Spain prepaid SIM 2026: Orange, Vodafone, Movistar

Part of our Spain eSIM guide: all articles and key facts →

A Spanish prepaid line gives you a local number and, for a stay of two weeks or more, more data for less money than a travel eSIM. We read the prepaid pages of Movistar, Orange, Vodafone and DIGI on 26 October 2026, together with Opensignal's latest measurements and the law on prepaid SIM registration. Here is what each operator offers a visitor, what you need to buy a line, and when an eSIM bought before departure is still the better choice.

This guide is for visitors from outside the European Union. If your SIM comes from an EU or EEA country, you already roam in Spain at home prices under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules, within your operator's fair-use limits, and you do not need a Spanish line for a holiday.

Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, DIGI: who is who?

Spain has four big network operators and one fast-growing challenger. Movistar is Telefónica's brand and, according to Opensignal, the largest network operator. Orange merged with MásMóvil into MasOrange, which also owns Yoigo. Vodafone Spain has been owned by Zegona since 2024. DIGI is the low-cost challenger, with very cheap prepaid lines.

All four sell prepaid (prepago) lines that a visitor can buy, and all prices below are those displayed on the operators' pages on 26 October 2026 (Orange, Vodafone and DIGI state final prices including VAT). Two things distinguish Spain from many destinations: Orange sells dedicated holiday plans with unlimited data, and Vodafone sells a data-only eSIM for visitors that you can buy online before you travel.

Which network is fastest in Spain?

Movistar, by a clear margin. In Opensignal's Spain Mobile Network Experience report of May 2026, based on data from 1 January to 31 March 2026, Movistar won the Best Network award and ten awards outright.

Every network kept users connected more than 98% of the time, so for maps and messaging any of them will do. For video calls and streaming, Movistar and Orange are ahead. DIGI is a special case: very fast when you are on its 5G, but its users spent only 16.8% of their time on 5G, and its overall average was among the lowest.

Orange Holiday: unlimited data for tourists

Orange is the only Spanish operator with prepaid plans marketed for holidays. Its prepaid page lists two of them under "Para tus vacaciones":

• Holiday Mini: €25 for 15 days, unlimited data "a máxima velocidad" on 5G, 100 minutes of national and international calls, and up to 37.6 GB in roaming in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Norway and Ukraine.
• Holiday Maxi: €35 for 28 days, with the same unlimited data and 100 minutes, and up to 52.6 GB in roaming.

For a visitor who uses a lot of data, these are the best value we found: €35 for four weeks of unlimited data, against €41.99 for 30 days at Orange Travel, the cheapest travel eSIM. The roaming allowance is useful if you continue to Portugal, France or Gibraltar. The price includes VAT; Orange says the card expires three months after the last top-up or use.

Orange's ordinary prepaid plans give even more data if you stay longer: Orange Prepago 10 costs €10 for 28 days with 80 GB (60 GB plus 20 GB extra) and unlimited national calls, Prepago 15 costs €15 with 260 GB, and Prepago 20 costs €20 with 320 GB. Orange says you can buy the SIM "in any of our shops or in our online shop". Its holiday pages did not say whether the Holiday plans are available as an eSIM, so ask in the shop.

Vodafone prepaid and the DataOnly eSIM

Vodafone offers both a classic prepaid line and a data-only eSIM for visitors. Its prepaid page lists four plans of 28 days, "available on SIM and eSIM", with a banner adding 30 GB extra to every plan:

• Prepago S: €10, 90 GB, 500 minutes, 15 GB of roaming in the EU and UK.
• Prepago M: €15, 270 GB, 2,000 minutes, 23 GB of roaming in the EU, UK and US.
• Prepago L: €20, 330 GB, 3,000 minutes, 30 GB of roaming.
• Prepago XL: €30, 380 GB, 3,000 minutes, 45 GB of roaming.

The eSIM is activated online immediately; a physical SIM is sent by post within 24 to 48 hours, which does not help a tourist without a Spanish address. That is why the Vodafone DataOnly eSIM matters: bought online, delivered by email as a QR code, and starting when you are in Spain. It costs €4 for 2 GB over 3 days, €15 for 35 GB over 7 days, €23 for 75 GB over 15 days and €42 for 140 GB over 30 days. It has no Spanish phone number. We compare it with the other travel eSIMs in our guide to the best eSIMs for Spain.

Movistar prepaid: the fastest network

Movistar's prepaid plans give you the network that measured fastest in 2026. Its prepaid page lists three main plans of 28 days, with unlimited national calls and calls within the EU:

• Prepago Plus: €10, 60 GB (plus 10 GB extra at each renewal), 200 international minutes, 15.03 GB of roaming in the EU, UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova and Ukraine.
• Prepago Premium: €15, 240 GB, 400 international minutes, 22.54 GB of roaming.
• Prepago Total: €20, 300 GB, 400 international minutes, 30.05 GB of roaming.

Movistar says its prepaid plans are bought "directly in any Movistar shop", and that you can choose an eSIM instead of a physical card, activated by QR code. Top-ups are sold at more than 50,000 points, including cash machines, supermarkets and tobacconists (estancos). Movistar's FAQ reminds buyers that by law every prepaid SIM must be registered with an identity document during the purchase.

DIGI: the cheapest prepaid line

DIGI is the cheapest operator for a long stay. On its prepaid page, with the Prepago tab selected, the monthly plans cost €3 for 5 GB and 100 national minutes, €5 for 25 GB, €7 for 50 GB with unlimited national calls, €10 for 100 GB, €12 for 150 GB and €15 for 250 GB. Unused gigabytes carry over.

There is a catch for visitors: DIGI says you must first get your DIGI SIM at a point of sale, and then activate the plan in the Mi DIGI app or by dialling *100#. In Opensignal's 2026 report DIGI had the fastest 5G speeds but one of the lowest averages overall. For a holiday of a week or two, Orange's Holiday Mini or a travel eSIM is simpler; for a stay of several months, DIGI is hard to beat on price.

What ID do you need to buy a SIM in Spain?

An identity document: for a visitor, that means your passport. Law 25/2007 of 18 October requires operators selling prepaid cards to keep a register of buyers, identified with an identity document, recording their name, nationality, and the number and type of document. Movistar's page reminds buyers that every prepaid SIM in Spain must be registered during the purchase.

In practice, take the passport you travel with to the shop, and expect the assistant to scan it. Travel eSIMs sold by foreign companies, such as Airalo, Holafly or Maya, are bought online, and their Spain pages mention no identity check; Vodafone's DataOnly FAQ, which might cover the point, was not readable on 26 October 2026.

Buying at Madrid or Barcelona airport, or in town?

We could not confirm an operator-run shop inside Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat or Málaga airport on any official page. Guides on the web mention SIM resellers in the arrival halls, but their information conflicts and we could not check it with Aena or the operators, so we give no addresses or prices.

What the operators themselves say is clearer: Movistar sells its prepaid plans in its shops, Orange in its shops and online, DIGI at its points of sale, and Vodafone online with a 24 to 48 hour delivery for the physical SIM.

That leaves two practical options. Either land with a travel eSIM or Vodafone's DataOnly eSIM already installed, and use it until you reach a shop in town; or travel into town without data and buy an Orange Holiday plan or a Movistar line in a shop the same day. If you land outside shop hours, the eSIM route is safer.

Which Spanish line for which trip?

Pick by length of stay, data use and whether you need a Spanish number.

• Under a week, mostly maps and messaging: a Spanish line is hardly worth the shop visit. Vodafone's DataOnly eSIM (7 GB for 7 days at €7) or a travel eSIM does the job without a passport scan.
• One to two weeks, heavy use or a laptop to connect: Orange's Holiday Mini, €25 for 15 days of unlimited data, is the simplest answer, with 100 minutes for calls to Spanish numbers and home.
• Three to four weeks: Orange's Holiday Maxi at €35 for 28 days if you want unlimited data; Movistar's Prepago Plus at €10 for 28 days if 60 GB is enough and you want the fastest network.
• A study term, a long winter on the Costa del Sol or remote work: a monthly plan from DIGI (from €3) or a 28-day plan from Vodafone or Movistar, topped up online. Remember that Movistar's balance expires six months after the last top-up, and Orange's card three months after the last top-up or use.
• A trip that continues to Portugal, France or Italy: Orange's Holiday plans and Movistar's and Vodafone's prepaid plans all include an EU roaming allowance, from 15 GB to 52.6 GB depending on the plan.

Whichever you choose, keep your home SIM in the phone as a second line if it supports dual SIM, with data roaming switched off, so that you still receive bank text messages.

Local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming: which costs less?

For a stay of two weeks or more with heavy use, a Spanish prepaid line wins; for a short trip, a travel eSIM is cheaper and easier. On prices read on 26 October 2026:

A local line also gives you a Spanish number, useful for restaurant bookings and deliveries, and the Orange, Vodafone and Movistar plans include EU roaming if you continue to Portugal or France. The travel eSIM wins on convenience: no shop, no passport scan, working the moment you land. If your next stop is Morocco, see our Morocco eSIM guide and eSIM for Spain and Morocco: one plan or two.

Before you fly, check that your phone is unlocked (do you need an unlocked phone), that it supports eSIM (compatible phones), and keep our 10 fixes for an eSIM not working abroad at hand. On Android, our activation guide walks you through installing a Movistar or Vodafone eSIM QR code.

How we checked

We read the prepaid pages of Movistar, Orange, Vodafone and DIGI, Orange's Holiday Mini and Holiday Maxi pages and Vodafone's DataOnly page on 26 October 2026, and recorded price, validity, data, minutes, roaming allowance and how to buy. Prices are those displayed; Orange, Vodafone and DIGI state that theirs include VAT. Network figures come from Opensignal's Spain report of May 2026; the identification rule from Law 25/2007 as published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado.

We did not buy the lines or test them in Spain. We could not verify airport shops or airport prices on an official source, nor whether Orange's Holiday plans are sold as eSIMs, so we leave those points out. Operators change their plans often and run promotions such as Vodafone's extra 30 GB, so check the page before you buy. For the travel eSIMs, read our comparison of eight Spain eSIMs, and for everything on Spain, our Spain eSIM guide.