Best Tourist Sim Cards in Serbia in 2025
Choosing a sim card is hard. We've analysed the best tourist sim cards in Serbia across pricing, coverage and data. Find out the best pick!
If you plan on visiting Serbia, having a sim card is essential for easy navigation and access to the internet. It allows you to find the best restaurants, get directions to your accommodation, book a taxi, and share photos with your family while on the move. Although roaming is an option, the international fees can quickly add up.
Therefore, we recommend either getting an eSIM or a local sim card to enjoy local phone rates. Luckily, acquiring either option in Serbia is incredibly convenient, but it’s important to know which one suits you best.
This in-depth guide provides all the information you need to purchase a sim card in Serbia, including current pricing and the ideal sim card for your needs.
The best sim card in Serbia is the Tourist Plan offered by Yettel. This plan comes in two packages. For most travellers we’d recommend the 1,399 RSD plan which comes with 50GB data for 30 days. Note that this recently more than doubled in price from 600 RSD, however, I still consider this to be a good value at just under 12 EUR.
This plan is particularly useful if you are planning to explore other countries in the West Balkan region as it includes 3.5GB data that can be used in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania.
A1’s tourist plan is very similar and is also a fantastic option if it is more convenient for you to visit an A1 store, however, Yettel has marginally better network coverage across Serbia. Last time we visited Serbia the Yettel store had sold out so we used A1 and it was fantastic.
Airalo’s Serbia eSim is another great choice for travellers who value the convenience of an eSim over a local, physical sim card. The prices for eSims are a lot higher than local sim plans in Serbia (around 1,300 RSD) so I can’t recommend it if you’re looking for the best value.
A Tourist Sim Card in Serbia costs either 600 RSD or 1000 RSD in January 2025, however, the exact price will often depend on the store you visit and the plan you choose.
Alternatively, an eSim in Serbia will cost between $5 USD and $21 USD. This, again, depends on how much data you require and which eSim provider you choose.
I generally recommend this Airalo plan for most tourists visiting Serbia which includes 3GB of data which is valid for 30 days and costs $13 USD.
The three main sim card providers in Serbia are A1, Yettel and MTS. All three providers have excellent mobile networks with extensive mobile coverage and fast mobile speeds.
In my personal experience, I’ve found A1 and Yettel to be excellent for travelling between Belgrade, Novi Sad and Subotica, however, Yettel is confirmed to have the best mobile network in Serbia. It is unlikely you will notice any difference in real-world use.
Prices and plans are roughly comparable across all networks, however, it can pay to confirm if they include roaming in the other Balkan countries at the time of purchase if this is something you require.
A1 is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Serbia and one of my preferred sim card providers. I used them in a recent trip to Serbia and found everything excellent, from the in-store experience through to the actual connectivity.
Their plans are slightly confusing. You get lots of data for 500 RSD valid for just 3 days initially, but if you top up immediately for an extra 500 RSD this period will extend to 10 days. This makes A1 the best value if you’re staying for either less than 3 days or less than 10 days. If you stay longer you will need to top up again making it more expensive than Yettel.
I find this unnecessarily complicated.
The price of a A1 tourist sim card in Serbia is 1000 RSD.
The plan offered by A1 stores includes 100GB data valid for 10 days.
Yettel has the best mobile network in Serbia with good coverage in all major cities as well as slightly more remote areas.
The price of Yettel’s sim cards are the highest but they are the least complicated with piles of data that is valid for 30 days.
The price of a Yettel tourist sim card in Serbia is 600RSD.
The plan offered by Yettel stores offers 1,399 RSD valid for 30 days.
MTS, or Telekom Srbija, is the largest telecommunications company in Serbia. As with Yettel and A1 they boast a fairly extensive mobile network with good download speeds.
MTS’ prepaid plans are also similarly priced to their competitors but the data it comes with is much lower. For this reason I recommend opting for Yettel or A1 instead.
The price of a MTS tourist sim card in Serbia is 999 RSD.
The plan offered by MTS stores includes 5GB data valid for 7 days.
Identify the mobile providers in Serbia: A1, Yettel and MTS are your best options in Serbia.
Find your nearest store: Locate a store or retailer by searching on Google Maps for your nearest store or asking at your hotel reception. I’ve never had issues finding a store as they can be found all over any major cities, shopping centers, or tourist areas. You can easily buy sim cards in major airports in Serbia. If you’re on a budget it is usually cheaper to use the airport wifi instead and purchase your sim card in a store near your hotel.
Bring the necessary documents: It is not legally necessary in Serbia to bring your passport with you in order to purchase a sim card. However, I still recommend bringing it just in case as it can be a major hassle to head into a A1, Yettel or MTS store only to have to come back again later with your passport – trust me, I’ve done this more than once!
Choose your plan: Either request the plan you are after or consult with the staff in the store to select the right plan for you. My recommendations at the beginning of this guide are likely to be your best option, for example the prepaid plan by A1 that includes 100GB data for 1000 RSD.
Pay and activate your card: You can expect to pay either 600 RSD or 1000 RSD to purchase your sim card. The staff in-store will help you install the sim card and activate it for you.
Test: It’s always a good idea to check that you can access the internet before you leave the store. I always try searching for something on Google then refresh my Instagram feed to check it’s working fine before leaving. If it’s not, the staff will be able to help you adjust your settings.
Buying a prepaid sim card for Serbia at the airport is usually considered the most convenient option for travellers arriving by plane.
However, airport stores selling sim cards are almost guaranteed to charge inflated prices, so if you are a cost-conscious traveller then you should definitely buy your sim card from a store in the city center.
In addition to this, we would argue that buying physical sim cards at all aren’t particularly convenient now that most people use esim compatible phones. If you are looking for the most convenient option, then buying an esim before you arrive or with the airport wifi is much easier and will save you having to queue up or communicate with staff.
If you must purchase a sim card at the airport in Serbia then you will be in luck. All major international airports in Serbia have stores selling sim cards. Despite the prices being higher than normal, the staff are knowledgable and will be able to get you set up with the correct sim card relatively quickly.
If you want to avoid the inflated sim card prices you’ll find at the airport and your phone isn’t esim compatible, then you’re going to need to head in to a store to buy your sim card.
I recommend visiting one of the official retail stores of the mobile internet operators such as A1, Yettel and MTS. Your best option is to enter their names into Google Maps and find the branch closest to your hotel or accommodation. Typically the staff in the official stores in Serbia are knowledgable and helpful which means you can ensure you’ll walk away with a functioning sim card.
Despite this, it’s always a good idea to check your internet is working before you leave the store by loading a Google search results page and your preferred social media app. You should also ensure you always bring your passport with you when purchasing a sim card in case they need to register it.
If you like to be prepared and would prefer to arrive in Serbia with your sim card all sorted and your phone ready to connect to the internet immediately then you should look into purchasing a sim card online.
The first option is to buy your sim card in advance via SimOptions, which is a company that will prepare and ship a sim card directly to your door. It’s a reliable and effective service, but with the invention of eSims it’s becoming obsolete.
The better option is to purchase an eSim online. We’ve written more on that below!
An eSim is a digital version of a traditional sim card and is most likely the future of connectivity for mobile devices. The convenience of no longer visiting a store, handing over your passport and purchasing a physical sim card is quickly making physical sim cards obsolete in favour of eSims.
We recommend Airalo’s eSim when travelling to Serbia. The Airalo Serbia eSim offers fast internet speeds, wide coverage and extremely competitive prices making it a far more compelling option than purchasing a physical sim card from any of the local sim card providers.
In order to get set up with an Airalo eSim, all you need to do is visit Airalo here and purchase the eSim online (the $13 USD plan is suitable for most travellers). Once you’ve purchased the sim card Airalo will email you instructions and a QR code. Following these instructions should take just a couple of minutes, then you’ll have a sim card in Serbia without having to venture outside.
Our preferred eSim provider in Serbia is Airalo. We used them, alongside a local sim card on another device, for our most recent trip to Serbia and found the service to be equal to the local sim card but without the hassle of acquiring a sim card in a store.
Airalo’s Serbia eSim uses the Yettel network to provide data and connect users to the internet. You can expect very good coverage and reliability with the Yettel networknetwork as they are amongst the best mobile internet operators in Serbia.
Here are the plans and prices for Airalo’s Serbia eSim:
1GB data valid for 7 days – Price: $5 USD
3GB data valid for 30 days – Price: $13 USD
5GB data valid for 30 days – Price: $21 USD
For most travellers we recommend the 3GB data plan for $13 USD which is valid for 30 days. Some travellers may prefer a larger plan, whilst travellers visiting for just a couple of days may be fine with a smaller plan.
An alternative eSim provider we can recommend is Holafly.
Holafly’s eSim is a suitable option for travellers who require large amounts of data, such as digital nomads and people who work online while they travel. All of Holafly’s Serbia eSims offer unlimited data.
Holafly’s Serbia eSim uses the Vip mobile d.o.o./Telenor d.o.o./Telekom Srbija a.d.network to provide data and connect users to the internet. This network will provide reliable speeds and coverage while in Serbia
Here are the plans and prices for Holafly’s Serbia eSim:
6GB data valid for 15 days – Price: $44 USD
An eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a digital SIM card that is permanently integrated into a device, like a smartphone or tablet. It eliminates the need for a physical SIM card to be inserted or removed.
Instead, the eSIM is part of the device’s hardware and can be remotely activated and programmed by a mobile network operator. This allows users to switch between different mobile networks or plans without the hassle of swapping out SIM cards.
eSIM technology offers convenience, flexibility, and simplicity, particularly for frequent travelers or those who regularly change mobile networks or travel internationally. It eliminates the need to buy and insert physical SIM cards, making it easier to manage multiple mobile connections on a single device.
To activate an eSIM, users can either scan a QR code provided by their network operator or manually input the activation information. Once activated, the device can connect to the chosen mobile network and access voice, data, and messaging services, just like with a traditional SIM card.
eSIM technology is becoming increasingly popular and is supported by a growing number of smartphones and other devices. Here are some examples of eSIM-compatible phones:
Apple iPhone series (iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, etc.): Apple was one of the early adopters of eSIM technology and offers support for eSIM on various iPhone models.
Google Pixel series (Pixel 3, Pixel 4, Pixel 5, etc.): Google’s Pixel smartphones also support eSIM functionality, allowing users to activate and use eSIMs.
Samsung Galaxy series (Galaxy S22, Galaxy Note 20, etc.): Many of Samsung’s flagship devices now come with eSIM support, enabling users to utilize eSIM technology.
OnePlus devices (OnePlus 7, OnePlus 8, etc.): OnePlus has included eSIM support in some of its smartphone models, offering users the flexibility of using eSIMs.
Motorola Razr (2020): The latest iteration of the iconic Motorola Razr features eSIM compatibility, enabling users to use eSIMs for cellular connectivity.
These are just a few examples, and the list of eSIM-compatible phones continues to expand as more manufacturers embrace this technology. There’s a very strong chance your phone supports eSims so if you’re unsure we recommend looking it up on our list of eSim supported phones.
Hi, I’m Mitchell. I’m a full-time traveller, explorer and travel blogger. I've travelled all around the world, using and testing countless travel sim cards along the way. I'm the founder of and writer for Travel Sim Expert where I write guides to help travellers stay connected all around the world.
Hi, I’m Mitchell. I’m a full-time traveller, explorer and travel blogger. Travel Sim Expert is a blog dedicated to helping you find the best sim card for you, no matter where you are or what your budget is.
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