TravelDatakit

Best eSIM for Bulgaria

Bulgaria sits inside the EU Roam Like at Home zone, so whether a travel eSIM is worth buying depends on where your plan is from. Provider choice matters for mountain routes and rural areas away from the Black Sea coast.

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Inside the EU Roam Like at Home zone 5 providers compared Vivacom has the widest rural coverage

Last checked: October 2026. Plans and prices change — verify before purchase.

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How much will it cost for your trip?

Compare providers based on real prices for Bulgaria.
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Field tip — Check your EU/EEA fair-use policy

EU Roam Like At Home rules apply in Bulgaria, but most EU carriers impose a fair use policy (FUP) that caps the data you can roam at a fraction of your domestic allowance. A French subscriber with 100 GB/month at home may only be able to roam 20–25 GB in Bulgaria before extra charges kick in. The exact cap depends on your carrier and plan. Check the FUP limit in your carrier's roaming terms before your trip. If your stay is short and within your FUP, your EU SIM may cover you at no extra cost. If you're staying longer or have a low FUP cap, a local eSIM is more predictable.

Field tip — download offline maps for mountain routes in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is an EU member state and uses the Euro. Cards are accepted widely in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas, and in most resort areas. Some cash is useful in smaller towns, mountain villages, local markets and rural petrol stations. ATMs (bankomat) are available in all cities and tourist areas. For the Rila Monastery circuit, the Rhodope mountains and the Vitosha massif above Sofia, download offline maps before leaving the city — signal is generally good in resorts and on main roads, but remote mountain trails and deep valley sections can have gaps.

Coverage notes cross-referenced from multiple independent sources.

eSIM — Bulgaria

Our selection of providers for Bulgaria — data-only plans, install before arrival. Use the calculator above to compare more options for your specific trip.
Saily
Prepaid tiers (1–20 GB) and unlimited plans with a 3 GB/day FUP then 1 Mbps. Routes via A1 Bulgaria.
From $1.99 Check plans on Saily
Roamless
Prepaid tiers, all 30-day validity. Network not confirmed. No unlimited tier.
$0.72 per GB Check plans on Roamless
Airalo
Prepaid tiers (1–50 GB), plan name Bultel. Routes via A1 Bulgaria 4G. Unlimited tiers available.
Unlimited from $11.50
Unlimited up to 3 GB/day at full speed, then throttled to 1 Mbps.
Check plans on Airalo
More options — aggregators
MobiMatter Not reviewed
Marketplace aggregating plans from 30+ eSIM providers.
30+ providers
Browse plans on MobiMatter
SimOptions Not reviewed
Multi-provider aggregator with coverage across 200+ destinations.
200+ destinations
Browse plans on SimOptions

Network coverage in Bulgaria

Bulgaria has three mobile operators: Vivacom, A1 Bulgaria and Yettel. For Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and the Black Sea coast, all three perform well on 4G/5G. Vivacom has the widest national footprint, with the strongest reach in rural areas and mountain regions — Rila, the Rhodopes, Pirin. A1 leads on 5G speeds in cities. Yettel is solid in urban centres with a lighter rural footprint.

Among the five providers on this page: Airalo (Bultel plan) and Saily route via A1 Bulgaria. aloSIM routes via all three networks (A1, Yettel and Vivacom). Roamless carrier not confirmed. Yesim carrier not disclosed. For mountain routes where signal can be patchy on some networks, see the field tip above.

Where are you travelling from? Does your plan cover this destination?

CarrierBulgariaVerdict
AT&T
All AT&T plansPlan data / 1 day: US$12; plan data / 30 days: US$120.Get an eSIM.
Verizon
Unlimited UltimateIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Verizon
Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Welcome5 GB / 1 day: US$12; 20 GB / 30 days: US$100.Get an eSIM.
T-Mobile
Experience Beyond (Go5G Next) · Experience More (Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX)Included in the plan.Keep your plan.
T-Mobile
Essentials2 GB / 1 day: US$10; 15 GB / 10 days: US$50; 30 GB / 30 days: US$75.Get an eSIM.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierBulgariaVerdict
EE
Full Works (2024+)Included in the plan.Keep your plan.
EE
Other EE plansPlan data / 1 day: £2.72; plan data / 7 days: £16.50; plan data / 12 days: £27.50.Compare: the pass may be enough.
O2
All O2 plansIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Vodafone
Global Roam (Xtra) · Euro RoamIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Vodafone
Other Vodafone plansPlan data / 1 day: £2.75; plan data / 8 days: £16; plan data / 15 days: £21.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Three
EssentialIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Three
AdvancedPlan data / 1 day: £2.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierBulgariaVerdict
TELUS
All TELUS plansPlan data / 1 day: CA$18; plan data / 14 days: CA$50; plan data / 30 days: CA$60.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Bell
All Bell plans5 GB / 1 day: CA$16; plan data / 7 days: CA$70; plan data / 14 days: CA$75; plan data / 30 days: CA$90; +1 more.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Rogers
All Rogers plansPlan data / 1 day: CA$18; plan data / 3 days: CA$45; plan data / 7 days: CA$75; plan data / 14 days: CA$100; +1 more.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Vidéotron
Forfait Canada et InternationalIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Vidéotron
Forfait Canada, États-Unis et Mexique · Forfaits Canada et États-Unis · Forfaits Canada et France · Other Vidéotron plansNo pass: pay as you go. (figure not confirmed by an official source)Get an eSIM.
Prices exclude tax.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierBulgariaVerdict
Telstra
All Telstra plans2 GB / 1 day: A$10.Get an eSIM.
Optus
Choice Plus, Plus Family, Plus Promo5 GB / 1 day: A$5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Optus
Other Optus plans1 GB / 1 day: A$10.Get an eSIM.
Vodafone (TPG)
All Vodafone (TPG) plansPlan data / 1 day: A$5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierBulgariaVerdict
Vodafone Ireland
All Vodafone Ireland plansIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Three Ireland
All Three Ireland plansIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
eir
All eir plansIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
Check whether this destination is in your plan's included zone.If not, an eSIM is almost always cheaper than pay-per-MB roaming.

Roaming or eSIM — should you buy?

YOUR SITUATION → USE THIS
Your carrier includes Bulgaria at a clear, affordable rate→Use roaming — no action needed
EU SIM — Bulgaria is covered by RLAH→Check your fair-use cap, likely no eSIM needed
UK SIM — post-Brexit, some carriers charge for EU roaming in Bulgaria→Check your specific carrier's Bulgaria terms
Coming from US / Canada / Australia / NZ — carrier roaming is expensive→eSIM is almost always the better option
Coming from Asia — carrier rates vary→Check your carrier rates first
Coming from another region→Check your carrier rates first — eSIM is usually cheaper than per-MB roaming

Arrival protocol in Bulgaria

Before departure from home
Check your phone supports eSIM — dial *#06#, look for an EID number.
Install the eSIM before your flight — activation is automatic on landing at Sofia Airport (SOF).
Save QR code and setup instructions offline.
Download offline maps for mountain routes (Rila, Rhodopes, Pirin) before leaving Sofia.
Keep home SIM active for calls and SMS.
After landing in Bulgaria
Go to Settings → Mobile data → select the eSIM as your data line.
Turn off data roaming on your home SIM.
Test with a page load. If nothing loads, toggle airplane mode for 30 seconds.
Do not delete the eSIM if it does not connect immediately — check settings first.

VPN, passwords and documents

Bulgaria has no internet restrictions. A VPN can be useful on public Wi-Fi (cafés, hotels, airports) to keep your browsing private from the network operator. A password manager can also be useful. A secure cloud backup of your passport, insurance certificate and hotel bookings is also useful — keep an offline copy too. None of these are mandatory.

Mistakes to avoid in Bulgaria

Relying on your home plan without checking its roaming data cap. Many plans include Bulgaria, but the roaming allowance is often far below the domestic one — a week of heavy use can exceed it.
Choosing an eSIM for a mountain trip without checking its network. For the Rhodopes, Pirin and the Vitosha backcountry, Vivacom has the wider rural footprint — see the network coverage block.
Not downloading offline maps before heading into the mountains. Rila Monastery and many Rhodope and Pirin trails have dead zones on all networks — download in Sofia before you leave.
Complete your travel kit
eSIM for mobile data
VPN for public Wi-Fi
Password manager
Cloud + offline docs
See the full checklist →

Common questions about eSIM in Bulgaria

Is a prepaid SIM available in Bulgaria?
Yes, but prepaid customers must register before the card can be activated and used. One Bulgarian operator's registration page lists, for a foreign individual without a Bulgarian personal number, a passport number or equivalent identity number, document type, nationality and date of birth. Identity document details are therefore part of setting up a local prepaid SIM.

Continuing your trip in Europe?

Many travellers combine Bulgaria with neighbouring countries. See our guides for eSIM in Romania, eSIM in Greece and eSIM in Turkey. For multi-country trips combining Bulgaria with neighbouring Europe destinations, our Europe regional plan comparison may be useful.