Last updated on 30 October 2026
Vodafone Albania sells tourists a prepaid eSIM on its website with 20 GB for 10 days for 1,700 lek (about €18.72), and in its stores the Tourist Tera Pack with 1 TB, 1,000 national minutes and an Albanian number for 15 days for 2,700 lek (€29.73). The POVNOMAD Albania eSIM costs €2.90 for 1 GB over 7 days and €13.90 for 10 GB over 30 days, data only, installed before you fly. As of 29 October 2026.
Albania is one of the few countries where a travel eSIM is cheaper for normal use. For a week or two with up to 10 GB you pay less with us than with any Vodafone tourist offer. The local SIM wins when you need a lot of data, an Albanian number for calls, or one SIM that keeps working in Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia at home rates.
Local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming: what is the difference in Albania?
| Local SIM (Vodafone tourist offers) | Travel eSIM (POVNOMAD) | Roaming on your home contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | eSIM online from 600 lek (€6.61) for 3 GB/3 days, Tera Pack from 2,700 lek (€29.73) for 1 TB/15 days | €2.90 for 1 GB/7 days, €6.90 for 3 GB/15 days, €13.90 for 10 GB/30 days | Albania is outside EU roaming; o2 charges €0.99 per MB without an add-on |
| What you need | passport or ID card details, unlocked phone | eSIM-capable, unlocked phone | a travel pass booked with your provider |
| Where you get it | vodafone.al (eSIM) or a Vodafone store (Tera Pack) | online, installed at home | no purchase needed |
| When you get online | after the online order or the store visit | on landing | on landing |
| Calls and SMS | Tera Packs: Albanian number with 1,000 national minutes | no, data only; WhatsApp calls run over data | yes, at your provider’s rates |
| Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia | roam like at home within a fair use limit | no, the Albania eSIM works in Albania only | outside EU roaming as well |
| Hotspot | not mentioned on Vodafone’s tourist pages | yes, no separate limit | depends on your contract |
| Network | Vodafone Albania | One or Vodafone, chosen automatically, 4G | partner network of your provider |
As of 29 October 2026. Vodafone terms from vodafone.al, POVNOMAD prices and networks from the Albania product page, roaming price from our Balkan border roaming guide (30 September 2026). Converted at the Bank of Albania official rate for 29 October 2026 (€1 = 90.83 lek). The ECB publishes no reference rate for the lek.
How much does a tourist SIM card cost in Albania?
Vodafone Albania publishes two groups of tourist offers. The eSIM packs run since 15 May 2026 and are sold only on Vodafone’s website. The Tera Packs went on sale on 3 July 2026 through all Vodafone sales channels. Neither announcement names an end date.
| Offer | Price | Data | Validity | Minutes | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone Tourist eSIM 1 GB | 0 lek | 1 GB | 1 day | not stated | vodafone.al only |
| Vodafone Tourist eSIM 3 GB | 600 lek (€6.61) | 3 GB | 3 days | not stated | vodafone.al only |
| Vodafone Tourist eSIM 5 GB | 1,000 lek (€11.01) | 5 GB | 5 days | not stated | vodafone.al only |
| Vodafone Tourist eSIM 20 GB | 1,700 lek (€18.72) | 20 GB | 10 days | not stated | vodafone.al only |
| Tourist Tera Pack 1 | 2,700 lek (€29.73) | 1 TB | 15 days | 1,000 national | all Vodafone channels |
| Tourist Tera Pack 2 | 2,900 lek (€31.93) | 1.1 TB | 21 days | 1,000 national | all Vodafone channels |
| Tourist Tera Pack 3 | 3,300 lek (€36.33) | 1.2 TB, plus 20 GB in the Western Balkans and 3 GB in Greece | 30 days | 1,000 national | all Vodafone channels |
Sources: Vodafone Albania, tourist eSIM packs (4 May 2026) and Vodafone Albania, Tourist Pack 2026 (26 June 2026), both retrieved 29 October 2026. Prices include VAT. Euro amounts at €1 = 90.83 lek.
One Albania, the other network, also sells tourist packages. Its website did not load for our check on 29 October 2026, and we found no dated copy, so this guide quotes no One prices. Ask at the counter and compare with the table above.
Here is what a whole trip costs with each option, as of 29 October 2026:
| Trip | Vodafone tourist offer | POVNOMAD eSIM | Airalo | Holafly (unlimited) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week, maps and messaging | €18.72 (20 GB, 10 days) | €2.90 (1 GB, 7 days) or €6.90 (3 GB, 15 days) | €8.50 (3 GB, 7 days) | €33.90 (7 days) |
| 2 weeks, round trip | €29.73 (1 TB, 15 days) | €13.90 (10 GB, 30 days) | €20.00 (10 GB, 15 days) | €59.90 (15 days) |
| 1 month, heavy use | €36.33 (1.2 TB, 30 days) | €20.90 (20 GB, 30 days) | €28.00 (20 GB, 30 days) | €116.90 (30 days) |
All prices retrieved 29 October 2026 from vodafone.al, povnomad.com, airalo.com/albania-esim and esim.holafly.com/de/esim-albanien/. Vodafone’s 5 GB eSIM lasts only 5 days, so the one-week line uses the 10-day pack. Airalo also sells unlimited data for Albania: €53.00 for 15 days, €90.00 for 30 days. POVNOMAD sells no unlimited plan for Albania.
The gap turns when you need more than 20 GB. A family sharing one hotspot, a remote worker on video calls or anyone streaming every evening is better off with a Tera Pack: 1 TB for 15 days costs €29.73, while Airalo’s unlimited plan for the same 15 days costs €53.00. All our plan sizes are in the Albania eSIM provider comparison.
Do you need a passport for an Albanian SIM card?
Take it with you. Vodafone’s online order form for tourists asks for the document type, passport or ID card, and its number. In the stores, the line is registered in your name as well. We found no published text from the regulator AKEP on the rules for foreign visitors on 29 October 2026, so the operator has the final word.
A travel eSIM bought abroad needs no Albanian registration, because it joins the network as a roaming guest. Install it at home on Wi-Fi (instructions for iPhone and Android). Validity starts on first contact with the partner network in Albania, and you have 120 days after purchase to activate it.
Does an Albanian SIM work in Kosovo and Montenegro?
Yes, and this is the strongest argument for a local SIM on a Balkan round trip. Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have dropped roaming charges among themselves since 1 July 2021. Vodafone Albania writes that all its prepaid and postpaid customers use their plan in those five countries without extra payment, within a fair use limit set by an AKEP regulation of 9 June 2021 (Vodafone, Roaming in Western Balkans). Tera Pack 3 names that limit: 20 GB in the Western Balkans.
Our Albania eSIM works in Albania only. If your route continues to Kosovo, you need a second eSIM or a SIM from the region. Most Balkan and Europe eSIM bundles leave Kosovo out, which our Kosovo SIM card guide explains. The EU-wide rule does not help here either: EU roaming for the Western Balkans has been announced but is not in force as of 29 October 2026.
Two places catch travellers out at the edges. At Lake Ohrid your phone may switch between Macedonian and Albanian networks, and on Corfu it can log on to an Albanian network although you are in Greece. Where that happens and what it costs is in Border roaming in the Balkans. How to cover Albania and Montenegro on one trip is in Montenegro and Albania on one trip.
How do you buy the local SIM the right way?
- Order the Vodafone tourist eSIM before you fly if your phone supports eSIM. Vodafone’s online order form asks for your passport or ID card details.
- Ask for the Tera Pack by name in a Vodafone store, and check the price on the receipt against the table above.
- Check that your phone is unlocked. A phone locked to a German network will not take an Albanian SIM.
- Keep your home SIM in a dual-SIM phone, or SMS codes from your bank will not reach you.
- Planning Kosovo or Montenegro as well? Ask in the store how much of your data counts in the other Western Balkan countries.
- Need a hotspot for a laptop? Vodafone’s tourist pages say nothing on tethering, so ask before you pay.
When is the eSIM the better choice, and when is it not?
The eSIM is the better deal for most holiday trips. A week with maps and messaging costs €2.90 for 1 GB or €6.90 for 3 GB. Two weeks with 10 GB cost €13.90, less than half of the cheapest Tera Pack. You skip the store and the registration and are online on the runway in Tirana.
The local SIM is the better choice if you use more than 20 GB, want an Albanian number for calls to guesthouses or drivers, or travel on to Kosovo, Montenegro or North Macedonia and want one SIM for all of them. We sell no unlimited plan for Albania. If you stream every day, a Tera Pack or an unlimited eSIM suits you better.
Cash is the other cost on arrival: which Albanian banks charge foreign cards the least is in our guide to ATM fees in Albania.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SIM card cost in Albania?
Vodafone Albania sells tourist eSIMs online from 600 lek (€6.61) for 3 GB over 3 days to 1,700 lek (€18.72) for 20 GB over 10 days. In its stores the Tourist Tera Packs cost 2,700 to 3,300 lek (€29.73 to €36.33) for 15 to 30 days with 1 TB or more. As of 29 October 2026, at €1 = 90.83 lek.
Is a local SIM cheaper than an eSIM in Albania?
Not for a typical holiday. For one or two weeks the POVNOMAD Albania eSIM costs less: €6.90 for 3 GB over 15 days, €13.90 for 10 GB over 30 days. Vodafone’s 20 GB for 10 days at €18.72 undercuts our 20 GB at €20.90, and above 20 GB the Tera Pack with 1 TB for 15 days at €29.73 is the better deal. As of 29 October 2026.
Do I need my passport to buy a SIM card in Albania?
Yes, take it with you. Vodafone’s online order form for tourists asks for your passport or ID card number, and stores register the line in your name. A travel eSIM bought before the trip needs no Albanian registration. As of 29 October 2026.
Does an Albanian SIM card work in Kosovo?
Yes. The six Western Balkan economies have charged no roaming among themselves since 1 July 2021, and Vodafone Albania applies its prepaid plans in Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina within a fair use limit. Tera Pack 3 includes 20 GB for the region. The POVNOMAD Albania eSIM works in Albania only.
Which mobile networks are there in Albania?
Two: One Albania with about 1.59 million customers and Vodafone Albania with about 1.40 million, according to the regulator AKEP for the first quarter of 2026. The POVNOMAD Albania eSIM connects to One or Vodafone automatically, on 4G, and includes hotspot.
Can I get a free SIM card in Albania?
Vodafone lists a tourist eSIM with 1 GB for one day at 0 lek, sold only on its website. It covers your first day, not a whole trip. The next size costs 600 lek (€6.61) for 3 GB over 3 days. As of 29 October 2026.
How do I know if the prices on this page are still current?
We read every operator and eSIM price on 29 October 2026 on the providers’ websites and name the source under each table. Vodafone’s tourist offers carry no end date. Operators change tariffs without notice, so check the price at the counter or in the order form before you pay.
This guide is also available in German. As of 29 October 2026. Prices read on that day on vodafone.al, povnomad.com, airalo.com and esim.holafly.com; exchange rate of the Bank of Albania for 29 October 2026. One Albania’s website could not be read. Prices and rules may change at any time.
