Phone and Internet in Spain: SIM Cards and Home Fibre
Llandora·Updated 2026-10-14
⚠️ Disclaimer: For general information only — not tax, financial, legal, or medical advice. Figures may be outdated or incorrect; tax rules change frequently. Verify important decisions with the CRA/IRS or a qualified professional (for health topics, a licensed healthcare provider). You use this information at your own risk.
The short answer
Spain has some of Europe's cheapest mobile data, and getting connected is fast. Prepaid SIMs start around €3–5/month with no contract, and 600 Mb fibre broadband runs roughly €25–30/month. A passport is enough to register a SIM.
Prepaid SIMs: the newcomer's default
Every prepaid SIM in Spain must be registered with an ID — a passport or NIE works fine. Buy at carrier stores, phone shops, supermarkets, or airport kiosks.
Digi — the price leader: prepaid from €3/month (5 GB), with popular tiers at €7 (50 GB), €10 (100 GB), and €15 (250 GB) per 28–30 days, on the Movistar network with EU roaming included.
Orange — Prepago 10 (€10/28 days) with generous data and unlimited calls; €15 and €20 tiers for heavy users.
MásMóvil — prepaid from €5, with €10/28 days (100 GB, unlimited calls) as the sweet spot.
Movistar, Vodafone — the premium networks; their prepaid starts around €10–15 and makes sense if you want the best rural coverage.
Realistic budget: about €5–15/month covers most newcomers comfortably. All plans include EU roaming at no extra cost.
Contracts (contrato): when to switch
Postpaid contracts usually give more data per euro, but signing one typically requires a NIE, a Spanish bank account, and sometimes proof of address. If you just arrived, start prepaid and switch after a few months — number portability (portabilidad) between carriers takes about 24–48 hours and your number is kept.
Low-cost contract brands worth knowing: O2 (Movistar's budget brand), Lowi (Vodafone's), Simyo (Orange's), and Pepephone. They offer the same networks at much lower prices, online-only.
Home fibre: 600 Mb for around €25–30
Fibre (fibra óptica) coverage is excellent in cities. Typical 2026 pricing for 600 Mb symmetric fibre:
Digi — from €15/month in cities with its own network (cheapest, but check your address).
Vodafone — €20/month for 12 months, then €30/month.
O2 — around €27/month, no-nonsense final price.
Yoigo / Jazztel — ~€19.90–19.95/month the first year, then ~€29.90.
Movistar — €24.90/month for 12 months, then €35.
So budget roughly €25–30/month for standalone 600 Mb fibre after promotions. Bundles (fibra + móvil) from €35–50/month can be cheaper overall if you also need a mobile line.
Practical notes: installation usually takes 3–10 days; the technician appointment is the bottleneck, not the paperwork. If you rent, confirm with your landlord that drilling for the fibre entry point is allowed — it almost always is, but ask first. Contracts may include a permanencia (commitment period, often 12 months) — check before signing, and know that the no-permanence options (O2, Digi) exist.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a SIM with just a passport?
Yes — passport registration is standard for prepaid. Contracts are the ones that usually demand a NIE plus a bank account.
Will my phone work in Spain?
If it is unlocked and supports European bands (it almost certainly does if bought in the last decade), yes. Spain uses the standard EU 4G/5G bands.
Is the "600 Mb" speed real?
On fibre, yes — symmetric 600 Mb up/down is typical and actually delivered. Wi-Fi in old thick-walled flats may be slower than the wired speed; the router placement matters more than the plan.
Do I need a landline (fijo)?
No. Most fibre plans include one by default with unlimited calls to landlines, but almost nobody uses it. Mobile-only life is completely normal.
What about internet in rural areas?
Fibre reaches most towns now, but remote villages may only have 4G/5G routers or satellite. Check coverage by address on the operator's website before signing a rural lease.
('Disclaimer — please read. This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not tax, accounting, legal, financial, immigration, medical, dental, or health advice, and reading it does not create a professional or client relationship between you and Llandora. Tax and immigration rules change frequently and differ by country, province/state, and personal circumstances; figures, thresholds, and examples in this article may be outdated, incomplete, or incorrect, and may not apply to your situation. Always verify current rules with the official sources (CRA, IRS, IRCC, USCIS) and consult a licensed professional before making any decision. Content about health, medical, or dental topics is general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment — always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition. Llandora makes no warranty of any kind — express or implied — about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of this content. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Llandora disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, cost, or expense arising from errors or omissions in this article or from any action taken or not taken in reliance on it, whether direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential. You rely on this article entirely at your own risk.', 'Disclaimer — please read. This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not tax, accounting, legal, financial, immigration, medical, dental, or health advice, and reading it does not create a professional or client relationship between you and Llandora. Tax and immigration rules change frequently and differ by country, province/state, and personal circumstances; figures, thresholds, and examples in this article may be outdated, incomplete, or incorrect, and may not apply to your situation. Always verify current rules with the official sources (CRA, IRS, IRCC, USCIS) and consult a licensed professional before making any decision. Content about health, medical, or dental topics is general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment — always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition. Llandora makes no warranty of any kind — express or implied — about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of this content. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Llandora disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, cost, or expense arising from errors or omissions in this article or from any action taken or not taken in reliance on it, whether direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential. You rely on this article entirely at your own risk.', "Avertissement — à lire attentivement. Cet article est fourni à titre informatif et pédagogique uniquement. Il ne constitue pas un conseil fiscal, comptable, juridique, financier, en immigration, médical, dentaire ou en santé, et sa lecture ne crée aucune relation professionnelle ou client entre vous et Llandora. Les règles fiscales et d'immigration changent fréquemment et varient selon le pays, la province/l'État et la situation personnelle ; les chiffres, seuils et exemples de cet article peuvent être obsolètes, incomplets ou inexacts, et peuvent ne pas s'appliquer à votre situation. Vérifiez toujours les règles en vigueur auprès des sources officielles (CRA, IRS, IRCC, USCIS) et consultez un professionnel agréé avant de prendre toute décision. Les contenus relatifs à la santé, à la médecine ou aux soins dentaires sont fournis à titre informatif uniquement et ne remplacent pas un avis médical professionnel, un diagnostic ou un traitement — consultez toujours un professionnel de la santé qualifié pour toute question d'ordre médical. Llandora n'offre aucune garantie, expresse ou implicite, quant à l'exactitude, l'exhaustivité, la fiabilité ou l'actualité de ce contenu. Dans toute la mesure permise par la loi, Llandora décline toute responsabilité pour toute perte, tout dommage, tout coût ou toute dépense découlant d'erreurs ou d'omissions dans cet article ou de toute action entreprise ou non entreprise sur la foi de son contenu, qu'ils soient directs, indirects, accessoires ou consécutifs. Vous vous fiez à cet article entièrement à vos propres risques.", 'Aviso legal — léalo con atención. Este artículo es solo para fines informativos y educativos. No constituye asesoramiento fiscal, contable, legal, financiero, migratorio, médico, dental ni de salud, y su lectura no crea una relación profesional o de cliente entre usted y Llandora. Las reglas fiscales y migratorias cambian con frecuencia y varían según el país, la provincia/estado y las circunstancias personales; las cifras, umbrales y ejemplos de este artículo pueden estar desactualizados, incompletos o ser incorrectos, y pueden no aplicarse a su situación. Verifique siempre las reglas vigentes con las fuentes oficiales (CRA, IRS, IRCC, USCIS) y consulte a un profesional autorizado antes de tomar cualquier decisión. El contenido sobre temas de salud, médicos o dentales es solo información general y no sustituye el consejo, diagnóstico o tratamiento médico profesional: consulte siempre a un profesional de la salud calificado ante cualquier duda médica. Llandora no ofrece ninguna garantía, expresa o implícita, sobre la exactitud, integridad, fiabilidad u oportunidad de este contenido. En la máxima medida permitida por la ley, Llandora rechaza toda responsabilidad por cualquier pérdida, daño, costo o gasto derivado de errores u omisiones en este artículo o de cualquier acción realizada o no realizada basándose en él, ya sean directos, indirectos, incidentales o consecuentes. Usted confía en este artículo enteramente bajo su propio riesgo.')