Prepaid 4G SIM / eSIM card in Albania: How much does it cost? Where to buy one? What speeds? Speedtest (2021)
Since Albania is not a member of the European Union, you’ll incur roaming charges if you use your French SIM card.
And that can get really expensive. For example, here are the roaming fees with Free.
When I arrived in Albania, I started by using my international Drimsim card while I bought a local SIM card.
In Albania, there are three mobile operators:
- Vodafone
- One
- ALBtelecom
Buy a SIM card before you leave
If you don’t want your first mission upon arriving in Albania to be hunting for a SIM card, you can buy one before you leave!
That’s what the company Holafly offers: you’ll receive the SIM card by mail at your home, and it will activate as soon as you insert it into your phone upon arrival.
You can check out Holafly’s offers via this link (you get a promo code: NOMADBENTO).
Buy an eSIM valid in Albania
Our partner Holafly offers eSIMs valid in Albania.
Check out this service on our article dedicated to Holafly eSIMs (with a promo code inside).
See the different eSIM offers for Albania. Feel free to use the promo code NOMADBENTO
Buying a SIM card at the airport
Since I arrived in Albania overland from Montenegro, we couldn’t see the offers available at the airport. If you have any feedback, feel free to share it in the comments.
Buying a SIM card at the land border
A reader (thanks Amélie) mentioned in the comments that she saw SIM card stands at the land border between Montenegro and Albania.
The stands were closed when she crossed, but know that it’s possible!
Buying a SIM card from One
In Tirana, we went to a One store.
The saleswoman spoke good English, which made communication easier.
Here are the different offers available, all valid for 30 days.
It seems like the offers include a quota of fast internet (4G), and once that quota is used up, you get unlimited slowed-down internet.
We were about to choose the “Unlimited L” plan with 3GB of internet for 1,200 Lek, but the saleswoman explained that the “Unlimited XL” plan was cheaper because it’s currently 50% off.
So we got 15GB for 1,000 Lek (€8).
To buy it, you need to present an ID and sign a contract. Then you just insert the SIM card into your phone, and it activates instantly. Don’t hesitate to ask the seller to do it for you to make sure it works. And make sure to keep everything, because the SIM card code is on the card (PIN1).
The speedtest (done in Tirana) gives a very satisfactory result with 58 Mb/s download and 22 Mb/s upload. Anh’s phone (an old iPhone) tends to get lower speeds than the SIM card’s actual capacity.
Once the 30 days are up, the credit expires, and you need to buy a top-up. You can do it through an app, but it’s only in Albanian, which is complicated…
You just go to a store, give your phone number, and say you want to top up. It takes about 5 minutes if the seller speaks a little English 🙂 We got a promotional deal: 30GB of internet + 100 minutes of international calls + unlimited local calls for just 1,000 LEK. Valid for 30 days.
Buying a SIM card from Vodafone
In Tirana, we went to a Vodafone store.
The two salespeople spoke English as well.
Here are the available offers, valid for 30 days.
There’s also a distinction between 4G internet and (probably) reduced-speed internet.
I chose the 200 Lek plan with 3GB of 4G internet, 5.5GB of reduced-speed internet, and 10GB for social networks.
To subscribe to this plan, you need to present an ID and sign a contract. No activation needed; the SIM card works as soon as you insert it into your phone. The PIN code is also on the Vodafone card.
The speed test (taken in Tirana) is very good with 124Mb download and 22Mb upload.
(The Vodafone and One speed tests were not taken with the same phone, so they may not be directly comparable.)
To top up my SIM card after 30 days, I went to a store. The top-up offers are exactly the same as in the photo above. The process was a bit longer than with One: the seller had to enter codes on my phone.
So One is proving to be a better choice than Vodafone for now: the prices are much better and the top-up process is simpler.
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Planning a trip to Albania? Our partner Get Your Guide offers entry tickets and guided tours with French-speaking guides at very reasonable rates. Click here to see what they offer and book online.
