by | Last updated Nov 21, 2022 | Israel, Middle-East, SIM Cards, Travel Tips
Visiting Israel soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing an Israeli SIM card.
Fortunately, The Middle East is one of the best places you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in The Middle East. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Israel in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
That said, if you’re traveling to other countries in The Middle East, you should be able to use the same SIM card because most SIM card providers also offer coverage in other Middle Eastern countries.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Israel. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Hebrew – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Israel.
If you’re traveling in Israel, we recommend using a SIM card from Golan, Partner, or Pelephone. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to The Middle East, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Middle Eastern countries.
You can either buy an Israel prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a Middle Eastern prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Golan, Partner, and Pelephone.
Golan offers three different types of plans:
Partner has one relevant prepaid plan available:
Pelephone has three main prepaid plans:
Overall, we think Partner is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the Orange World Holiday SIM card works in more than 100+ countries and gives you up to 10 GB of data. Israel is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid Middle Eastern SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia. They currently offer 4 different packages.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for The Middle East.
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Israel.
Curious? Learn more about eSIM for travelers on esimroamers.com.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs in Israel.
If you want to buy an eSIM for Israel, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for The Middle East and Israel. I’ve been using Airalo in Asia for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available:
Here’s an overview of the options available in The Middle East:
The options mentioned above are part of Menalink and offer coverage in 15 countries, including Israel.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 87 countries, including Israel.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store. I’ve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine. They offer the following plans for Israel:
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Israel:
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Israel or even an eSIM for your travels in Israel is pretty easy. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in The Middle East without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase a Middle Eastern SIM card.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Israel if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.
Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Israel soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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