Mobile data in Gibraltar: you walk in from Spain and leave EU roaming behind
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, and since Brexit it is outside the European Union and outside the EU roaming rules. You cross on foot from La Línea in two minutes, nothing on your phone announces it, and your European plan can start charging you as if you had flown to another continent.
See eSIMs for GibraltarIs roaming free in Gibraltar?
- Plans from the EU and the EEA: no. Gibraltar left the European Union with the United Kingdom, so roam like at home does not apply and your operator charges whatever its international tariff says.
- UK plans: it depends on your operator. Some treat Gibraltar as part of their European or home zone, others do not, and it changed for several of them after Brexit.
- Plans from outside Europe: international roaming or a daily pass, as anywhere else.
This is the exception people get wrong most often, because there is no flight and no passport queue that feels like leaving Europe. Before you cross, check your own tariff: the EU roaming calculator shows what the European rule guarantees you, and Gibraltar is precisely where it stops.
eSIM for Gibraltar
Data on your phone the moment you land in Gibraltar. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
And if it turns out yours cannot use it, write to us and you get every cent back.
Discount code
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
The border plays tricks on your phone
- Where the European rule applies and where it does not: map of roaming in Europe.
- How British operators handle it since Brexit: UK roaming guide.
The territory is tiny and the border with Spain is a street. Phones on the Spanish side of La Línea can latch onto the Gibraltar network without anyone crossing anything, and phones inside Gibraltar can sit on a Spanish network for the same reason. That matters on a bill: which country you are billed for depends on the network your phone chose, not on where your feet are. If you are only walking up to the fence, keep data roaming off, or pick the network by hand in your phone settings instead of letting it choose.
Which eSIM works in Gibraltar?
A Gibraltar eSIM runs on the local network, GibTel (5G). There is a single mobile network in the territory, so there is no second operator to fall back on: what you get is what it covers, and it covers a place you can walk across. Data only, so your usual number stays on your own SIM and calls and bank codes keep arriving. Note that a Gibraltar plan does not cover Spain, and a Spain plan does not cover Gibraltar — for a trip that mixes both, look at a plan that lists the two.
Coverage: the town, the Rock and the runway
Main Street, the port, the marinas and the residential areas are well covered, with 5G. Up on the Rock, in the Upper Rock nature reserve and inside St Michael’s Cave and the siege tunnels it drops, as it would in any cave. The road across the airport runway and the border queue are covered, which is exactly where your phone is most likely to hop between the Gibraltar and Spanish networks. Download the map before you queue.
How much data for a trip to Gibraltar?
- 3 GB: a day trip or a long weekend, maps and messages.
- 5 GB: a week with photos and the usual browsing.
- More than that: Gibraltar only sells the 3 GB and 5 GB packs, so for a longer stay the Europe plan is the one that covers it — and it includes Gibraltar, Spain and the United Kingdom together.
The data calculator gives an estimate in five questions.
Prices for Gibraltar
Gibraltar data eSIMs: 3 GB for 5,79 € and 5 GB for 8,99 €. Those are the only two: a bigger plan for Gibraltar alone would cost more than the Europe plan that also covers it. The plan starts on the first connection in Gibraltar.
Does EU roaming work in Gibraltar?
No. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory outside the European Union, so roam like at home does not apply and your operator charges its own international tariff.
I am only crossing for the afternoon. Can my EU plan still charge me?
Yes. The rule follows the network your phone is on, not how long you stay. A few minutes on the Gibraltar network is enough to be billed as roaming outside the EU.
Can my phone catch the Gibraltar network from Spain?
It can. The territory is small and the border is a street, so signal crosses both ways. Turn data roaming off or select the network manually if you want to be sure.
Does a Spain eSIM work in Gibraltar?
Only if the plan lists Gibraltar. They are different countries for roaming purposes, so check the country list before you buy.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Gibraltar