Roaming in Portugal on a UK phone: the Algarve, Madeira and the Azores
In short
Your UK phone most likely works in Portugal without a daily charge: ten of the 15 UK networks include it within a fair-use limit that starts at 5GB a month (checked on 24 October 2026). EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky and VOXI charge £2 to £2.75 a day or sell a pass. Our Portugal plan is £2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, data only.
Information verified on 24 October 2026 at the official sources listed below. This is not financial advice; check card settings, fees and limits with your bank before you pay. How we check information.
On this page
eSIM for Portugal from £2.99 — see plans At a glance
- Purchase QR code by email · after payment
- Installation profile on your phone · up to 365 days
- Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts
Get an eSIM for Portugal — from £2.99
This site is not affiliated with any of the networks mentioned here; we sell eSIMs. How we compare
You may not need an eSIM. A golf week on the Algarve on an included plan needs nothing extra. An eSIM helps when your network charges by the day, your data cap is lower than your use, your network does not name the island you fly to, or you stay for the winter.
Is roaming free in Portugal on my UK network?
Yes on ten networks, each within its own limit; no on five. O2 allows up to 25GB a month, Lebara up to 30GB, Lyca Mobile 12GB (35GB on its largest plans) and SMARTY 12GB (checked on 24 October 2026, O2 EU roaming).
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your UK network | Included on 11 of 15 UK networks, within fair use otherwise £2.00 to £33.00 a day or pass from about £0.15 per GB | Data roaming on; on some networks a pass bought before you fly | Fair use limits and daily charges differ by network; check that yours covers Portugal |
| Pocket Wi-Fi router | Not verified | Collect it, keep it charged and return it | One connection for the group, only while you stay together |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Not verified | A free SIM slot and a shop after landing | On a one-slot phone it replaces your UK SIM |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from £2.99 by card; from £0.55 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to one operator | Data only: no calls or texts on your UK number |
Roaming prices as published by the 15 UK networks, checked on 24 October 2026; price per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in pounds at the day’s rate: your card is charged exactly that amount. This site is not affiliated with these networks; we sell eSIMs.
The low caps sit on three networks. giffgaff gives 5GB per plan and Asda Mobile 5GB a month. Talkmobile gives 5GB a month if you joined or upgraded on or after 14 March 2023, and 15GB before.
iD Mobile lets you use your full UK allowance “until further notice”, on a promotion; its usual limit is 30GB. Tesco Mobile says “There’s no cap/usage limit”, and BT includes Portugal in Roam Like Home. EU roaming included on many UK plans is each network’s choice, not a law (EU roaming after Brexit).
The other five charge by plan and join date. A “day” is a day you use the phone, not a day away. The week column is our arithmetic from each network’s published rate.
| Network | Charge in Portugal | 7 days of use | Pass for about a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | £2.72 a day on plans launched from 7 July 2021 | £19.04 | Weekly EU Pass £16.50 |
| Vodafone | £2.75 a day on pay monthly from 11 August 2021, without Euro Roam or Global Roam | £19.25 | 8-day pass £16 |
| Three | £2.75 a day on Lite and Lite+ from 18 December 2025; £2 if you joined from 1 October 2021 to 17 December 2025 | £19.25 at £2.75 | Go Roam in Europe, 7 days £12 |
| Sky Mobile | £2 a day on all plans except Diamond VIP | £14 | none; the £2 day is the pass |
| VOXI | no allowance abroad without a pass; 1 day £2.60 | £15 | 8-day pass £15 |
| Our Portugal plan | data only, no UK number, no calls or texts | 1 GB over 7 days: £2.99 | — |
Sources: EE (24 October 2026), Vodafone (24 October 2026), Three (24 October 2026), Sky (24 October 2026), VOXI (24 October 2026).
A network pass keeps your own number, minutes and texts. Ours is a data-only eSIM that starts on first connection to a network in Portugal, so your UK SIM stays in for calls. Roaming or eSIM sets the two side by side.
eSIM for Portugal: selected plans
The entry plan, our pick and a bigger one. “Our pick” is a mid-size plan chosen by us, not a sales ranking.
Prices are in pounds; you are charged in GBP, exactly the amount shown. The seller is registered in the United States, so your bank may apply its own rules to a payment to a seller abroad — how card payment works. It appears on your statement as JET SHARING. You pay on the secure Stripe checkout page, by card, or Apple Pay or Google Pay if Stripe shows them on your device.
What it costs per day
Plan price in pounds ÷ days, at the rate of 1 Nov. A longer plan usually costs less per day: pick by your trip length, not by the lowest daily price.
Madeira and the Azores: are the islands included?
Twelve of the 15 UK networks name both Madeira and the Azores in their Europe lists; Lebara, Lyca Mobile and giffgaff list Portugal without naming them (checked on 24 October 2026). Our Portugal plan covers both island groups.
How roaming in Portugal on UK networks treats the islands comes down to each network’s list. EE’s price guide names “Azores” and “Madeira” among its daily-charge countries, so the £2.72 a day applies there as on the mainland (EE price guide). Tesco’s roaming calculator puts it in one row: “Portugal (inc. the Azores and Madeira)”.
| Network | Madeira and the Azores | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| O2, iD Mobile, Tesco Mobile, BT, Talkmobile, Asda Mobile, SMARTY | named | included, with the same limits as the mainland |
| EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky, VOXI | named | the same terms as the mainland: daily charge, pass or included plan |
| Lebara, Lyca Mobile, giffgaff | Portugal listed, islands not named | ask your network before you fly |
| Our Portugal plan | named in the plan listing | the same plan and price as on the mainland |
If you fly between the mainland and the islands, a phone on board can join the aircraft’s own network. That is charged far above normal roaming: EE’s Aircraft Pass costs £16 per 10MB, which is £1.60 a MB (our sum, same EE price guide). Turn on aeroplane mode before take-off; a travel eSIM works on land networks, not in the air.
Winter in the Algarve: when do the day limits bite?
Nine UK networks put a time rule on roaming in Portugal. O2 charges £3.50 a GB after more than 63 days abroad in 4 months, and SMARTY may suspend service after 60 consecutive days (checked on 24 October 2026).
| Network | Time rule | After it |
|---|---|---|
| O2 | more than 63 days in 4 months | £3.50 a GB, 3.3p a minute, 1p a text |
| iD Mobile | 63 days or more in 4 months | 10p a MB, 3.2p a minute, 1p a text, with 14 days’ notice |
| Vodafone | more than 62 days abroad, or more use abroad than in the UK over four months | £3.83 a GB, 3.3p a minute, 1p a text, after a text 14 days before |
| Talkmobile | 61 or more days in 120 | a surcharge of £7 a week, after a warning |
| SMARTY | 60 consecutive days abroad | the right to suspend all services, with an alert two weeks before |
| giffgaff | 63 days | roaming switched off, then you pay from credit |
| Tesco Mobile | more than 2 months in a rolling 4 | 0.35p a MB on data, after a text and two weeks to cut back |
| Three | two complete months in a rolling 12, only in Go Roam destinations | roaming may be suspended |
| Lebara | roaming over 120 days outweighs your UK use | a surcharge of 0.20p a MB |
Rules from O2, iD Mobile, Vodafone, Talkmobile, SMARTY, giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Three and Lebara.
A three-month winter on the Algarve crosses every line in that table. We hold no long-stay rule for EE, Sky, VOXI, Lyca Mobile, BT or Asda Mobile, so read their fair-use terms before a long stay.
A data-only eSIM does not move your UK number, so keep the UK SIM in for calls and texts (keep your UK number). Our Portugal plans run up to 30 days from first connection, so a three-month stay takes three plans back to back.
How we compared eSIMs for Portugal
On 24 October 2026, four sellers’ 5GB, 30-day Portugal plans ranged from £6.99 to £7.49 in pounds to a UK visitor, against £5.99 for ours. Each figure is a data-only plan with exactly the data and days shown.
We name no seller, and the table is not a ranking. Promotional prices are out, and so are prices a UK visitor sees in dollars.
| Basket | Sellers’ range, 24 October 2026 | Our Portugal plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB, 7 days | £2.99 to £3.50 | £2.99 |
| 5GB, 30 days | £6.99 to £7.49 | £5.99 |
| 10GB, 30 days | £9.00 to £12.99 | £7.99 |
Coverage, network and speed differ by plan, so the figures are not like for like. Ours are GB and days plans, from 1 GB for 7 days to 20 GB for 30 days. On 4G/5G coverage we go by the plan listing: it names three Portuguese networks, 
MEO, NOS and Vodafone Portugal, each shown as 4G. We claim nothing for single resorts or golf courses. The listing sets no rule on hotspot and tethering, so we promise none.
Portugal SIM card vs eSIM: which for Lisbon and the Algarve?
A Portugal eSIM from the UK goes on your phone before you fly; a Portuguese SIM card is bought there. We hold no Portuguese retailer prices, so the Portugal SIM card vs eSIM choice here is not about price.
Our Portugal plan can be installed up to 365 days ahead and covers Lisbon and Madeira alike. It needs an eSIM-compatible phone that is unlocked. Install before you travel, on Wi-Fi at home, as the install guide shows. For a trip that adds Spain or another country, see the Europe guide.
Check before you fly
What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in Portugal?
Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.
The first is the line for mobile data. In the phone’s SIM settings, pick the travel line for mobile data; your UK line stays on for calls and texts, with its mobile data off.
The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats Portugal as roaming for it.
The third is the APN. On this plan it sets itself, so leave it alone; you don’t need to type one.
The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch aeroplane mode on and off, and let it find NOS and Vodafone; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.
Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimworld.co.uk with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.
What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)
For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, £2.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, £5.99. If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, £11.99, with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.
I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If your UK plan already includes Portugal and its fair use limit is enough for you, roaming costs you nothing extra and keeps your number (compare the networks). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Is roaming free in Portugal?
Yes on ten of the 15 UK networks, each within its own fair-use terms, starting at 5GB a month. EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky and VOXI charge £2 to £2.75 a day or sell a pass. Madeira and the Azores follow your network’s own list.
Does EU roaming cover Madeira and the Azores?
Often, but each network writes its own list; no law decides it. EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, Sky, VOXI, Tesco, iD, SMARTY, BT, Talkmobile and Asda name both islands. Lebara, Lyca Mobile and giffgaff list Portugal without naming them, so ask before you fly.
Sources checked: GOV.UK: Portugal travel advice · EE: Pay Monthly price guide, 31 March 2026 (PDF) · EE: roaming costs · O2: EU roaming · O2: roaming fair use terms · Vodafone: global roaming · Three: Go Roam · Three: roaming destinations · Sky Mobile: roaming · VOXI: European roaming · iD Mobile: EU roaming fair usage policy · Tesco Mobile: fair use and Home From Home policies (PDF) · giffgaff: roaming in the EU · SMARTY help: roaming and international · Talkmobile: acceptable use policy · Lebara: roaming rate finder · BT: what is Roam Like Home.
Sources are linked in the text; reviewed by Nadezhda Semenova. For the terms of your own contract, check with your network.
Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.
Get an eSIM for Portugal, from £2.99 Pay by card in pounds. The seller is registered in the United States, so your bank may apply its own rules to a payment to a seller abroad. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by email after payment. See plans