Traveling to Iceland soon and preparing your trip? Get ready to be blown away by the sheer beauty of this country. Avoid high roaming charges and get a local prepaid sim card for Iceland. In this blog you will read everything about buying a sim card for Iceland: up to date prices as per June 2022, best 4G/5G network in Iceland, where to buy a sim card, info about buying a sim card at Reykjavik Airport and even info about international and e-sim cards for Iceland.
It took me 106 countries to finally travel to Iceland. As expected it turned out to be an epic trip with glaciers, hikes, caves, black sand beaches and even the northern light.
As a full time nomad and world traveler the first thing I do in a new country is buying a local prepaid sim card. The cheapest way to stay connected when traveling. As I am also trying to visit every country in the world you can already find more than 150 prepaid sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: USA, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Dublin, Denmark, Copenhagen, Ireland, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Thailand, South Africa, Kenya, Europe, Asia, etc.
So whenever you are planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card advice. Bookmark this website.
Why buying a sim card in Iceland
Isn't Iceland most famous for its outdoor activities and road trips? So what if you are looking for directions on Google Maps or there is an emergency in your family? You are going to wait for the hotels WiFi? Bars and restaurants in Iceland mostly have free WiFi as well, but since everything is so remote, don't rely on their slow public WiFi.
Also reminding you that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED connection. Be sure to protect your data, the use of a VPN in these cases is recommended.
Getting a sim card for traveling in Iceland is easy, set up fast and you get a good amount of GB's for a fair price. For these reasons I always recommend travelers to get a local sim card on arrival
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Simmin sim card for Iceland as they have by far the best network and 10 GB data for 1 month will cost you around $23.
Another great alternative is a travel sim card. If you are looking to buy an international sim card I recommend you to read my article with a comparison of all the global sim cards for travelers in 2022 and pick the one that suits your trip. There are some great sim card deals for traveling to Iceland.
However, the easiest way to stay connected when traveling abroad in 2022 is an e-sim card.
E-sim card for Iceland
Get data on your phone when traveling abroad in 2022 without visiting a shop or swapping physical sim cards. How? Order an e-sim card! All new smartphones are equipped with the technology to use e-sim cards. You order online, receive a code, simply follow the instructions and you are good to go. Here are the best e-sim card deals for Iceland:
- 1 GB for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB for 30 days = $9 USD
- 5 GB for 30 days = $13 USD
These e-sim cards are data-only and calls are not supported, but it is cheap right? Click here to order an e-sim card for Iceland directly online.
If you like the comfort of ordering a sim card for Iceland online, but you rather have a physical sim card or a sim card that supports calls then click on the banner above for a bunch of international sim cards that can be used in Iceland. You can order them directly through the Simoptions website and they will ship a sim card to your home address before your trip to Iceland. You can already get a sim card with 12 GB data + unlimited calls/text in all of Europe for less than $30. Click on the link for more info.
Iceland sim card and free roaming in Europe
Since summer 2017 there are no roaming costs anymore within Europe and since Iceland is part of the EU you can use your Iceland sim card in every other country in Europe at no extra costs. That simply means that you can use the data bundle of your Iceland sim card also in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, etc.
There are also designated sim cards for traveling in Europe, click here to find my comparison of the best sim cards for Europe in 2022. Or have a look at my complete guide with tips for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2022, including a list of the best prepaid sim card for tourists per EU country.
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Mobile internet operators Iceland
There are 3 mobile internet providers in Iceland: Vodafone, Siminn and Nova. All of them offer prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Where to buy an Iceland sim card
Upon arrival you can buy an Iceland sim card at Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik. There aren’t any mobile internet stores, but the at the 24 hour convenience store they sell Iceland sim cards for tourists. You can also try gas stations and some convenient stores in Reykjavik.
In case you didn’t buy one online yet, it is advisable to buy your sim card for Iceland at Reykjavik airport Keflavik.
Buying an Iceland sim card at Reykjavik Airport Keflavik
As soon as you walk out of the Arrivals door on your right hand side you will see a lime green convenient store. Here they also sell sim cards for Iceland. They offer prepaid Iceland sim cards from Vodafone, Siminn and Nova.
Iceland sim card insider tip: I asked the guy behind the counter which provider had the best network and he was clear in his answer… Siminn!
Buying an Iceland sim card in Reykjavik city center
Unfortunately in the city center of Reykjavik you can’t find any of the mobile phone stores. The Siminn, Nova and Vodafone store are all located out of the city center.
As part of my research I went to the official mobile providers stores in Reykjavik and found out that Vodafone, Siminn and Nova sell the exact same Iceland sim cards as you can get at the airport and at gas stations.
Your best bid for buying an Iceland sim card if you missed the opportunity at KEF airport is actually at gas stations.
Prices prepaid Iceland sim cards in 2022
All the below sim cards for Iceland can be bought as per June 2022 at Reykjavik Airport Keflavik at the lime green convenient store, at official stores in Reykjavik and also at gas stations. All the prepaid sim card packages are valid for 30 days.
Vodafone Iceland
- 2000 ISK ($16) = 5 GB data + unlimited calling + sms.
For the latest offers check out the Vodafone Iceland website. But it is a bit of a maze and prices are not displayed very well.
Nova Iceland
- 1,790 ISK ($14) = 1 GB data (1 GB in EU) + unlimited calling/sms in Iceland.
- 2,490 ISK ($20) = 10 GB data (5 GB in EU) + unlimited calling/sms in Iceland.
- 3,290 ISK ($26) = 100 data (10 GB in EU) + unlimited calling/sms in Iceland.
For the latest offers check the Nova Iceland website.
Siminn 1
- 2,900 ISK ($23) = 5 GB data + 50 minutes worldwide + 50 sms.
- 2,900 ISK ($23) = 10 GB data only.
Check out the latest prepaid sim cards offers on the Siminn website.
Best mobile internet network in Iceland in 2022
Unfortunately there is no 5G in Iceland available yet. from what I have read on Twitter is that Vodafone has plans to offer it soon as well as Siminn. These are the Iceland 4G/5G coverage maps as per February 2022.
Nova Iceland network coverage
Vodafone Iceland network coverage
Siminn Iceland network coverage
From the above data we can clearly see that Siminn has the best mobile internet network in Iceland with Vodafone being a good runner up. Especially those tourists who are going all around Iceland I recommend you buying a Siminn sim card just because of their extensive network.
I would NOT recommend a Nova sim card for tourists on a road trip in Iceland. Simply because their network is too weak!
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Best Iceland sim card for tourists in 2022
Comparing the above dat for all prepaid sim cards in Iceland it is clear that Nova is cheaper than Vodafone and Siminn, but it has the smallest network in the country. Therefore I don't recommend a Nova Mobile sim card for traveling in Iceland. Considering all options I come to the conclusion that Siminn is the best prepaid sim card for Iceland in 2022!
For $23 you get 10 GB data plus they have the best network by far. For an expensive country like Iceland I can tell you this is actually pretty good rpice. Two beers in a pub are more expensive! :)
Don't want the stress of buying an Iceland sim card on arrival, remember that you can order a sim card for Iceland online as well. See below!
Buy a sim card for Iceland online
Prices for sim cards in Iceland are not that bad compared to other countries in Europe, but buying an international sim card that covers Iceland is the easiest way out and arrive prepared in Iceland. The sim card will be shipped to your home address before your trip and as soon as you arrive you are online. The following Iceland sim cards are also valid all across Europe:
1. Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 8 GB data
- Unlimited calls in Europe
- 30 minutes worldwide
- Unlimited sms in Europe
- 200 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
2. Three PAYG AIO15 - $29.90
- 10 GB data
- Unlimited calls within Europe
- Unlimited sms within Europe
- Valid 30 days
3. Three PAYG AIO20 - $39.90
- 12 GB data
- Unlimited calls within Europe
- Unlimited sms within Europe
- Valid 30 days
4. Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 20 GB data
- Unlimited calls in Europe
- 120 minutes worldwide
- Unlimited sms in Europe
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Click here to order an Iceland sim card directly online or find more info.
The sim card will be automatically activated from its first use so no need to worry about that either and no need to look for a shop on arrival in Iceland.
Also another reminder that Traveltomtom recommends e-sim cards for traveling abroad in 2022. Get your e-sim card for Iceland here.
Portable WiFi devices for Iceland
Don’t want to change the sim card in your phone? There is an alternative for buying an Iceland sim card.
Hotspot.rent Iceland
In front of the convenient store at Keflavik Airport you will also find a Hotspot.rent machine to order a portable WiFi device for Iceland. It will let you connect up to 10 devices at the same time while it gives unlimited 3G/4G. Price? 1,200 ISK ($9.50) per day. You have to rent the device for minimal 3 days.
You can print out your voucher and pick up your portable WiFi device around the corner. Fairly easy. As I didn’t try it out myself I don’t know about the battery life of the portable wifi device and the speed if you connect with more than 1 person.
I hope all the above tips for buying a sim card in Iceland or at Reykjavik Airport Keflavik were helpful. If there is anything I can still help you with don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below.
Curious what the life of a full time nomad and travel blogger who is aiming to travel to every country in the world looks like? As per June 2022 I visited more than 135 countries. Check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom.
Some links in this Iceland sim card article are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using the outgoing links I’ll earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your understanding!
