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Italy eSIM in 2026: plans, tourist SIMs and Switzerland

Do you need an eSIM for Italy? Dated plan prices from Airalo and Italy's tourist SIMs, whether you need a Codice Fiscale, where to buy at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa, and why Switzerland is not covered by EU roaming.

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.

Staying connected in Italy is easy, and the local tourist plans are unusually generous. This guide compares an eSIM bought before you fly with an Italian tourist SIM, checks the tax code question, and covers the airports and the border with Switzerland. Every price is dated and sourced.

Planning a route? Start with our Italy country guide, the Milan and Florence city guides and, for Milan, our guide to Last Supper tickets.

Do you need an eSIM in Italy?

If your SIM is from an EU or EEA country, probably not. Italy is in the EU, so "Roam like at home" applies: calls, texts and data cost what they cost at home. The European Commission's Your Europe service says the regime also covers Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway "as well as in Moldova and Ukraine" (Your Europe, checked 22 October 2026).

Two catches: your operator may set a fair-use limit on roaming data, and may charge extra if, over 4 months, you spend more time and roam more abroad than at home (Your Europe). Our Hungary eSIM guide explains EU roaming in more detail.

If your SIM is from outside the zone (UK, US, Canada, Australia and others), plan ahead. "Other countries are not covered by this regime", Your Europe says, though many operators extend similar offers. A data eSIM or a local tourist plan is the practical choice.

Networks and coverage

Italy has four mobile networks:

  • TIM.
  • Vodafone. Now owned by Swisscom and run by Fastweb, but still sold as Vodafone: "Vodafone è un marchio licenziato a Fastweb S.p.A." (Vodafone is a brand licensed to Fastweb) (Vodafone).
  • WindTre (Fiumicino's shop list calls it Wind3).
  • Iliad. Its site shows no tourist plan; SIM activation costs EUR 9.99 (Iliad, in Italian).

What Airalo's labels mean. Airalo's Italy plan lists WindTre and Vodafone (both 5G) and Iliad (4G). It does not list TIM (Airalo plan page, as of 22 October 2026).

Islands. Airalo's plan notes say it "Covers mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Capri, Ischia and Elba." The operators publish coverage maps: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad (all in Italian). We do not rank the networks; check your route and download offline maps.

eSIM vs a local prepaid SIM

Do you need a Codice Fiscale (Italian tax code)? Not for the tourist plans. Vodafone's Dolce Vita offers "can only be activated by customers with a foreign tax code" (Vodafone). WindTre's tourist passes are "reserved for customers born abroad who do not have a tax code registered in Italy" (WindTre). TIM's tourist page sets no tax-code condition.

The rule often quoted comes from AGCOM, the regulator: a copy of an ID document and "un documento attestante il Codice Fiscale" (a document showing the tax code). But that rule (delibera 86/21/CIR) covers changing or replacing a SIM, including number porting (AGCOM, in Italian). We found no AGCOM page on what a tourist must show to buy a new SIM. WindTre's general eSIM page says online buyers must pass an identity check by video, SPID or Italian electronic ID card, and that the eSIM is active "dopo le 48 ore" (after 48 hours) (WindTre, in Italian). We did not go through checkout; carry your passport.

Unlike in Croatia, Italian tourist plans work across the EU, with a smaller data allowance there. They do not work in Switzerland (see below).

Local prices as of 22 October 2026, in euro (EUR). USD figures are our approximate conversion at the European Central Bank rate that day (EUR 1 = USD 1.1205).

OptionWhat you getPriceNotes
TIM Tourist200 GB (23 GB in the EU), unlimited calls in Italy, 100 international min, 30 daysEUR 14.99 + EUR 10 SIM (about USD 28.00)TIM stores; +100 GB for EUR 5 in store
Vodafone Dolce Vita Start100 GB (25 GB in the EU), 200 minEUR 14.95 a month (about USD 16.75)Vodafone stores
Vodafone Dolce Vita Pro200 GB (33 GB in the EU), 200 minEUR 19.95 a month (about USD 22.35)Vodafone stores
Vodafone Dolce Vita Ultra300 GB (41 GB in the EU), 200 minEUR 24.95 a month (about USD 27.96)Vodafone stores
WindTre Tourist Pass Digital200 GB (23 GB in the EU), unlimited calls in Italy, 100 international min, 30 daysEUR 25.00 (about USD 28.01)eSIM online, SIM included
WindTre Tourist Pass XL200 GB (15 GB in the EU), same calls, 60 daysEUR 25.00 (about USD 28.01)eSIM online, SIM included
WindTre Tourist Pass XXL200 GB (15 GB in the EU), same calls, 180 daysEUR 50.00 (about USD 56.03)eSIM online, SIM included

Vodafone shows no SIM fee and does not say whether the monthly price renews. WindTre does not say whether XL and XXL's 200 GB is monthly or for the whole period. Prices change often.

Price per GB. Vodafone's Ultra works out at about USD 0.09 per GB before any SIM fee; TIM Tourist and WindTre's Digital pass at about USD 0.14. Airalo's fixed plans below run from USD 0.70 to USD 4.00. For one week, Airalo's 7-day unlimited plan (USD 23.00) costs slightly less than a 30-day tourist plan (about USD 28); stay longer than a week and the tourist plan is better value. Only WindTre's can be ordered before you fly.

Where to buy. Rome Fiumicino's shop directory lists TIM (Terminals 1 and 3), Vodafone and Wind3 (Terminal 3) under "Mobile & SIM Card", all in Arrivals (Aeroporti di Roma). Listed hours vary (TIM, Terminal 3: 6:30 to 20:00). Milan Malpensa's shop list and services pages name no phone operator and do not mention SIM cards (Milan Malpensa).

Airalo plans for Italy

Airalo's Italy eSIM is data-only and covers Italy only. Prices below are as shown on Airalo's Italy plans (opens Airalo in a new tab) on 22 October 2026. The page showed USD; your currency may differ.

DataValidityPrice (USD)Per GB
1 GB3 days4.004.00
3 GB3 days7.002.33
3 GB7 days7.502.50
5 GB7 days10.002.00
10 GB7 days17.001.70
5 GB15 days11.002.20
10 GB15 days18.001.80
20 GB15 days25.001.25
5 GB30 days12.002.40
10 GB30 days19.001.90
20 GB30 days26.001.30
50 GB30 days35.000.70

Airalo also lists "Unlimited" plans: 3 days USD 11.00, 5 days USD 17.00, 7 days USD 23.00, 10 days USD 32.00, 15 days USD 44.00 and 30 days USD 64.00. Speed drops to 1 Mbps after 5 GB of use per day.

What the numbers say:

  • 10 GB for 30 days costs USD 19.00, only USD 2.00 more than 10 GB for 7 days: the safer buy if your dates might change.
  • Is a regional plan cheaper? If you add Switzerland, yes. Airalo's Europe plan (41 countries, including Italy and Switzerland) costs USD 28.00 for 10 GB over 15 days. Separate Italy and Switzerland plans at 10 GB each cost USD 40.00 together.
  • Hotspot: the plan details do not mention tethering. Airalo's help centre says it works "as long as it is supported by your device and the network" (Airalo Help Center, "Can I use tethering (Personal Hotspot)?").
  • Top-ups: Airalo lists the plan as rechargeable, and its plan data shows no ID check.

Setting it up

Before you fly

  1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to your home carrier.
  2. Buy and install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi. For Airalo's Italy plan, validity starts when the eSIM connects to a network in Italy, not when you install it (Airalo's Italy plans (opens Airalo in a new tab)).
  3. Save the QR code or installation details offline in case you need to reinstall.

At Rome Fiumicino or Milan Malpensa

  1. Switch mobile data to the Italy eSIM line.
  2. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. Airalo lists this as required on iOS and Android.
  3. If something does not work, use the free Wi-Fi: "AIRPORT FREE WIFI" at Fiumicino (Aeroporti di Roma) or "MALPENSA FREE WI-FI", with no registration (Milan Malpensa).

What to turn off

  • Data roaming on your home SIM, unless you are on an EU/EEA plan that includes it.
  • Automatic data switching between lines (iPhone: "Allow Cellular Data Switching"; Android phones have similar settings). It can quietly use your home SIM.
  • Near the Swiss border, your phone may join a Swiss network. Manual network selection on an Italian network can avoid charges (our suggestion; we found no regulator advice).

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

Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City

Switzerland is outside "Roam like at home". Your Europe's list (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova, Ukraine) does not include it. Check your home operator's Swiss prices before a day trip.

Italian tourist plans stop at the Swiss border too. WindTre says "Traffic generated outside the EU is not included" (WindTre), and TIM Tourist "can be used in Italy and roaming in EU countries" (TIM). TIM sells its prepaid customers a separate Switzerland option (EUR 5 a month for 5 GB, on offer until 29 November 2026); without one, its base Swiss roaming rates apply (TIM, in Italian). We did not confirm that it can be added to TIM Tourist.

Airalo's Italy plan does not cover Switzerland; its Switzerland plan costs USD 22.00 for 10 GB over 15 days, or use the Europe plan above.

San Marino and Vatican City are not named in Your Europe's list, and Airalo's Italy plan lists only Italy. Airalo sells a separate Vatican City plan on the same three networks. We found no operator statement on whether Italian tourist plans work in either, so we cannot confirm it.

Quick answers

Can I make calls or send SMS? Not with Airalo, which is data-only. TIM and WindTre include unlimited calls within Italy plus 100 international minutes; Vodafone includes 200 minutes in Italy and to over 40 countries.

Will I keep WhatsApp? Yes. WhatsApp stays linked to your registered number, not to the line carrying your data. Keep your home SIM in for verification codes.

How do I top up? Airalo tops up in its app. TIM Tourist does not renew by itself but can be reactivated with credit; WindTre's SIM "will be automatically deactivated at the end of the validity period".

Which currency? Italy has used the euro since 1999 (European Commission), so all local prices above are in euro.

Sources

Checked on 22 October 2026.

City guides in this post