Coming to Spain from Latin America: getting your phone online
The EU's free roaming rules only protect customers of EU operators, so a plan from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia or any other Latin American country charges whatever its own roaming terms say. Most recent phones from the region work on Spanish networks, and many can add a data eSIM next to the home line, so WhatsApp keeps your number while the data comes from a local network.
See the Spain eSIMYour home plan sets the price, not Spain
Inside the EU, roaming at home prices is a right for customers of operators based in the EU, as we explain in roam like at home explained. Your plan from Bogotá, Monterrey or Córdoba is not covered by it. Some plans include days in Europe, some sell a daily pass and some charge by the megabyte; the only reliable answer is in your operator's app or contract, and it is worth reading before you board.
If roaming is not included, the safest setting is data roaming off on your home line before take-off, so the phone does not start downloading the moment it finds a Spanish network. Our guide on turning off roaming on your home line shows where the switch is on iPhone and Android.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
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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.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
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.
Will your phone work on Spanish networks?
For iPhones, Apple publishes the bands of every model by country. From the iPhone 16 on, the model sold in Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru is the same model Apple sells in Spain. The Mexican model is a different one, shared with Canada and Japan, but Apple's table lists for it the 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz LTE bands that also appear on the Spanish model.
For Android phones, go by the exact model number, not the name, and compare its bands on the manufacturer's specification page with those of the same phone sold in Spain. To add a travel eSIM, the phone also needs an EID and has to be unlocked: how to check eSIM support and how to check if it is unlocked. If you are unsure about your model, the compatibility list settles it before you pay.
Keeping your number for WhatsApp, family and the bank
A data-only eSIM does not replace your line; it sits next to it. WhatsApp keeps working with the number it was set up with, so your family in Guadalajara or Medellín writes and calls you as usual over the internet. Calls home through WhatsApp or FaceTime use data too, as explained in calling home with a data-only eSIM.
Bank codes sent by SMS are different: they go to the number registered with your bank and arrive on your home line only if it is switched on and reachable. Receiving them abroad may have a cost on a plan from outside the EU, so check your operator's terms and, before you fly, turn on your bank app's in-app approval if it offers one. More in getting bank SMS codes abroad.
Spain alone, or Spain and more
Many trips from Latin America combine Madrid or Barcelona with Paris, Rome or Lisbon. A country pack only works inside that country, so for a single-country trip the Spain pack is enough, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, while a route through several countries needs the Europe pack, which covers 33.
Three places near Spain catch people out. Andorra is not in the EU, and our guide on roaming in Andorra and Monaco explains what that means. Gibraltar is British territory, covered in internet in Gibraltar. And on the coast near the Strait, a phone can connect to a Moroccan network without you leaving Spain, as described in this guide.
The first hour after landing
Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, before the long flight; trying to do it at Barajas or El Prat after twelve hours in the air is harder than it sounds. On arrival, turn on the eSIM line and data roaming for that line only, and leave data roaming off on your home line. Our no-internet checklist covers the usual hiccups.
From there, the city guides help with the details: Madrid, Barcelona, Seville. For a taxi or a ride-hailing car from the airport, ride-hailing apps when you land explains what to set up first. The emergency number in Spain, as in the rest of the EU, is 112.
Does my Mexican, Argentine or Colombian plan get free roaming in Spain?
Not under EU rules, which only cover customers of EU operators. Your operator sets the price; some plans include Europe, others charge daily or per megabyte.
Will an iPhone bought in Latin America work in Spain?
Apple's band tables show that recent models sold in Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru are the same model sold in Spain, and the Mexican model lists the same main LTE bands.
Will I keep my WhatsApp number with a Spanish data eSIM?
Yes. The eSIM only carries data, and WhatsApp keeps using the number it was set up with.
Does the Spain pack work in the Canary Islands?
Yes. The Canary and Balearic Islands are part of Spain, so the Spain pack covers them.
Do I need the Europe pack if I also visit Paris or Rome?
Yes. A Spain pack stops working when you leave Spain, so a multi-country trip needs the Europe pack.
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 the Spain eSIM