How to Buy a SIM Card in Romania in 2026
Romania is in the EU, so the first question is where your own SIM comes from. A plan from France, Germany, Spain or any other EU or EEA country works in Romania at home prices, within its fair-use limit, and you need nothing new. Visitors from the UK, the US and further afield pay roaming, and for them the choice is between a local prepaid card, which is cheap once you have it, and an eSIM installed before the flight. This guide covers the networks as they stand after the 2025 shake-up, what prepaid cards cost, the passport question and where to buy. Our plans for the country are on the Romania eSIM page.
Three networks, not four
Older guides list four mobile operators. Since 1 October 2025 there are three: Orange, Vodafone and DIGI. Telekom Romania's mobile business was split between Vodafone and Digi. Vodafone took the contract and business customers, the shops and most of the network; Digi took the prepaid business, some spectrum and towers. Telekom's prepaid customers were moved to Digi in early 2026. If a guide tells you to pick up a Telekom prepaid card, it describes a market that no longer exists.
Orange is generally rated best for coverage and speed, Vodafone is solid nationwide, and Digi reaches over 98% of the population. Any of the three will do for a city break; Orange is the safe choice if you are heading into the countryside.
What a prepaid card costs in Romania
Orange prices its PrePay options in euro. Its June 2026 brochure lists two internet options: 150 GB of domestic data for 6 euro, and unlimited domestic data for 12 euro, both with roaming in the South-East Europe region. Older figures from July 2024 give an idea of airport prices: Orange Fun 9, with 25GB and unlimited national minutes for a month, cost about $14 at the airport, and a Vodafone prepaid pack with 150GB and 2,000 minutes for 28 days about $13.
One point to know before you choose: Vodafone does not offer eSIM on its prepaid card, Cartela Vodafone, so a Vodafone prepaid line means a physical SIM and a phone with a free SIM slot.
Do you need a passport?
The legal answer is less clear than the practical one. A 2019 emergency ordinance that would have required ID for every prepaid SIM from 1 January 2020 was declared unconstitutional by Romania's Constitutional Court, and a 2024 guide says no ID is needed. Sources from 2026 say shops routinely ask for a passport or ID card all the same, and treat registration with a passport as standard. Whether it is a legal requirement in 2026 is unconfirmed. Take your passport with you; it saves a second trip.
Buying at Henri Coandă Airport or in town
Most visitors arrive at Henri Coandă International Airport, also known as Otopeni. Reports of what you can buy there conflict. A 2024 guide says SIM cards are sold at the Relay shop on the passage between Arrivals and Departures, open from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM, and at Aelia in the departures boarding area. Another source describes Orange, Vodafone and Digi kiosks after baggage claim, and a third says there is no Vodafone or Orange shop at the airport at all. A 2026 guide advises skipping the airport in any case: limited choice, long queues and worse prices than in town. An operator's shop in the city is the reliable option.
Our eSIMs for Romania
An eSIM from us needs no shop and no passport check, and it works from the moment you land at Otopeni. For data, the Europe 5GB eSIM is $8 for seven days, the Europe 10GB eSIM $12 for 14 days and the Europe 25GB eSIM $19 for 30 days. Each starts on first use and covers 32 countries, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria among them, which suits a trip that crosses a border. If your journey continues outside Europe, the Global64 10GB eSIM is $10 for seven days in 64 countries.
If you want a number to call from as well, the EE Europe Travel eSIM is $21.33 for 30GB with 50 minutes and 100 texts on a UK number. Vodafone Travel is $26.60 for 25GB with unlimited local calls and calls to the UK, valid 30 days from purchase. To keep bank codes arriving while your own SIM is out of the phone, the O2 SMS Only eSIM gives you a private UK number for $8 a month.
Side by side
| Option | Price | Data | Valid | How you get it |
|---|
| Orange PrePay internet option | 6 euro | 150 GB in Romania | As the option runs | Orange shop, physical SIM |
| Orange PrePay internet option | 12 euro | Unlimited in Romania | As the option runs | Orange shop, physical SIM |
| Vodafone prepaid pack (2024) | about $13 | 150GB, 2,000 minutes | 28 days | Shop, physical SIM only |
| Europe 10GB eSIM | $12 | 10GB in 32 countries | 14 days from first use | Online, no ID check |
| Europe 25GB eSIM | $19 | 25GB in 32 countries | 30 days from first use | Online, no ID check |
| EE Europe Travel eSIM | $21.33 | 30GB, 50 minutes and 100 texts | 30 days | Online, UK number |
Our recommendation
With an EU SIM, use your own plan and check its fair-use allowance before a long stay. Coming from the UK or further afield for a week or two, install the Europe 10GB eSIM before you fly; for a month, the Europe 25GB eSIM. An Orange PrePay card from a shop in town is the cheaper choice for a long stay if you have your passport with you and your phone takes a physical SIM. Set-up steps are in our eSIM installation guide, and the plans for the country are on the Romania eSIM page.
