The Quick Travellers Guide to Buying a SIM Card in Greece
Apr 22, 2023
When travelling to Greece it is easy to pick up a local sim card (or e-sim). The main phone companies in Greece are Cosmote, Vodafone Greece, and Nova (previoulsy called Wind).
If you can avoid buying your sim card at the airport. Its best to grab one when you get to the city centre.
How to buy a SIM Card for Greece
Vodafone, Cosmote and Nova all have shops within the city centre. Your best option is to walk in any of those providers and ask for a sim card.
When in store, explain to the staff member what you are looking for and they will help you. They all speak English (very well) so you will not have any problem getting what you need!
You will be offered a prepaid sim card that usually lasts from 28-31 days, depending on the carrier.
Purchasing the sim card starts from €5, and then you will need to purchase your package.
Also ask for a en e-sim. All providers can set this up on your phone, as long as your phone is region free and has been unlocked.
When purchasing your new pre-paid sim card also ask if there is an APP for your plan, and install it in store. This way you will know how to use your app, and more importantly how to top-up your credit.
The 5G network in Greece works perfectly, so you will not need to worry about your data speeds. A word of warning, that some islands the network may drop down to 4G.
Greece prepaid SIM card providers
As mentioned it is best to go in store to purchased your pre-paid sim, but you can get an idea of the packages available via the following vendor websites:
Cosmote - https://www.cosmote.gr/
Vodafone Greece - https://www.vodafone.gr/
Nova - https://nova.gr
Best to view the above websites in Google Chrome as the browser will auto-translate the page for you to English (if there is not toggle to change the language).
Greece SIM vs EU SIM
If you are a EU citizen, by EU law your mobile phone will operate under the same plan as you have as your home. You will not need to get a Greek sim card, unless you prefer to have a greek phone number.
Just make sure you have roaming switched on in your phone settings to allow for EU roaming in Greece.
What do I need to buy a prepaid Greece SIM card?
You will need the following items to purchased a prepaid sim card
- Debit card or cash
- Passport - you will need your physical passport. A photo or photocopy of your passport will not be accepted.
Where to buy a SIM card in Greece
The best place to purchase a sim card would be in a major city such as Athens or Thessaloniki. The sim card will be cheaper than buying it at the airport or on the Greek islands.
Getting a Greece SIM card from a street vendor
In Athens, especially in summer there will be mostly Vodafone Greece street vendors at Syntagma Square (which is in-front of Parliament). You are able to purchase a sim card from them (but I would not suggest this). The safer option is going in store. You do not want to be showing your personal data to someone on the street, especially your passport!
Buying a package for your new Greek SIM card
Ideally the best package for anyone travelling through Greece is the data package. When visiting the store ask for a pre-paid sim card in Greece that contains the most data in their package. Sometimes they will push what they have in stock, but its best to ask.