Prepaid SIM/eSIM Australia: How to Buy a 4G Data SIM?
Roaming fees
Heading to Australia? Even though it’s on the other side of the planet, you’ll likely need internet on your smartphone. If you’re wondering about using your French phone plan there, the answer is no, unless you’re okay with a hefty bill. Except with Free Mobile!
Here are the roaming rates depending on the carrier.
| Carrier | Rate |
|---|---|
| Free Mobile | Included with the Free plan |
| Orange | €13.31/MB |
| SFR | €13.20 / MB |
| Bouygues Telecom | €10.24 / MB |
Buy a SIM card before you leave
To avoid excessive roaming fees, you can order a prepaid SIM card before you leave. You’ll receive the physical SIM by mail at your home. It will be ready to use as soon as you arrive in Australia.
With Holafly
Holafly offers this service and is very quick at shipping SIM cards.
See Holafly’s offers for Australia (and get a PROMO CODE!).
For Australia, Holafly offers two options with attractive rates.
| Validity | Data | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 8 GB | 34 € |
| 30 days | 12 GB | 44 € |
On Amazon
You can regularly find SIM card deals on Amazon.
The following offers are currently available.
| Validity | Data | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 8 GB | 35 € |
| 28 days | 6 GB | 26 € |
| 40 days | 20 GB | 42 € |
Buy an eSIM valid in Australia
If you have a compatible phone (don’t forget to check!), using the eSIM format might be more convenient.
Holafly offers this type of digital SIM card (read our review).
See Holafly’s eSIM offers for Australia. Feel free to use the promo code TOURDUMONDE5CONTINENTS
| Validity | Data | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB | 34 € |
| 30 days | 20 GB | 44 € |
Buying a 4G SIM at the airport
If you’re cutting it close, you can always find a SIM card at the international arrival airport.
Whether in Sydney or Melbourne, you’ll find Vodafone or Optus kiosks offering options.
Buying a SIM card in town
There are three main carriers in Australia:
- Telstra
- Optus
- Vodafone
Here are examples of data packs you can buy with Optus.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5 GB | 30 days | $ 30 |
| 25 GB | 90 days | $ 60 |
| 40 GB | 365 days | $ 130 |