How to get a sim card in Albania? Where and Costs?
I received many questions asking “How to get a sim card in Albania?”. Therefore, I decided to write a helpful blog post about where you can buy a sim card in Albania and how much a sim card in Albania costs.
How to get a sim card in Albania? You can get a sim card in Albania at Vodafone, ALB Telecom or One Telecom. A basic mobile phone package costs 500 Leke (4.10 euros), which includes 50 minutes, 50 SMS and 50 MB Internet 3G/4G. You can buy a sim card at Tirana International Airport at the Vodafone store or ALB Telecom store.
In this blog post, I will compare the mobile packages from Vodafone, ALB Telecom and One Telecom, so that you can decide which store to visit. Furthermore, I will also list Internet-only packages. And I will give you a link to the store locators of the stores so that you can find the nearest store to your hotel.
Where can I buy a sim card in Albania?
You can buy a sim card in Albania at the Vodafone store, the ALB Telecom store or the One Telecom store.
Where can I buy a sim card at Tirana airport?
If you are flying to Tirana International Airport, you can buy a sim card at the airport. There are stores of Vodafone and ALB Telecom in the Arrivals Hall at the airport. When you arrive by aeroplane, you will first pass the passport control, then luggage collection and after that, you will go to the Arrivals Hall. In the Arrivals Hall, you will immediately see the Vodafone and ALB Telecom stores.
In case you do not have Albanian Leke currency with you, you can ask if they accept cash euros or foreign currency. If not, you can withdraw from the ATMs in the arrivals hall to pay for your sim card.
Where is the nearest sim card store in Albania?
If you did not buy a sim card at the airport, you can use the below store locators to find the nearest sim card store in Albania.
Vodafone has stores in all the big cities in Albania. You can check their store locator on the website, type in the city “Tirana” and search. You will see a Google Map with all the Vodafone stores in Albania. You can open the Vodafone store locator here: https://www.vodafone.al/en/store-locator/
ALB Telecom also has stores in all the big cities in Albania. You can open their store locator here: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/customer-service/help-and-support-1/points-of-sale/
One Telecom one has stores in the capital city Tirana. You can see their stores here: https://www.one.al/dyqane/
How much does a sim card cost in Albania?
A basic sim card in Albania will cost you 500 Leke (4.10 euros). For 500 Leke, you will get a package that includes 50-150 national minutes, 50-150 SMS messages within Albania and the internet.
- Vodafone Basic Package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 50 national minutes, 50 SMS national, 50 MB Internet 3G/4G - ALB Telecom Super Start Package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 150 national minutes, 150 SMS national, Unlimited internet - One Unlimited S package
Price: 600 Leke (4.95 euros)
Included: 100 national minutes, 100 SMS national, Unlimited internet - ALB Telecom Unlimited Super 800 Package
Price: 800 Leke (6.60 euros)
Included: 500 national minutes, 500 SMS national, Unlimited internet - Vodafone 4G Start Package
Price: 1000 Leke (8.25 euros)
Included: 300 national minutes, 300 SMS national, 200 MB Internet 3G/4G, 100 MB Internet 4G - One Unlimited M package
Price: 1000 Leke (8.25 euros)
Included: 400 national minutes, 400 SMS national, Unlimited internet
If you want to send international text messages, you will need to spend at least 1100 Leke (9.05 euros) on a sim card and mobile package. Because the cheaper packages only allow you to sent SMS text messages inside Albania.
- ALB Telecom Unlimited Super Package
Price: 1100 Leke (9.05 euros)
Included: 3000 national minutes, 500 SMS national / international, Unlimited internet - One Unlimited L package
Price: 1200 Leke (9.90 euros)
Included: 2000 national minutes, 200 SMS national / international, Unlimited internet
If you want to make international phone calls, you can buy the ALB Telecom Super Package 1300 for 1300 Leke (10.70 euros), which includes 30 minutes of international calling. Or you can buy a cheap package and buy additional international calling minutes separately. I made a list of the add on packages below.
- ALB Telecom Super Package 1300
Price: 1300 Leke (10.70 euros)
Included: 3000 national minutes, 600 SMS national / international, 6 GB Internet 3G/4G, 30 International Minutes - ALB Telecom Unlimited Super 1300 package
Price: 1300 Leke (10.70 euros)
Included: 2000 national minutes, 1500 SMS national, unlimited internet - ALB Telecom Gigastic Package
Price: 1300 Leke (10.70 euros)
Included: 600 national minutes, 600 SMS national, 16 GB Internet 3G/4G - Vodafone 4G Go Package
Price: 1600 Leke (13.20 euros)
Included: 2500 national minutes, 200 SMS national, 3GB Internet, 1.5 GB Internet 4G - Vodafone Gigamax package
Price: 1500 Leke (12.35 euros)
Included: 500 national minutes, 100 SMS national or international, 15 GB Internet, 10 International minutes, 5 GB Video Pass - ALB Telecom Super Package 1900
Price: 1900 Leke (15.65 euros)
Included: 3500 national minutes, 600 SMS national / international, 16 GB Internet 3G/4G, 120 International minutes - ALB Telecom Unlimited Super 1900 Package
Price: 1900 Leke (15.65 euros)
Included: unlimited national minutes, 1500 SMS national / international, unlimited internet, 150 International minutes - One Unlimited XL Package
Price: 2000 Leke (16.50 euros)
Included: unlimited national minutes, 500 SMS national / international, Unlimited internet
What is the cheapest sim card package with unlimited internet?
If you are looking for a cheap sim card with unlimited internet, you can buy the ALB Telecom Super Start Package or the One Unlimited S package.
- ALB Telecom Super Start Package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 150 national minutes, 150 SMS national, Unlimited internet - One Unlimited S package
Price: 600 Leke (4.95 euros)
Included: 100 national minutes, 100 SMS national, Unlimited internet
How is the WIFI coverage in Albania?
Wifi coverage in the bigger cities in Albania is good. In any of the big cities, like Tirana, Vlore or Saranda, you can use your mobile phone’s internet everywhere.
However, bear in mind that mobile internet does not always work in the remote mountain areas in Albania. To make sure you are well informed, I have inserted the WIFI coverage maps of Vodafone and ALB Telecom below.
As you can see ALB Telecom’s WIFI coverage map clearly shows they do not have coverage in the Albanian Alps, the East of Albania and around the border with Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Vodaphone’s coverage map shows they have better coverage, but still, there are areas, where there is no Internet coverage.
You can see the Wifi Coverage Map of Vodafone here:
https://www.vodafone.al/en/coverage-checker/
You can see the Wifi Coverage Map of ALB Telecom here: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/internet/albtelecom-wi-fi/coverage-map/
Does Albania have 4G?
Albania does have 4G in the big cities. There is 4G in Albania in Tirana, Durres, Shkoder, Saranda, Gjirokaster and Vlore. If you want to check another area in Albania that you are travelling to, you can check the WIFI coverage map of Vodafone:
https://www.vodafone.al/en/coverage-checker/
and the WIFI coverage map of ALB Telecom: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/internet/albtelecom-wi-fi/coverage-map/
If you want to buy a sim card in Albania with 4G, the cheapest option I found online was the Vodafone 4G Start Package for 1000 Leke (8.25 euros). Cheaper mobile packages did state they included internet but did not specify 4G.
- Vodafone 4G Start Package
Price: 1000 Leke (8.25 euros)
Included: 300 national minutes, 300 SMS national, 200 MB Internet 3G/4G, 100 MB Internet 4G
How can I get internet on my phone in Albania?
If you only want internet on your phone in Albania, you can buy an internet-only package. Vodafone, ALB Telecom and One Telecom offer daily and weekly internet packages.
The cheapest way to have the only internet on your phone is by buying the Vodafone daily internet package, which costs 60 Leke per day (0.50 euro). For 0.50 euros, you will get 100 MB of daily internet. This package could work really well for you, if you are staying only a couple of days and you just need internet on your mobile phone.
- Vodafone Daily 100 MB package
Price: 60 Leke (0.50 euro) per day
Included: 100 MB daily Internet - ALB Telecom Daily Internet package
Price: 100 Leke (0.82 euro) per day
Included: 0.5 GB daily internet - One Daily Internet package
Price: 200 Leke (1.65 euro) per day
Included: 1 GB daily internet
If you are staying in Albania for a week and you only want internet on your phone, you can buy a weekly internet package. Both Vodafone and ALB Telecom offer a weeklong internet package for 300 Leke (2.50 euros) with 1 GB of internet. I would personally recommend Vodafone as their coverage is a bit better.
- Vodafone 1 GB Weekly package
Price: 300 Leke (2.50 euros) per week
Included: 1 GB Internet - ALB Telecom Weekly Internet package
Price: 300 Leke (2.50 euros) per week
Included: 1 GB Internet - One Weekly Internet package
Price: 400 Leke (3.30 euros) per week
Included: 2 GB Internet
If you are staying in Albania for a month, you can buy a monthly package for 4.10 euros. One Telecom offers a monthly package with 3 GB of the Internet, which is the better deal.
- ALB Telecom Monthly 500 Internet package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 2 GB Internet - One Internet Xtreme M package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 3 GB Internet 3G/4G/4G+
How much does it cost to make International calls in Albania?
If you want to make International Calls when you are in Albania, you can add a package for 10 or 20 International Minutes on to your sim card. These packages for international minutes start from 200 Leke (1.65 euros). So it will definitely be much cheaper than using your international sim card or using the phone in your hotel.
- One International S+
Price: 200 Leke (1.65 euros)
Included: 10 International Minutes - ALB Telecom 10 International Minutes
Price: 300 Leke (2.50 euros)
Included: 10 International Minutes - Vodafone 20 International Minutes
Price: 300 Leke (2.50 euros)
Included: 20 International Minutes - One International M+
Price: 300 Leke (2.50 euros)
Included: 20 International Minutes - ALB Telecom 20 International Minutes
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 20 International Minutes - One International L+
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 40 International Minutes
Is roaming free in Albania?
If you want to use your mobile phone whilst abroad in Albania, you will be charged for roaming unless your sim card is from the Western Balkans.
As of July 2021, the Western Balkan countries have an agreement about roaming. So if you have a sim card from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia or Kosovo, you do not have to pay roaming charges in Albania. So with a Western Balkans sim card, you can make phone calls and send messages paying the same price you would be charged at home in Albania.
However, if you have a sim card from Europe or another country in the world, you will still be charged roaming fees. Since Albania is not a part of the EU or the EEA. So if you use your EU/EEA sim card in Albania, you will need to pay extra fees if you use your mobile phone in Albania. Instead, you can buy a local sim card in Albania, which will be cheaper.
How can I get data from Albania?
If you want to get mobile data in Albania, so that you can use the internet on your smartphone or tablet without using the WIFI of your hotel, you can buy a cheap sim card in Albania.
The cheapest packages are the Vodafone Basic package and the ALB Telecom Super Start Package. Both packages cost 500 Leke (4.10) and include 50 MB of Internet 3G/4G. Actually, ALB Telecom states that their Super Start Package includes unlimited internet.
- Vodafone Basic Package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 50 national minutes, 50 SMS national, 50 MB Internet 3G/4G - ALB Telecom Super Start Package
Price: 500 Leke (4.10 euros)
Included: 150 national minutes, 150 SMS national, Unlimited internet
Is Vodafone roaming free in Albania?
Vodafone roaming is not free in Albania. Vodafone has a list of roaming destinations on their website here: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/global-roaming/destinations . If you open the link, you can see that Albania is in Vodafone’s Zone C.
And for Albania and all other countries on Vodafone’s roaming destination list, there are extra charges when roaming in Albania. You can see the extra charges in the table below.
Is there good Internet in Albania?
The internet is good in Albania in the big cities. If you want to buy a sim card in Albania, you can check the WIFI Coverage Map of Vodafone and the WIFI coverage map of ALB Telecom on their website.
Vodafone WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.vodafone.al/en/coverage-checker/
ALB Telecom WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/internet/albtelecom-wi-fi/coverage-map/
The WIFI Coverage maps show that there is internet in big cities, like Tirana, Elbasan, Shkoder, Durres, Berat, Vlore, Saranda and Gjirokaster. However, if you drive on the road between cities or visit remote mountain areas, you may not be able to use your mobile internet.
Guesthouses and hotels do have free WIFI of course. But I have heard from some of my clients that the WIFI works in the lobby of their hotel, but not in their hotel room.
How fast is the internet in Albania?
The internet is fast in the big cities in Albania. Large cities like Tirana, Durres, Shkoder, Saranda, Gjirokaster and Vlore has 4G internet if you buy a sim card from Vodafone or ALB Telecom. Other places in Albania are mostly over 3G Internet Coverage.
If you want to buy a sim card in Albania, you can check the WIFI Coverage Map of Vodafone and the WIFI coverage map of ALB Telecom on their website.
Vodafone WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.vodafone.al/en/coverage-checker/
ALB Telecom WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/internet/albtelecom-wi-fi/coverage-map/
Is there WIFI in Albania?
There is WIFI in Albania in the bigger cities, like Tirana, Elbasan, Shkoder, Durres, Berat, Vlore, Saranda and Gjirokaster.
If you want to buy a sim card in Albania, you can check the WIFI Coverage Map of Vodafone and the WIFI coverage map of ALB Telecom on their website.
Vodafone WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.vodafone.al/en/coverage-checker/
ALB Telecom WIFI Coverage Map: https://www.albtelecom.al/en/individual/internet/albtelecom-wi-fi/coverage-map/
About me
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania. I arrange your transportation and I am your English speaking guide. So that, you get to experience the most beautiful places in Albania!
Kind regards, Manon
Welcome to Albania!
I am a Tour Guide in Albania
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.
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