How do I get a SIM, internet and call home?

Get a Spanish SIM in your first days: you need a local number for landlords, banks, Cl@ve and Bizum. Fibre is the normal home connection.

Your first SIM

By law, every operator selling prepaid SIMs must keep a register of buyers’ identity, so you will be asked for ID. Comparison site Kompara says a passport is usually accepted for prepaid, but many low-cost online brands accept only a DNI or NIE for contracts and fibre. Contracts often need a Spanish bank account (IBAN) too.

• Start with prepaid (prepago) in an operator’s shop with your passport, then move to a contract once you have your NIE and bank account
• Make sure your UK phone is unlocked, or use an eSIM
• Most plans include unlimited calls in Spain; you choose by data. Many are sold bundled with fibre (convergente)
• Read the permanence period (permanencia): leaving early can cost you, especially if a phone or installation was included

The networks

CNMC, the telecoms regulator, says Movistar, Vodafone and MasOrange had 85.5% of mobile lines in June 2026, and 98.1% with Digi. Digi and Movistar were gaining customers through number transfers (portabilidad). You can keep your number when you switch operator (portabilidad): 498,234 lines moved in June 2026 alone, so switching is routine. Smaller brands (OMV, the Spanish term for MVNOs) rent space on these networks: coverage is that of the host network, so check its map for your street.

Home internet

Fibre to the home (FTTH) is the normal connection: 18.2 million of Spain’s 19.9 million fixed broadband lines in June 2026. Comparison sites Selectra and Xataka list 1 Gb fibre-only plans from about €20 (Digi) to €41 (Vodafone) a month, with some promotional prices rising after a year. Installation is often free if you accept a minimum term. Ask about the connection at the viewing. See Finding a home to rent.

Why your number matters

• Cl@ve, the government’s online login, sends a welcome SMS to the mobile you register, and you then sign in with its app or a permanent password. You need it for tax, the DGT and many appointments (cita previa). See NIE, TIE and padrón
• Bizum, the instant payment service used everywhere in Spain, works through your bank’s app. You need an account starting ES (or AD). The Banco de España says the linked phone number doesn’t have to be Spanish
• Bizum payments are instant and can’t be reversed, so check the number before you send. Limits are set by each bank

More on accounts in Opening a bank account.

Calling home and your UK number

• Since Brexit, free roaming for UK SIMs in the EU is no longer legally required. Check your UK provider’s charges before relying on it in Spain
• UK law still caps data roaming spending at £45 a month unless you choose to go over, with alerts at 80% and 100%
• Spanish plans include EU roaming, but the UK is outside the EU: check the UK rates on your Spanish plan before visiting home
• Internet calls and messaging apps over wifi are the cheapest way to call the UK
• Many UK banks send security codes by text: decide whether to keep a cheap UK SIM or switch to app-based security before you go

TV

There is no TV licence for households. RTVE, the public broadcaster, carries no advertising and is funded by the state budget and by levies on TV and telecoms companies under Ley 8/2009.