Paraguay SIM Card for Tourists: Prices, Registration & Where to Buy

Tigo is our starting point for a local Paraguay SIM because it documents a registration route for selected foreign passports and identity cards. Local prepaid is worth considering when you need a Paraguayan number; Roafly suits visitors who want mobile data without arranging a physical SIM purchase.

The useful comparison is the complete cost of getting connected. Buying a data pack for an existing line and buying a new SIM with some credit included are different transactions.

Paraguay SIM Card Prices at a Glance

These options give you concrete prices to work with, but the local entries cover different parts of the purchase. Personal's online starter is included as a cost reference; foreign-passport eligibility for that online purchase remains unconfirmed.

Prices checked on 11 September 2026 using Tigo's prepaid offers, Personal's online starter listing and Roafly's confirmed standard prices. Prices and offer conditions may change.

The Tigo figures are useful package benchmarks, but an unconfirmed SIM fee cannot be counted as zero. Personal's included balance may help pay for a pack; adding the entire pack price to the starter price could overstate what you need to spend.

If you only need data, compare these costs with the Paraguay eSIM plans available for your trip.

Can Tourists Buy a SIM Card in Paraguay?

Yes, there is a documented route for visitors with eligible foreign documents. Eligibility needs to be matched to the operator and activation channel, so avoid assuming that every prepaid kit can be registered with any passport.

Tigo's foreign-document activation route covers passports or identity documents from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, the United States, Mexico, Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Lebanon and the United Kingdom. Registration requires:

• A photo of your identity document.

• A selfie.

• The document's expiry date.

• An address.

If your issuing country is absent, ask about assisted registration before buying a self-activation kit. That list describes one activation route, rather than every possible in-store purchase.

Personal and Claro also offer prepaid service, but their current public information does not clearly establish a complete foreign-passport purchase process for the offers considered here. With either operator, use a staffed service centre to settle eligibility before paying for a new line.

Tigo, Personal and Claro: Your Local Options

Tigo: useful weekly and monthly package benchmarks

Tigo gives you a practical choice between shorter prepaid allowances and a 30-day pack. Match the validity to your stay before comparing the amount of data: the shorter option in the table is useful for a week, while the monthly option avoids buying another pack solely because the first one expires.

The purchase channels also matter:

• Prepaid packs can be bought through Mi Tigo, by dialling *222#, or at sales points.

• Some offers are specific to digital channels, so the price shown for one purchase method may not describe another offer.

• Automatically purchased daily packs are separate products; select a one-off pack if you want to control each purchase.

Personal: distinguish starter credit from mobile data

Personal's online starter illustrates why the SIM price deserves its own line in your budget. It includes cash credit, which is different from a stated number of gigabytes with a fixed expiry date.

Before accepting a quote, have the seller separate:

• The starter SIM and any credit already included.

• The data pack you intend to activate.

• Any additional payment needed after using the included credit.

The online listing offers delivery in Asunción and Greater Asunción, with selected regional collection options. Delivery arrangements do not establish whether a visitor can complete the online identity checks, so treat this as a listed product price rather than a guaranteed tourist purchase route.

Use the online price for budgeting, then compare the contents of any in-store offer before treating the two as the same purchase.

Claro: settle the introductory offer before paying

Claro's prepaid service combines recharge credit with promotional benefits. The amount paid into the line, the bonus data and the validity of that bonus should be understood separately.

Its current prepaid sales page and activation help page give different data allowances for an introductory offer. That conflict makes a single headline allowance unreliable as the basis for a tourist recommendation.

At a Claro service centre, request the current offer for a new prepaid line registered with your document. Get the included data, expiry, starter cost and remaining cash balance together. Once those details are settled, you can compare the quote with the other options on equal terms.

Where to Buy and Activate Your SIM

Staffed operator shops

Operator service centres are the most useful starting point when passport registration or the contents of a starter bundle need explaining. Tell the agent you want prepaid service and show the document you will use before selecting a package.

Finish the transaction with a working line:

1. Get the total due today, including the SIM, activation and any required recharge.

2. Have the line registered in your own name and the chosen pack activated.

3. Turn off Wi-Fi and test mobile data before leaving.

4. Save the receipt and your local number, and note the pack's expiry.

Keep your passport and phone close while moving between shops. Our practical safety advice for Paraguay covers the broader precautions for your visit.

Retailers and self-activation

Tigo identifies airports, sales points, major supermarkets and pharmacies as outlets for its self-activating SIMs. This can be convenient when your document is eligible and you are comfortable completing the registration yourself.

Follow the kit's instructions to enter the SIM barcode, complete the identity checks and review your details before accepting the terms. Keep the message assigning your number.

Arriving at Silvio Pettirossi Airport

Tigo's inclusion of airports as a retail channel is not enough to promise a particular counter, opening time or starter price at Silvio Pettirossi. Keep a city-shop or preinstalled eSIM option available if your arrival depends on immediate connectivity.

If you are still deciding between a SIM, roaming and Wi-Fi, compare the other ways to get online in Paraguay before choosing your arrival setup.

Local SIM or Roafly eSIM?

The main decision is whether you need a local mobile line or simply internet access. Paying less for a local data pack can be worthwhile, but only after accounting for the starter cost and a registration route you can use.

Buy a local SIM when:

• You need a Paraguayan phone number or an offer with local calls.

• Your phone has a physical SIM slot but does not support eSIM.

• The complete prepaid quote suits your stay and you can complete registration.

Roafly makes sense when:

• You want to install your data eSIM before travelling.

• You prefer to avoid local SIM stock, shop hours and document registration.

• Your existing WhatsApp account and other internet-based communication apps cover your needs.

Roafly's Paraguay plans use Claro and provide data without a local phone number. Hotspot is supported throughout your purchased allowance, with no separate hotspot quota, and top-ups are available.

Between the two Roafly allowances in the table, the smaller pack suits a lighter data budget, while the larger one gives you more room for uploads and tethering. The right choice depends on your usage; hotel Wi-Fi and downloaded content can reduce how much mobile data you need.

If you want to compare Paraguay eSIM options more broadly, use the separate provider guide. Here, the comparison is between arranging a local line and choosing Roafly for travel data.

Coverage and Border Crossings

Choose coverage for your actual route, particularly if it includes rural accommodation or travel into the Chaco. City performance alone cannot tell you whether a particular road, lodge or remote stop has service; use operator coverage information and ask your accommodation about reception at its location.

Crossing from Ciudad del Este into Brazil, or from Encarnación into Argentina, also changes the connection decision. Roafly's country plan covers Paraguay. Tigo sells separate roaming packages, so choose the appropriate roaming allowance before using a local line across the border.

Keep these two trip checks separate:

• Within Paraguay: does the network serve the places you intend to visit?

• Outside Paraguay: does your exact package include service in the next country, and on what terms?

Download the maps and booking details you need before longer journeys. This remains useful whichever SIM you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my usual WhatsApp number?

Yes. You can keep using your existing WhatsApp account over another SIM's mobile data, including a Roafly data eSIM. Changing your internet connection does not require changing your WhatsApp number.

Keep access to the original number in case the app later asks you to verify the account again.

Will a Paraguay SIM work in a carrier-locked phone?

Your phone needs to be unlocked for use with another operator. Check its lock status with your home carrier before buying a local SIM or travel eSIM.

Roafly also requires an eSIM-compatible device. Phones without a physical SIM slot cannot use a plastic starter card, even if they are unlocked.

The best purchase is the one you can activate with your document and use for your actual trip. Get the full starter quote when a local number matters; use Roafly when travel data and avoiding a local SIM purchase are the priorities.

Roafly publishes this guide and sells the travel eSIM plans discussed above.