIM card and the price. He grabbed a little folder, where he explained that the prepaid Andorran SIM card costs €10 for 3GB of data valid for 30 days. It also came with 40 minutes of calling and 10 SMS. The cost of the SIM card itself is included in the price.
We agreed, then he asked for a passport to register it, along with an email address. This took a few minutes, so Jonas helped me get my Dutch SIM card out of the second slot to free up space. I then had the Andorran and Spanish SIM cards in my phone at the same time, which is perfect for when we continue to France. I handed him my phone and got it back with a working Andorran SIM card. Nice.
I still asked him how to check remaining data, specifically asking for the Andorra Telecom USSD codes. But he said it’s only possible to check your consumption via the app. The guy gave us a ticket and we went to the paid for the SIM card at the register. There we paid for it by card.
Now that Jonas and I were both online, we could finally relax into our trip to Andorra.
Wait, Can I Get Around Just Using WiFi?
Possibly. There are a lot of public WiFi networks at plazas and shopping centers in Andorra. Every restaurant, café, and hotel also seems to have WiFi. If you’re not a big user, you could get by just using WiFi at populated places. However, you won’t be able to simply look up something – e.g. is this pretty flower toxic? – while you’re in the mountains on a hike.
Andorran SIM Card FAQ + Internet Freedom
Where can I buy an Andorran SIM card?
According to their website, there are several points of sale of Andorra Telecom SIM cards. The only verified place to buy a physical SIM card in Andorra is at the Botiga of Andorra Telecom in the capital Andorra la Vella. There are some smaller shops in some towns that do just top-ups, but I’ve never seen that advertised on the outside of a building. If you’re traveling to Andorra, it’s very likely you’ll visit the capital Andorra la Vella at some point as it’s such a small country.
The pink markers are allegedly where you can buy a physical Andorra Telecom SIM card
Is there an alternative provider to Andorra Telecom?
No, it’s a telecommunications monopoly.
Should I download the app of Andorra Telecom?
Up to you. I downloaded the Android app (here’s the iPhone app). It was difficult to take screenshots in the app as it’s blocked on Android (but not on iPhone—yet). It allows you to check your data consumption and validity if you’re a simple tourist like me, or to top up your balance if you’re very committed to the country and visit it multiple times or even move (your business) there. I couldn’t finish the 3GB in my 12 days, as all accommodations in Andorra and most restaurants have excellent WiFi.
How can I top-up my Andorran SIM card?
Okay, so you’re committed. You can top it up with MasterCard, VISA, Maestro, and UnionPay in the app mentioned above, or on their website. Some menus are in Catalan, even if you have the app in English. If that doesn’t work, they can do it for you at the Andorra Telecom shop in Andorra la Vella, or any of the other points of sale mentioned on their website linked before. They have a map with ATMs, supermarkets, tourist information offices, etc. that can top-up your SIM card.
How can I keep my Andorran SIM card between visits?
The prepaid Andorra Telecom SIM card is valid for 12 months since the last top-up. Perfect for traveler’s who return to Andorra on a yearly basis. The SIM card will only deactivate after 14 months of zero use.
Is the internet blocked or monitored in Andorra?
No. You can surf how you like without fear and there are no censors.
Should I download a VPN before going to Andorra?
There’s no need.
Helpful post? Consider buying me an Andorran craft beer!
