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Bulgaria eSIM in 2026: plans, local SIMs and the euro

Do you need an eSIM for Bulgaria? Dated plan prices from Airalo and the three local networks, who EU roaming covers, how to set up, and what changed when Bulgaria moved to the euro.

By Nomad's Travel Guides. Published .

Researched from official and operator sources and fact-checked before publishing. Prices and rules change, so each one is dated where it appears.

This post contains affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Bulgaria is easy to stay connected in, but the right answer depends on where your SIM comes from. This guide compares an eSIM bought before you fly with a prepaid SIM from a Bulgarian network, and covers the 2026 switch from the lev to the euro. Every price below is dated and linked to the operator or official page it came from.

If you are planning a route, start with our Bulgaria country guide, then the Sofia and Plovdiv city guides.

Do you need an eSIM in Bulgaria?

If your SIM is from an EU or EEA country, probably not. Bulgaria is in the EU, so "Roam like at home" applies: calls, texts and data in Bulgaria cost the same as at home. The zone covers the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and since 1 January 2026 also Ukraine and Moldova (European Commission, as of 30 September 2026). The current roaming regulation is valid until 2032 (EUR-Lex summary).

Two limits matter. First, your operator can apply a fair-use limit on data if your plan is unlimited or very cheap per GB. Second, the rules are for occasional travel. If you spend more time and use more roaming abroad than at home over a period of 4 months, your operator may contact you and add a surcharge (European Commission). Long-stay nomads on an EU SIM should read that clause before relying on roaming.

If your SIM is from outside the zone (UK, US, Canada, Australia and others), plan for it. The EU rules do not set what your home carrier charges you in Bulgaria. The UK is outside "Roam like at home" since it left the EU, although some operators kept similar benefits (European Commission). For these travelers, a data eSIM or a local prepaid SIM is usually the practical choice. The rest of this guide is mainly for you.

Coverage: which networks, and where to check

Bulgaria has three mobile networks: A1, Yettel and Vivacom. Each publishes its own interactive coverage map:

The maps are interactive and we could not pull any written coverage claims from them, so we will not tell you which network is "best". What we recommend: before a hiking trip in the Rila or Pirin mountains, or a long train ride between cities, look up that exact area on the map of the network your SIM uses. Mountain valleys and rail cuttings are where any network is most likely to drop out, so download offline maps and tickets before you go.

Which network you get depends on the product:

  • Airalo's Bulgaria eSIM runs on Vivacom and Yettel (5G listed for both) (Airalo plan page, as of 30 September 2026). Airalo's plan text says "Vivacom and Telenor": Telenor is Yettel's former name, changed on 1 March 2022 (PPF Group).
  • A1's data-only prepaid packs work on the A1 network only.
  • Yettel's prepaid tourist eSIM works on the Yettel network only, and only in Bulgaria (Yettel).
  • Vivacom and Yettel SIMs use their own networks.

eSIM vs a local prepaid SIM

Local prepaid packs cost less per GB than an eSIM from a reseller. For most of them the trade-off is time and paperwork: a shop visit and an ID check. Yettel's tourist eSIM is the exception to the shop visit: you buy it on Yettel's website and the QR code arrives by email (Yettel).

Registration. Bulgarian law requires operators to collect the data needed to identify every prepaid user (Electronic Communications Act, § 80, English text on the Ministry of Transport and Communications site). A1 says a prepaid card must be registered in an A1 shop or a partner's store (A1), and its help pages say you need an identity document and a registration form, available in Bulgarian and English (A1 help). A1's English data-only pack pages are an exception on paper: they say "without registration" (A1). Bring your passport anyway.

Local prices as of 30 September 2026, in euro as each operator lists them:

OptionWhat you getPriceNotes
A1 Prepaid Data 15 GB15 GB data (plus a 5-day unlimited bonus)EUR 7.67eSIM or physical SIM. A1 network only. No SMS.
A1 Prepaid Data 30 GB30 GB data (plus a 15-day unlimited bonus)EUR 12.78As above
A1 Holiday Plus1,500 MB + 30 min to 50 countries, valid 10 daysEUR 3.07 (starter pack)Voice SIM. Data add-ons: 2,000 MB / 10 days EUR 5.11; 5,000 MB / 30 days EUR 15.33
Vivacom Free2Go35,000 MB + 1,000 national minutes + 10,600 MB usable in the EU; EUR 0.51 creditStarter price not shown on the pageStarter MB valid for up to 28 days
Vivacom Data2Go80,000 MB + 19,700 MB usable in the EUStarter price not shown on the pageData-only. Starter MB valid for up to 28 days
Yettel eSIM 25 GBUnlimited data for the first 5 days, then 25 GB for the remaining 25 days (30 days in total)EUR 10.23 (as of October 2026)Tourist eSIM, bought online. Data only, no calls or SMS. Yettel network, Bulgaria only, no roaming. Cannot be extended.
Yettel eSIM 100 GBUnlimited data for the first 20 days, then 100 GB for the remaining 40 days (60 days in total)EUR 40.90 (as of October 2026)As above
Yettel prepaid add-ons10,000 MB + 9,900 MB for EU roaming, 30 daysEUR 7.66 (page also shows BGN 14.99)Add-on for an existing Yettel prepaid SIM. We could not load the prices of Yettel's physical starter packs.

Three cautions on this table. A1 lists its extra 5 GB bonus as a promotion "valid until 31.08.2026", so we have left it out. Check what A1 is offering on the day you buy. A1's English and Bulgarian pages also describe the 30 GB pack differently: the English page lists 15 days of unlimited data and 30 GB for 15 days, while the Bulgarian page lists unlimited data for 10 days and 30 GB for 20 days, with the included data valid for 30 days from activation (A1, Bulgarian). Ask in store which applies. Vivacom's starter-pack prices load in a way we could not read, so we have left the price blank rather than guess. Ask in store.

Yettel's tourist eSIM unlimited data runs at up to 50 Mbps download, and the pack's validity cannot be extended: once it runs out, unused data is lost and the number stops working (Yettel eSIM terms, in Bulgarian).

Price per GB. A1's 15 GB pack works out at about EUR 0.51 per GB, and Yettel's 25 GB eSIM at about EUR 0.41 per GB before counting its unlimited days. The Airalo fixed plans below range from USD 0.72 to USD 4.00 per GB. Because the currencies differ, we have not converted them. The pattern still holds: if you will be in Bulgaria long enough to visit a shop, or can buy Yettel's eSIM online, a local pack gives you more data for the money.

Where to buy. A1 sells prepaid cards "in A1 shops or any of our partners'" (A1). Vivacom and Yettel sell through their own stores. We could not confirm on an official page today which operators have counters at Sofia Airport or what their hours are, so check each operator's store locator before you count on buying one on arrival.

Airalo plans for Bulgaria

Airalo sells a local Bulgaria eSIM. It is data-only, covers Bulgaria only, and runs on the Vivacom and Yettel networks. Prices below are as shown on Airalo's Bulgaria plans (opens Airalo in a new tab) on 30 September 2026. The page showed USD; you may see another currency depending on where you view it.

DataValidityPrice (USD)Per GB
1 GB3 days4.004.00
3 GB3 days4.501.50
3 GB7 days5.001.67
5 GB7 days6.001.20
10 GB7 days11.001.10
5 GB15 days6.501.30
10 GB15 days11.501.15
20 GB15 days19.000.95
5 GB30 days7.001.40
10 GB30 days12.001.20
20 GB30 days20.001.00
50 GB30 days36.000.72

Airalo also lists "Unlimited" plans: 3 days USD 11.50, 5 days USD 18.50, 7 days USD 26.50, 10 days USD 34.50, 15 days USD 48.00 and 30 days USD 71.00. Speed drops to 1 Mbps after 3 GB of use per day.

What the numbers say:

  • For a one-week trip, 10 GB for 30 days costs USD 12.00, only USD 1.00 more than 10 GB for 7 days. The 30-day plan is the safer buy if your dates might change.
  • The 7-day unlimited plan (USD 26.50) costs more than twice the 7-day 10 GB plan (USD 11.00). It is only worth it if you expect to use well over 10 GB in a week.
  • EU roaming: the plan covers Bulgaria only. If you continue to Greece, Romania or elsewhere, you need a separate plan.
  • Hotspot: the Bulgaria plan details we could see do not mention tethering. Airalo's help centre says you can use a personal hotspot with its eSIMs "as long as it is supported by your device and the network" (Airalo Help Center, "Can I use tethering (Personal Hotspot)?"). If you rely on it, check the plan details before you buy.
  • Top-ups: Airalo says the eSIM is "rechargeable online with no expiry".

Setting it up

Before you fly

  1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to your home carrier. Airalo's site has a compatibility check.
  2. If you want data the moment you land, buy and install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi. For Airalo's Bulgaria plan, validity starts when the eSIM connects to a network in Bulgaria, not when you install it (Airalo's Bulgaria plans (opens Airalo in a new tab)).
  3. Save the QR code or installation details somewhere offline, in case you have to reinstall.

On arrival at Sofia Airport

  1. Switch mobile data to the Bulgaria eSIM line.
  2. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. Airalo lists data roaming as required for this plan on both iOS and Android.
  3. If you are buying a local SIM instead, bring your passport to the shop and ask which package the price includes.

What to turn off

  • Data roaming on your home SIM, unless you are on an EU/EEA plan that includes it. This avoids surprise roaming charges on a non-EU SIM.
  • Automatic data switching between lines (iPhone: "Allow Cellular Data Switching"; many Android phones have a similar setting). It can quietly use your home SIM when the eSIM signal is weak.

Getting from the airport into the city is covered in our Sofia guide.

Money in 2026: Bulgaria now uses the euro

Bulgaria joined the euro area on 1 January 2026, at a fixed rate of EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583 (European Commission). For one month after that date, both currencies were legal tender. After that, lev notes and coins stopped being legal tender (Bulgaria's official euro portal, evroto.bg).

Old leva prices. Prices were converted by dividing the lev price by 1.95583 and rounding to two decimal places (evroto.bg). If you see an old leva price on a sign or a web page, as some operator pages above still show, that is the calculation to use. Showing prices in both currencies was compulsory from 8 August 2025 to 8 August 2026 (European Commission). Since 9 August 2026, prices only have to be shown in euro, but businesses may still show the lev equivalent for information (Bulgarian National Radio), so expect some signs to still show both.

Leftover leva. The Bulgarian National Bank exchanges lev notes and coins for euro free of charge, in any amount and with no time limit. Banks exchanged them free for the first 6 months. Since then they are allowed to charge a fee, and after 12 months they may stop offering the service (evroto.bg; Bulgarian National Bank, in Bulgarian).

Cards. We did not find a statement from the Bulgarian National Bank, Visa or Mastercard on how widely cards are accepted, so we are not making a claim either way. Budgeting for Plovdiv? Our Plovdiv guide has more.

Quick answers

Will my phone work? It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked. If it is locked to your carrier, a local physical SIM will not work either.

Can I make calls or send SMS? Not with Airalo's Bulgaria plan: Airalo describes it as a "data-only eSIM". Use internet calling apps, or keep your home SIM active for texts. A1's data packs also do not support sending SMS, and Yettel's tourist eSIM is data only. If you need a Bulgarian number for calls, A1 Holiday Plus or Vivacom Free2Go include minutes.

How do I top up? Airalo tops up in its app once the eSIM is installed. On local SIMs you add packages by SMS or USSD code: A1 by SMS to 1730 or *123#, Vivacom by SMS to 1236, Yettel by SMS to 125 or *123#. Each operator's page lists the codes.

Will I keep WhatsApp? Yes. WhatsApp stays tied to the number you registered it with, not to the line that carries your data. Keep your home SIM in the phone (as a second line) so you can still receive verification codes.

Does an unused local SIM expire? Vivacom says its prepaid cards are valid for 12 months from activation. A top-up above EUR 3.07 extends that by another 12 months (Vivacom). In the 12th month it works for incoming service only. Yettel's tourist eSIM is different: it lasts 30 or 60 days and cannot be extended (Yettel eSIM terms, in Bulgarian).

Before you go: checklist

  • EU/EEA SIM? Confirm your operator's fair-use data limit for roaming.
  • Non-EU SIM? Choose: eSIM bought in advance, or a local prepaid SIM on arrival.
  • Phone unlocked and eSIM-compatible.
  • eSIM installed at home over Wi-Fi; QR code saved offline.
  • Passport in your hand luggage if you plan to buy a local SIM.
  • Home SIM data roaming off; automatic data switching off.
  • Offline maps downloaded for mountain areas and long train rides.
  • A few euro in cash. Bulgaria no longer uses leva.

Sources

Checked on 30 September 2026; re-checked and extended on 5 October 2026.

City guides in this post