Austria SIM Card for Tourists: Prices and Where to Buy

Austria’s local prepaid SIMs can offer substantial data allowances and an Austrian phone number for a modest initial price. The detail that matters is what you receive with the starter pack: its included data and first payment can differ from the tariff you renew later.

Local SIMs suit visitors who need ordinary calls or plenty of data. Roafly suits an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone when you prefer to arrange mobile internet before departure and keep your existing SIM in place.

Austria Prepaid SIM Cards: What You Pay Up Front

Compare the initial purchase separately from later top-ups. These options cover practical local SIM choices and two Roafly data packages.

Local offers checked with A1, Magenta and Drei on 16 September 2026; Roafly standard prices confirmed on the same date. Local retailer registration or setup charges may be additional. Prices and terms can change.

The local packages offer more data and include conventional calling. If your priority is having mobile internet arranged before arrival, an Austria eSIM avoids the physical SIM purchase and local registration process.

A1, Magenta or Drei: Which Local SIM Fits Your Trip?

A1 B.free: a substantial starter allowance

The B.free Welcome Package is useful for a stay within Austria when you want a local number and enough data for more than basic messaging and maps. Its physical SIM comes in mini, micro and nano sizes, so you remove the size your phone needs.

The welcome allowance covers the first four weeks. After that, select a continuing B.free tariff rather than assuming the same introductory allowance renews at the same price.

Current continuing options include:

• B.free S: 50 GB for €9.90 every four weeks, including 15 GB for EU roaming.

• B.free M: 60 GB for €14.90 every four weeks, including 23 GB for EU roaming.

• B.free L: unlimited domestic data for €29.90 every four weeks, including 46 GB for EU roaming.

Onward travel needs an active tariff with the appropriate roaming allowance. Treat the Welcome Package’s domestic data and the continuing tariffs’ EU allowances as separate offers.

Magenta KLAX M: a clear first-period deal

The KLAX M starter package combines a large domestic allowance with a defined EU allowance, making it useful for an Austria trip that continues into other covered countries.

Its main purchasing details are:

• The starter price includes the SIM and the first four weeks of service.

• Renewal costs €14.90 every four weeks.

• The calling allowance is 2,000 minutes or SMS combined.

• Magenta lists no activation charge or service fee for this starter offer.

That first-period price is especially relevant to a short holiday. Someone staying longer should budget using the renewal charge, and remember that four weeks means 28 days.

Drei: distinguish Talk EU S from the retail starter pack

Drei Talk EU S gives you a 30-day bundle with a separate EU allowance. The offer lists a €0-off charge, but that does not establish the complete price charged by every walk-in retailer.

Drei also sells a different retail starter package containing 16 GB for Austria, 1,000 minutes and 1,000 SMS for €9.90. That package should not be mistaken for Talk EU S simply because the price is similar.

Ask for Talk EU S by name if you want its allowance, and establish the complete price before paying.

Where to Buy a SIM Card in Austria

Operator shops are a practical first stop if you want help with identification and setup. Supermarket and other retail channels can be convenient when you are comfortable completing registration yourself.

City shops in Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck

Useful locations to consider along common visitor routes include:

• Vienna: the A1 shop on level 0 of WIEN MITTE The Mall, beside the Wien Mitte–Landstraße transport hub. It is a convenient place to look after arriving in that part of the city.

• Salzburg: the Drei shop at EUROPARK, useful if your plans already take you to the shopping centre.

• Innsbruck: the Magenta shop at DEZ, at Amraser-See-Straße 56a.

These are verified shop locations, rather than guarantees that every starter package is in stock. Ask for a prepaid Wertkarte and explain whether you need service in Austria or for an European trip.

Vienna Airport

Vienna Airport’s public arrivals area includes Welcome Yesss, a shop selling SIM cards and travel accessories. It provides an airport buying option, although the city and prices in the comparison table should not be treated as airport quotes.

Before paying, get the data allowance, country coverage and complete setup price together. An airport purchase is useful when you need a physical SIM immediately; otherwise, a city shop gives you another opportunity to choose the package.

Supermarkets and other retailers

HoT SIM cards are sold through HOFER supermarkets. Drei also distributes SIMs through specialist retailers, tobacconists and petrol stations.

Buying the sealed SIM and completing registration are separate steps. Keep the packaging until the line works, especially the part carrying the PUK code.

Passport Registration, Activation and Top-Ups

Austria requires identity verification before a local prepaid SIM can be activated. Bring your passport: A1 and Magenta both accept passports for registration, and their registration processes include shop-based and options.

Work through these steps:

1. Check your phone. It must be unlocked for another operator’s SIM and have a suitable SIM slot, or support the local eSIM you intend to buy.

2. Choose the exact package. Establish the included allowance, validity, first payment and any retailer registration or setup fee.

3. Complete identification. Keep your passport and SIM details available; the PUK may be needed.

4. Activate the bundle. Registration and adding credit do not always complete tariff selection. Follow the operator’s activation instructions.

5. Test mobile data before leaving. Turn off Wi-Fi and load a webpage. If calling matters, check that the correct voice bundle is active too.

There is no universal government-set €10 registration charge. Austria’s telecom regulator explains that identification fees depend on the provider or service used; independent retailers may charge for assistance, while identification is often free.

Online verification can involve photos of your ID and face. Austrian banking is identification method offered by some operators, but passport-based alternatives mean it should not be treated as a requirement for every visitor.

Top-up vouchers are useful if you prefer prepaid credit. Magenta also supports credit-card and-banking top-ups, while A1 offers top-ups through its app, website and vouchers.

Keep enough credit for a renewal if you want another period of service. These local bundles can renew automatically from sufficient credit; without an active bundle, usage may fall back to per-minute, per-message or per-megabyte charges.

Local SIM or Roafly eSIM?

The right choice depends on what you need your phone to do. If your existing roaming allowance might already cover the trip, compare the broader internet options in Austria before buying another connection.

A local prepaid SIM makes sense when you want:

• An Austrian number and conventional calls or SMS.

• A large domestic data allowance.

• In-person help getting the line working.

• Service for a phone that accepts physical SIMs but does not support eSIM.

Roafly makes sense when you want:

• To install your connection before leaving home.

• To avoid finding a SIM seller and completing local identity verification.

• To keep your existing SIM installed on a compatible phone.

• A-time data package without automatic renewal.

Roafly’s Austria plans list Drei (3) and A1 and provide data without a local number, ordinary calls or SMS. Hotspot uses your purchased allowance without a separate quota, and top-ups are supported.

If you have decided on digital setup, compare eSIM options for Austria for a fuller package comparison.

EU Roaming and Coverage Beyond the Cities

Domestic data and roaming data need separate attention on a multi-country trip. In the offers above, Magenta KLAX M includes 20 GB for EU roaming and Drei Talk EU S includes 15 GB, even though their Austrian allowances are much larger.

Switzerland needs its own coverage check. It is outside the EU, and an Austrian package with “EU roaming” should not be assumed to cover a stop there. Roafly’s country package discussed here covers Austria; destinations need an appropriate package.

Calls from Austria to another country are also different from roaming while you are abroad. Drei Talk EU S, for example, excludes calls and SMS from Austria to the EU from its included allowance.

Mountain scenery is another reason to choose by itinerary. Before spending time in Alpine valleys or at remote accommodation, examine coverage for those locations and download essential maps. Terrain, buildings and network load can affect the connection; an operator name alone cannot establish reception along an entire hiking route.

Austria SIM Card FAQs

Can I keep my existing WhatsApp number?

Yes. You can keep using WhatsApp with your existing registered number while the app uses data from a local SIM or Roafly. Changing the mobile-data connection does not require using WhatsApp’s Change Number feature.

What if my phone accepts eSIM?

Skip physical starter packs and choose an eSIM product. A1 offers B.free eSIM options, while Roafly provides a data-only alternative. Local operator eSIMs still require the applicable identity-verification process, so digital delivery alone does not remove registration.

Can I still receive messages sent to my home number?

On a compatible dual-SIM phone, you can keep your home line enabled while using the Austrian connection for data. Ordinary SMS sent to your home number depend on that line remaining active and your home operator’s roaming service; they do not arrive through a data-only Roafly plan.