Romania SIM Card for Tourists: Prices, Plans and Where to Buy

Romania’s local prepaid SIMs are worth considering if you need a Romanian number, calls or a large domestic data allowance. Orange and DIGI offer clear starting points, while Vodafone is another local option.

The important distinction is between the price of a new SIM, the credit used to activate a package and the final amount paid in Romanian lei. Your first package may also have different benefits from the option you buy when it expires.

Romania Prepaid SIM Prices at a Glance

Use this comparison to shortlist an option before buying. Local prices expressed in euro credit are different from a tax-inclusive checkout total in RON.

Local offer details checked on 12 September 2026; Roafly prices confirmed for this guide on the same date. Prices and benefits can change. Local euro-credit amounts exclude the final tax and currency calculation, and any separately charged purchase costs.

Vodafone remains an alternative, but a current, complete new-SIM price could not be verified for this comparison.

Local prepaid is particularly attractive for heavy data use and a Romanian phone number. Roafly suits visitors who would rather arrange their data before departure and keep their existing SIM in place. The allowances above serve different needs, so price per gigabyte alone is not a useful verdict.

Orange, Vodafone or DIGI: Which Local SIM Fits Your Trip?

Orange: compare starter benefits with recharge options

Orange’s PrePay starter SIMs provide a straightforward starting point. Both physical SIM and eSIM formats are listed, and the starter packages include calls as well as data.

The practical detail is what happens after the first package expires. Orange’s new-SIM offers and its regular recharge options are separate products, even when the euro-credit labels look similar.

Before buying, establish:

• Whether you are purchasing a new starter or adding an option to an existing number.

• Which benefits activate with that purchase.

• What the next package will cost if your stay extends beyond the initial validity.

Orange also offers local prepaid eSIMs. That means choosing eSIM does not automatically mean giving up the possibility of a Romanian number; local prepaid eSIM and data-only travel eSIM are different products.

DIGI: a physical prepaid option with substantial data

DIGI Național 4 combines its domestic data allowance with 1,000 national minutes, unlimited calls and SMS within DIGI, and 100 international minutes to specified EEA destinations.

The DIGI prepaid range separates the physical starter card from the options activated on it. The starter is listed at €4 excluding VAT, while its included initial credit is identified on the packaging.

Ask which option that credit will fund before paying. Do not automatically add the starter price and option price together: first establish whether the included credit already covers your chosen package.

DIGI’s €2 prepaid eSIM has a separate restriction: it is available only to people aged 14–25, with identity-document submission for age verification. It should not be treated as the default offer for every visitor.

Vodafone: get the exact new-number offer

Vodafone offers prepaid service for visitors, but buy against the terms of the specific starter available to you. Ask for a new prepaid number, rather than a number-transfer promotion or monthly subscription.

Your purchase quote should identify:

• The complete amount payable in RON.

• Included data, calls and validity.

• Any first-period promotion and the later renewal price.

• Whether the package works only in Romania or also includes roaming.

Without a verified current purchase total, there is no sound basis for ranking Vodafone above or below the other operators on price.

Where to Buy a SIM Card in Romania

An official operator shop is the most useful starting point if you want help choosing a package and getting mobile data working. Look for Orange, Vodafone or DIGI stores near your accommodation or arrival route.

That recommendation is about access to product advice and setup assistance. It does not assume every city shop has a lower price than every airport retailer.

Operator shops and other retailers

Ask for a cartelă prepaid or cartelă preplătită with a new number. Keep the package you want visible on your phone so the discussion stays focused on prepaid service.

Before leaving the counter, have the seller distinguish between the starter’s included credit and any extra payment required for your data option. Retain the receipt and SIM carrier, which contains information you may need later.

Buying after landing

Airport shopping can be convenient, but a current operator offer does not establish airport stock, counter hours or the price charged by a particular retailer. Avoid planning around an exact terminal purchase unless you have confirmed those details.

If you intend to buy in the city, save your accommodation address and arrival directions beforehand. Our guide to internet options in Romania also covers Wi-Fi and other ways to manage the gap before you have mobile data.

Buying, Activating and Recharging Your SIM

You need a carrier-unlocked phone with a suitable SIM slot for a physical card. An eSIM purchase instead requires an unlocked, eSIM-compatible device.

Keep your passport available when visiting a shop. Identity checks for a particular transaction, such as an age-restricted offer or number transfer, should not be confused with a blanket claim that every new physical prepaid SIM requires the same registration process.

A practical purchase sequence is:

1. Request a new prepaid number. Make clear that you do not want a subscription or number-transfer offer.

2. Get the final RON total. Separate included starter credit, extra credit, VAT and any service charge.

3. Activate the intended package. Having credit on the SIM is not always the same as having a data option active.

4. Test mobile data with Wi-Fi switched off. Open a webpage before leaving.

5. Save the expiry information. Keep the activation message, receipt and SIM carrier.

DIGI physical prepaid activation is available through a call to *777 or by selecting an option at *100#. The option you select must be covered by the available credit.

Understand what you are renewing

Package validity and SIM-account validity are separate. Your number may remain active after the included data or minutes expire, but continued usage can then draw on credit at standard rates.

DIGI’s national options can renew automatically when sufficient credit remains. If you only want one period of service, check the renewal setting before leaving unused credit on the account.

When recharging any local SIM, choose deliberately between adding credit and purchasing the data option you need. Also review the final payment screen: the nominal euro-credit amount is not the complete RON charge.

When a Roafly eSIM Makes More Sense

Roafly is useful when your priority is arranging mobile data before departure, avoiding a physical SIM swap and keeping your usual SIM available on a compatible dual-SIM phone.

Its Romania packages list Vodafone and Orange as supported local networks. They are data-only, with no Romanian phone number or ordinary cellular calls and SMS. Hotspot use comes from the purchased allowance, and top-ups are supported.

You can select your allowance through the Romania eSIM plans before travelling.

Local prepaid remains worth the shopping time if you need a local number, make regular cellular calls or expect to use much more data than a moderate travel package provides.

Roafly fits a different purchase decision: arranging a known data allowance without depending on local shop opening hours or physical SIM stock. If you are still deciding between digital options, you can compare eSIM options for Romania.

Keep your home SIM’s roaming settings under control when using two lines. Selecting the travel eSIM for mobile data does not make calls, messages or data on the home line free.

Using Your SIM Beyond Romania

Domestic data and roaming data are separate benefits. A large allowance for use in Romania should not be read as an equivalent allowance for the rest of Europe.

Before continuing to another country, establish:

• Whether roaming is enabled for your exact option.

• Which destinations are included.

• How much data is available abroad.

• Whether switching to a roaming option removes your remaining domestic benefits.

Under Vodafone’s prepaid conditions, national-only offers can be incompatible with roaming. Switching to a roaming offer can also remove the unused benefits of the national package.

Vodafone’s regulated roaming terms additionally allow requests for evidence of Romanian residence or stable links with Romania. Buying a Romanian SIM should therefore not be treated as an unconditional shortcut to domestic-rate service throughout a longer European trip.

The Roafly country package discussed here covers Romania. Plan onward-country connectivity separately.

Prepare for travel outside cities

Network names alone do not establish reception at every mountain accommodation, trail or rural stop. Download maps and booking details before heading somewhere you may need them without a connection.

If your itinerary includes hiking or remote sightseeing, combine that preparation with these safety tips for travelling around Romania. Mobile data helps with planning and communication, but it should not be your only way to navigate.

Romania Tourist SIM Card FAQs

Do I need a Romanian phone number for WhatsApp?

You can normally keep your existing WhatsApp number while using a different SIM or eSIM for internet access. Changing the data connection does not require changing your WhatsApp account number.

If you reinstall the app or need to verify the account again, access to the original number may still be necessary.

Can I use a local Romanian eSIM instead of a physical SIM?

Yes. Orange lists prepaid starter offers in both formats. DIGI’s prepaid eSIM has the age restriction described above, so local eSIM eligibility depends on the operator and product.

Check your exact phone model and carrier-lock status before buying.

Should I buy a new SIM if my existing plan includes Romania?

Check that plan first. If your existing allowance covers Romania and is sufficient for your trip, another SIM may be unnecessary.

The relevant figure is the data you can actually use in Romania under your home plan, including any fair-use limit or surcharge.

Which option would we choose?

For a physical SIM, start by comparing Orange’s new-SIM package with DIGI’s prepaid option and ask for the complete purchase total. Vodafone is worth considering when a shop can provide a clear, current offer.

For data arranged before departure, Roafly offers a simpler purchase process. Let the need for a local number, expected data use and time spent buying locally decide the choice.

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