How to Buy a Tourist SIM in Austria (2026): eSIM, Prepaid & Airport Tips

Updated May 7, 2026 · Jules de Bruin, Editor · For 1-2 week trips

Updated May 2026. For a 1-2 week trip to Austria, the easiest option is an international travel eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, Nomad) you activate before you land. For more data and a local number, pick an Austrian prepaid SIM: Lidl Connect Tarif L at EUR 9.50 per 30 days for 100 GB, HoT smart at EUR 5.90 for 10 GB, or KLAX Flex starter pack at EUR 10. Bring your passport: identity verification is required by Austrian law since 2019.

Options
At the airport
Supermarket
Online order
FAQ

Which tourist SIM is best for Austria?

Three good paths exist. Pick by what matters most: data volume, setup speed, or price.

FASTEST SETUP

International travel eSIM

Airalo Europe at EUR 14.90 for 10 GB / 30 days, Holafly Europe at EUR 34.90 for unlimited data, or Nomad Europe at EUR 19.90 for 20 GB / 30 days. Activate before you land; no passport check needed.

Best for: travellers who land at Vienna and want connectivity from gate to taxi.

MOST DATA

Lidl Connect Tarif L (Drei network)

EUR 9.50 per 30 days for 100 GB, unlimited national + EU minutes/SMS. Buy at any Lidl supermarket. Bring your passport for identity registration.

Best for: travellers staying 5+ days who want maximum data and a local number.

CHEAPEST PREPAID

HoT smart (Magenta network)

EUR 5.90 per 30 days for 10 GB. Buy at any Hofer supermarket. Faster availability than airport shops.

Best for: short stays where 10 GB is enough and you want the lowest spend.

Can I buy a SIM at Vienna Airport?

Yes. A1, Magenta, and Drei all have shops in the arrivals terminal at Vienna International (VIE). Bring your passport for the legally required identity verification. Walk-in price matches online; you skip the shipping wait. Airport shops typically open 06:00 to 22:00.

For Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, and Linz airports, the SIM-shop presence is thinner. The fallback is a Hofer or Lidl supermarket in town, or pre-loading an eSIM before departure.

Where else can I buy a tourist SIM?

· Hofer supermarkets sell HoT SIMs at the till. Available country-wide; activation needs passport registration on hot.at.
· Lidl supermarkets sell Lidl Connect SIMs in dedicated mobile racks.
· Spar / Interspar sell S-BUDGET MOBILE with strong prepaid value.
· BIPA / dm often have SIM packs at the counter from yesss! or Magenta.
· Trafiks (tobacco shops) sometimes sell prepaid SIM packs alongside transport tickets.

Can I order an Austrian SIM online before I arrive?

Yes for international travel eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly, Nomad). Order, activate, ready before you land. For local Austrian SIMs, ordering online from outside Austria is harder because identity verification flows often need an Austrian address. Workaround: order an eSIM from up by Drei, which is fully app-based and accepts foreign passport via in-app video-ID.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best tourist SIM in Austria for a 1-2 week trip?

For a 1-2 week trip, an Airalo or Holafly Europe eSIM is the easiest because activation finishes before you land. For local Austrian SIMs, Lidl Connect Tarif L at EUR 9.50/30d gives 100 GB. HoT smart at EUR 5.90/30d gives 10 GB. KLAX Flex starter pack at EUR 10 is the simplest pay-as-you-go option.

Can I buy a SIM at Vienna Airport?

Yes. A1, Magenta, and Drei all have shops in the arrivals terminal at Vienna International (VIE). Bring your passport. Airport shops typically open 06:00 to 22:00.

Do I need a passport to buy a tourist SIM in Austria?

Yes. Since 2019 Austrian law requires identity verification for every SIM activation, including prepaid SIMs sold at supermarkets. Bring your passport or your home-country ID card. EU citizens can use any EU ID; non-EU travellers need a passport.

Should I get an eSIM or a physical tourist SIM?

For most travellers in 2026, eSIM is the better choice. Activate it before you land, keep your home SIM for SMS-based 2FA, and avoid the airport shop wait. Pick a physical SIM only if your phone does not support eSIM, or if you want to use the SIM in a hotspot device.