Are you planning a trip to Philippines and wondering if you can buy a tourist sim card on arrival at Manila International Airport? The answer is yes!

This is a complete guide with everything you need to know before buying a sim card at Manila Airport in 2025.

Find out where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, my recommendation, info about eSIMs for Philippines and more.

In the past I used to buy a prepaid sim card in every country. Nowadays I mostly use eSIMs to stay connected abroad.

eSIMs are super convenient, but often a couple dollar more expensive. Depending on how much data you need it is worth ordering an eSIM for the Philippines on the internet before your trip, just like I did.

Table of Contents

Traveltomtom also wrote an extensive guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in Philippines and also a comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to the Philippines in 2025.

Some links in this article about buying a sim card at Manila Airport are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don't worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.

My recommendation

Traveltomtom recommends buying a Smart sim card at Manila Airport. For around $34 USD you get unlimited GB data. This is also the cheapest sim card for tourists they sell at Manila Airport.

But what if I tell you that eSIMs for the Philippines start from just $1 USD. Traveltomtom recommends Jetpac eSIM for Philippines with 10 GB data for just $15 USD.

Find more eSIM plans in my comparison of the best eSIMs for the Philippoines in 2025.

If you buy a prepaid sim card in a phone store in Manila it will be much cheaper than at Manila Airport. Tourist sim cards at Manila Airport come at tourist prices.

If you are traveling to multiple countries on your trip to Asia then check out some of the international prepaid sim cads for traveling abroad. These sim cards are valid in multiple countries and regions, so they could be great for your next trip around the world.

Are you traveling around Asia then you might want to look into buying an international sim card or eSIM for Asia.

Make sure your phone is unlocked otherwise none of the above prepaid sim cards and eSIMs will work in your phone. Contact your mobile internet provider in your home country if you are not sure about this.

Why buying a sim card for Philippines

Make sure you avoid high roaming charges at all times or end up with excessive high phone bills. Also don't opt for those slow and overpriced overseas data roaming plans, they reduce the data speed!

There are many reasons to stay connected when traveling to Manila. Having a data connection on our phone makes life so much more convenient. Think about ordering an Uber, getting directions from Google Maps or looking for a nearby rooftop bar, it is not possible without a data connection on your phone.

Also think about emergencies, checking your banking apps, etc. Don't depend on public WiFi. There is no guarantee. It can be slow and keep in mind that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN is recommended to protect your data.

To save money on high roaming costs you can order an eSIM for Philippines on the internet and arrive prepared or buy a Philippines prepaid sim card at Manila Airport on arrival.

Looking for the best way to stay connected when traveling abroad is a vital part of my travel planning.

Traveltomtom is on a journey to travel to every country in the world and everywhere I go I write sim card guides for other travelers to find the best ways to stay connected.

That is why on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Thailand, Bangkok, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Sydney, New Zealand, Auckland, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Europe, London, United Kingdom, Rome, Italy, USA, Canada and many more.

So next time you are planning your trip abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your holiday destination. Bookmark me!

Arrival at Manila International Airport

Manila is the capital city of Philippines and most international flights arrive at Manila International Airport. Manila Airport with airport code MNL is also called Ninoy Aquino International Airport - NAIA.

There are 3 terminals. Terminal 1 is mostly for domestic flights and low-cost carriers, Terminal 2 is used only by Philippines Airlines and pretty much all other major international airlines like Emirates, Qatar, Turkish Airlines, Qantas and all European airlines arrive and depart from Terminal 3.

There is free WiFi at Manila Airport but you need a phone number and be able to receive an sms to login, which can be a pain. When you manage to connect it actually works pretty fine.

As soon as you walk out of the plane a long hallway will direct you to passport control. There is only one way, so don't worry you won't get lost. You will walk past duty free and then around the corner there is immigration. You are required to fill out a health declaration form, which can be done online and there is WiFi available in this area. So while I was queueing up I filled out the health declaration form. Surprisingly, no one asked me or checked the QR code generated by filling out the health declaration.

Passport control was fairly busy but the wait wasn't too long. After passport control you take the escalator down into a huge baggage claim hall. In the baggage claim hall there are no facilities, all ATM's, money exchange, sim card shops, banks, tour agencies, car rental companies, etc. are in the Arrival Hall.

There is a luggage check x-ray machine, but only for carry-on luggage, it is a small machine. In my case everyone could walk past on my arrival and no bags were checked. Then finally you arrive in the Arrival Hall.

Where to buy a sim card at Manila Airport

where to buy sim card manila airport

It is very easy to find the sim card shops at Manila Airport where they sell tourist sim cards for Philippines. As soon as you walk into the Arrival Hall you can either go left or right. On both ends there is the exact same shop.

There are two sim card desks together in one sim card booth. One desk is from Smart and the other desk is from Globe. These are the main mobile internet providers in the Philippines.

The sim card shops are very easy recognizable as staff will be in front of them with signs for buying a sim card and trying to attract people by loudly screaming: ‘buy your prepaid sim cards for Philippines here'.

Great thing is that the sim card shops at Manila International Airport are open 24 hours and they accept international credit cards as well as cash. So no matter what time you arrive you can always buy a sim card at Manila Airport.

Prices prepaid sim cards Manila Airport

All info and prices are updated as per January 2025 and prices are in Philippines Pesos: $1 USD = 58.6 PHP and 100 PHP = $1.71 USD.

Expect to pay tourist prices for sim cards at Manila Airport. If you want the cheapest Philippines prepaid sim card deals then you have to buy a sim card in a phone shop in Manila City center and not at the airport.

At Manila Airport they sell tourist sim cards for tourist prices.

Globe

globe sim card for tourists manila airport

At the Globe shop they sell 5 different prepaid sim card plans for tourists which are all valid for 30 days:

  • 131 GB data + unlimited calls & text = 2,000 PHP - $34 USD
  • 200 GB data + unlimited calls & text = 2,500 PHP - $43 USD
  • 262 GB data + unlimited calls & text = 3,000 PHP - $51 USD

The Globe prepaid sim cards are 5G ready. As of 2025 Globe now also provide eSIMs for tourists as well as physical prepaid sim cards.

Smart

smart sim card for tourists manila airport

At the Smart shop they offer prepaid sim cards for Philippines with unlimited data valid for 30 days and they have 4 different tourist sims available:

  • unlimited data + 93 minutes = 2,000 PHP - $34 USD
  • unlimited data + 156 minutes = 2,500 PHP - $43 USD
  • unlimited data + 218 minutes = 3,000 PHP - $51 USD
  • unlimited data + 281 minutes = 3,500 PHP - $60 USD

The Smart prepaid sim cards are 5G ready and Smart also offers eSIMs for tourists. Physical prepaid sim cards are also available. You choose the tourist sim card you want at the Smart sim card shop at Manila Airport.

Best sim card for tourists at Manila Airport

When we look at the prices we see that there is hardly difference between the Smart and Globe prepaid sim cards plans for tourists. The cheapest sim card plans for both Smart and Globe are $2,000 PHP which equals $34 USD.

Although the same price, Smart gives you unlimited data and Globe gives you 131 GB data.

So the first match is won by Smart. Based on the prepaid sim card plans and prices Smart is the best sim card you can buy at Manila Airport.

eSIM plans for the Philippines start from just $1 USD, so why spending a minimum of $34 USD on buying a tourist sim card at Manila Airport.

Traveltomtom recommends Jetpac eSIM for Philippines with 10 GB data for just $15 USD. Find more eSIM plans in my comparison of the best eSIMs for the Philippines in 2025.

Tourist sim cards with data plans in Philippines are very big and although I am a very heavy data user even on a crazy day I barely use more than 5 GB. On average I use about 2 - 3 Gigabyte per day, mostly on social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.

For my research about the best sim cards for traveling in Philippines I also compared the network coverage maps of Smart and Globe. Both have a pretty decent 4G/5G network around the country and all the best places to visit and tourist destinations in Philippines are covered with a 4G and even often a 5G signal.

After my comparison I came to the conclusion that Smart has a more advanced 4G/5G network in Philippines than Globe. For more info check out my complete guide for finding the best prepaid sim card for Philippines in 2025.

Best eSIMs for Philippines

Local prepaid sim cards are not the only way to stay connected when traveling to the Manila. The easiest way to get data on your phone when traveling to Manila in 2025 is by ordering an eSIM online.

No need to go to a sim card store anymore on arrival in Manila and no need to buy a sim card at Manila Airport. As soon as the plane lands you are already online with an eSIM.

You can install and eSIM for Philippines in a couple simple steps and it only takes 2 minutes. You order online, you process the payment, you receive a QR code, you scan it, follow the instructions and you are all set.

For more detailed information about using eSIMs and an answer to all FAQ check out my guide about the best eSIMs for traveling to the Philippines in 2025.

Jetpac

The Traveltomtom Team has tested Jetpac in more than 10 countries and has only gotten positive feedback about using Jetpac eSIMs.

Not only does Jetpac have great eSIMs for traveling to the Philippines, it also adds another couple advantages like free VPN and airporte lounge access.

jetpac esim cards for philippines

The Jetpac eSIMs for Philippines are also valid in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

  • 1 GB data for 4 days = $1 USD
  • 3 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
  • 5 GB data for 30 days = $9 USD
  • 10 GB data for 30 days = $15 USD
  • 15 GB data for 30 days = $25 USD
  • 20 GB data for 30 days = $25 USD
  • 30 GB data for 30 days = $48 USD
  • 40 GB data for 30 days = $58 USD

Click here for more info or to order a Philippines eSIM from Jetpac.

Traveltomtom readers now get an extra 10% off on all Jetpac eSIMs when using the promo code: TOMTOM10 at check out!

Jetpac eSIMs are data-only eSIMs and they do not come with a phone number. Incoming and outgoing calls/sms are not supported. The Jetpac eSIMs are 5G ready and operate on the Globe network.

Airalo

Airalo is a recommended eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo multiple times.

airalo esim cards for philippines

Here are the eSIM plans for Philippines from Airalo:

  • 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
  • 3 GB data for 30 days = $9.5 USD
  • 5 GB data for 30 days = $13 USD
  • 10 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
  • 20 GB data for 30 days = $32 USD

Click here to directly order a Philippines eSIM from Airalo.

The Alpas eSIMs for the Philippines operate on the Globe network. They are not 5G ready, 4G/LTE only and it is a data-only sim card. Incoming and outgoing calls are not supported.

Before ordering an eSIM for Philippines make sure your phone is unlocked and eSIM compatible.

Check out my guide including FAQ about using eSIMs with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for the Philippines in 2025.

Order a prepaid sim card for your trip to Manila online

Remember that eSIMs can only be used in eSIM compatible phones. If your phone is not eSIM compatible and you want to order a sim card for Philippines on the internet then you have to look into buying an international prepaid sim card for Philippines.

These pre-activated physical prepaid sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip. You put them in your phone during your flight and you are online as soon as the plane touches the ground in Manila and your international sim card connects to an available network.

international prepaid sim cards for philippines

SimOptions is the only provider that offers international prepaid sim cards and for the Philippines there is only one available:

  • 10 GB data valid in 124 countries for 14 days = $49.90 USD

Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Philippines via SimOptions.

A last reminder that if your phone is eSIM compatible you can easily order an eSIM for the Philippines on the internet

For all Philippines eSIM deals check out my complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for the Philippines.

My experiences buying a sim card at Manila Airport

tourist sim card manila

Last year I was a couple times in Manila on a long stopover. I have traveled in Philippines extensively for several months on different trips back in the days of I used to backpack around the world.

Since I knew I was staying in Manila only for just a couple days I did not need so much data. So I bought an eSIM online from Airalo with 1 GB data for just $4.5 USD. It was the perfect match for what I needed and as soon as we landed in Manila I had a working data connection on my phone.

Vlog about buying a sim card at Manila Airport

For research purposes to get you the most detailed and up to date information I went all around the airport and filmed my experiences arriving at Manila Airport and created the YouTube video above to show you what it is like buying a sim card at Manila Airport.

However, when you ask me it is much better for your wallet to buy a sim card at Manila city center, but are you ready to wait a little bit or are you choosing convenience and buy your sim card at the airport?

Tips for how to get around Philippines

Let me help you find the best bus, boat, train and flight tickets when traveling in Philippines. Check out the below search engine for public transport and be amazed what they find. Try it below yourself.

Powered by 12Go system

At 12Go Asia you will get all the modes of transportations in one overview.

Bus, boat, flights are all displayed and travel time, price, available seats, etc. are all indicted and best thing is you can directly book your ticket online and instantly get a confirmation on your phone.

I am sure some of the above tips on how to stay connected when traveling to Manila were helpful. If you have any additional questions then please leave me a comment below or reach out to me on social media.

Curious what the road to 197 / visiting every country in the world looks like then head to my Instagram @traveltomtom and follow along. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still more than 40 to go, but no rush.

Enjoy your trip to Manila!