Traveling to Israel soon and looking for the best way to get connected? Surprisingly, Israel is NOT a cheap country but luckily prepaid sim cards and e-sim cards for Israel are cheap! So avoid high roaming charges and get yourself a sim card for traveling to Israel.
In this ultimate guide for staying connected in Israel you find everything you need to know about: buying a prepaid sim card in Israel, the best e-sim cards for Israel, up to date prices as per May 2023, where to buy a sim card, the best 4G/5G network in Israel, my recommendation, how to order a sim card for Israel online, info about international sim cards for Israel and much more useful travel tips.
As part of my journey to visit every country in the world I constantly arrive at an airport and get to a new country. Getting connected is the first thing I do when getting to a new country and I love to document all the info. Therefore on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 prepaid sim card guides from all around the world: USA, New York, Miami, Canada, Europe, London, Amsterdam, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, Guatemala, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Sydney, Singapore and many more.
Are you flying to Ben Gurion Airport then the fastest way to get connected is buying a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport. In the link you can find my guide for 2023 and see where to buy a sim card.
Why Buying a sim card for Israel
When there is WiFi everywhere you don't really need a sim card is what a lot of people say. Yes in an ideal world, but don't rely on WiFi in Israel. Although most restaurants, bars and hotels have free WiFi, it is often unreliable or too slow to even update an Instagram story.
Having a working data connection on your phone also makes traveling to Israel so much more convenient AND safer! What about emergency situation when on the road, getting directions from Google Maps, checking your online banking apps, finding nearby restaurants or simply order a taxi through an app. Trust me you will like being connected when traveling to Israel.
Are you not a fan of swapping sim cards and changing phone numbers then have a look into pocket WiFi's. These little portable WiFi devices are a great alternative for having internet abroad. I am not the biggest fan and in the link above you can find my HONEST review about these travel gadgets.
Be aware that using a foreign sim card in your phone only works if your phone is unlocked. If you are not sure about this contact your provider in your home country. European phones are mostly unlocked, American phones tends to be locked often! This also counts for international and e-sim cards for Israel.
RELATED: 33 Best Things To Do in Israel in 2023!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a sim card for Israel online in 2023. After comparing all the prepaid sim card deals for Israel and the e-sim cards this came out as the best buy. Sim to Israel offers a prepaid sim card for traveling in Israel with 150 GB data for $25 USD only. And you can order directly online.
Ordering a sim card for Israel from your couch for almost the same price as on arrival! It takes less than 3 minutes. Easy, fast, simple and no hassle of finding a phone store on arrival in Israel.
However, if you want to buy a prepaid sim card in Israel on arrival Traveltomtom recommends a Pelephone prepaid sim card. They have the best 5G network and for $18 you get 70 GB data.
Another recommended way to stay connected when traveling to Israel is an international travel sim card with global coverage. In my article about the best international sim cards for traveling in 2023 you will find my comparison and recommendations for a trip to Israel.
There are also sim cards for Asia that are valid all across the continent. In the link you will find the best options, however if you are looking for the easiest way to get connected when traveling to Israel then you should looking into getting an e-sim card for Israel.
Buy a prepaid sim card for Israel online
Definitely worth looking into is ordering a sim card for Israel online. It only takes a couple minutes and the sim card will be delivered to your home address within the next days. Click here to order a sim card for Israel travel and shipping is for FREE!
What do you get?
- 150 GB data + unlimited calls & sms in Israel + unlimited calls & sms to USA and Canada = $25 USD
That is an amazing deal!
And you can order it straight away. No hassle on arrival. The sim card will automatically be activated from its first use when arriving in Israel.
Depending how long you stay in Israel it gets a couple dollars more expensive.
A sim card valid for 7 days costs $25, 10 days = $29 USD, 14 days = $35 USD, 21 days = $39 USD, 30 days = $45 USD and many more. Click on the link above or the picture above for more info.
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Mobile internet operators in Israel
Israel is definitely unique in its kind, because there are 8 mobile internet providers in Israel. Can you believe that there are only 2 mobile internet providers in the USA for example.
Finding the best Israel sim card wasn’t an easy thing to do therefore as I compared all the prepaid sim card deals of every provider in Israel:
- Partner (former Orange)
- Cellcom
- 019
- Golan Telecom
- HOT Mobile
- Pelephone
- 012 Mobile
- Rami Levy*
Apart from Rami Levy I found out the prices for a prepaid sim card for Israel per provider. Therefore I didn’t include Rami Levy in my research for the best Israel sim card.
Registration process
Like in almost every couontry these days you can only buy a prepaid sim card when you have a valid ID. In the case of tourists traveling in Israel that will be a passport. It is mandatory for buying a sim card in Israel, so bring your passport to the store. In the phone store a copy of your passport will be taken and your new Israel sim card will be registered on your name and your passport number.
Where to buy a sim card for Israel
Mobile phone shops are scattered around the city and buying an Israel sim card in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem is pretty easy. Not only will you find loads of official stores, you can also find many mobile phone shops that sell Israel sim cards for tourists. Hitting a shopping mall is always a good idea when looking for a sim card.
Open Google Maps and search for the nearest phone store or the one you like the most and you will see all the stores around you.
Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv
As I said before it is easy to buy a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport on arrival. Click on the link to read my complete guide for 2023. You will find a book store that sells Partner Israel sim cards as well as a 019 Mobile shop. Be aware then when you decide to buy a sim card in Israel that prices for prepaid sim cards at Tel Aviv International Airport are significantly higher than sim cards deals outside the airport. You can also order a sim card for Israel online and pick it up for free at Tel Aviv Airport.
Eilat Airport
Are you flying directly into Eilat Airport then don’t worry. At Eilat Airport you can also buy a prepaid Israel sim card. There is a kiosk in the Arrival hall that sells prepaid sim cards for Israel. You can't miss it, the airport in Eilat is very small.
Online
I already explained it a couple times, but you can also buy sim cards for Israel on the internet and get them shipped to your home address, pre-activated and ready to use. For more about the best e-sim cards for Israel check below.
Prices prepaid sim card for Israel in 2023
Luckily most providers only have 1 or 2 Israel sim card for tourists available, which made my comparison of the prepaid sim cards in Israel much easier. All the prepaid sim card plans mentioned below are only for use in Israel. Prices are in Israeli New Shekel and updated as per May 2023: $1 USD = 3.64 ILS and 1 ILS = $0.28 USD.
Pelephone Israel sim card
A prepaid Phelephone Israel sim card comes with free use of social media apps + unlimited calling & texting. They have the following data packages valid for 30 days.
- 59 NIS ($16) = 70 GB data
- 79 NIS ($22) = 80 GB data
- 99 NIS ($27) = 100 GB data
For more info have a look at the Pelephone Israel website.
Partner Israel sim card
Partner has the best network in Israel, but not the best prices for prepaid sim cards.
- 100 NIS ($27) = 35 GB data + unlimited calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
The above deal is what you will find in phone shops in Tel Aviv, but on the Partner website the up to date deals are much worse. Also the Partner website is for the most parts NOT in English and does NOT translate automatically into English either.
Golan Telecom Israel sim card
An Israel prepaid sim card of Golan Telecom costs 19 NIS + there is a connection fee of 30 NIS. That is a total extra costs of 49 NIS = $15. Therefore their prepaid packages are
- 29.90 NIS ($8) = 150 GB data + unlimited calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
- 39.90 NIS ($11) = 250 GB data + unlimited calls & sms + 300 min international calls - valid for 30 days.
- 49.90 NIS ($14) = 500 GB data + unlimited calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
The Golan Telecom website has the latest prepaid sim card packages.
HOT Mobile Israel sim card
- 89 NIS ($24) = 50 GB data + unlimited calls to Israel/US/Canada - valid for 30 days.
- 129 NIS ($35) = 100 GB data + unlimited calls & text to Israel/US/Canada - valid for 30 days.
For the latest offers have a look at the HOT Mobile website.
Cellcom Israel sim card
- 49.90 NIS ($14) = 500 GB data + 500 minutes & 5,000 sms - valid for 30 days.
Seems like a great prepaid sim card package, but unfortunately I could not find this on my trip to Israel in any of the stores. The above though is the latest package I found on the Cellcom website. Mind you that the website does NOT translate to English and it hardly impossible to figure the extra costs like activation costs and sim card fee.
019 Israel sim card
The 019 sim cards cost 20 NIS ($3) and they have much smaller data packages.
- 19.80 NIS ($5.5) = 12 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
- 21.90 NIS ($6) = 30 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
For more info about the prepaid packages of 019 Israel, have a look at their website.
012 Mobile Israel sim card
I couldn't find any extra info about the sim card fee or the activation fee of 012 Mobile.
- 29.90 NIS ($8) = 150 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days + 50 international minutes.
- 49.90 NIS ($14) = 250 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days + 50 international minutes.
It was hard to figure out if the above packages were post paid plans or prepaid plans to be honest. The 012 Mobile website was not much of help either.
Best 4G/5G network in Israel in 2023
All the mobile internet providers have strong network coverage in all the tourist destinations in Israel. 019 and 012 Mobile operate on the network of Partner. Below you can see all the network coverage maps for Israel per mobile operator.
Is there 5G in Israel?
Yes, there is a pretty good 5G coverage in most places in Israel, especially the tourist destinations. In 2023 Pelephone is the provider with the best 5G network coverage in Israel. The Golan Telecom 5G network is very small.
4G/5G network coverage map Golan Telecom
4G/5G network coverage map Cellcom
4G/5G network coverage map HOT Mobile
4G/5G network coverage map Partner
4G/5G network coverage map Pelephone
From the above network coverage maps we can clearly see that Golan Telecom has the smallest mobile data network in 2023. For tourists traveling to off the beaten path places in Israel this is not the best Israel prepaid sim card. Pelephone and Partner have the strongest mobile network and the best 4G/5G coverage in Israel in 2023. That said all the Israel tourist destinations are covered with a 4G signal.
Simple conclusion is also that Pelephone has the best 5G network in Israel in 2023, Cellcom and Partner are a good second choice for 5G in Israel.
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E-sim cards for Israel
After you have seen the amazing Israel prepaid sim card deals I am sure the e-sim card deals for Israel are going to be a little disappointing. E-sim cards are a great alternative for NOT swapping physical sim cards though. But it leaves no doubt that an e-sim card is the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Israel in 2023.
Here are the best Israel e-sim card deals I could find:
- 1 GB for 7 days = $5.5 USD
- 3 GB for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB for 30 days = $13.50 USD
- 10 GB for 30 days = $18 USD
- 20 GB for 30 days = $22 USD
Click here to order an e-sim card for Israel directly online.
The above data-only e-sim cards for Israel are from Annatel and they do not support calling and texting. Data is only valid in Israel and they operate on the 5G network of Annatel/Partner network. This e-sim card for Israel is 5G ready.
The above international e-sim cards in the picture are valid in up to 120 countries including Israel. As you can see they are much more expensive and these are also data-only e-sim cards and phone calls are not supported.
International e-sim cards start from $17.90 USD which gets you 6 GB data for 10 days. For more offers see the above picture.
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Israel or find more info.
Best Israel sim card for tourists in 2023
As of April 2023 the available e-sim cards for Israel are pretty good deals and if you are looking for the easiest way to stay connected then this is a great option. However, they are much more expensive/give you less value for money than prepaid sim cards you buy in Israel or the Israel sim card deals you can order online.
If you really want the cheapest sim card deal for Israel then you have to buy a sim card in Israel on arrival.
What you can see from the comparison of all the Israel prepaid sim cards is that they are CHEAP! You can basically get UNLIMITED DATA for just a couple dollar. There is fierce competition and there is NOT that much difference between the mobile internet providers in Israel when it comes to the prices for data packages and plans. The major difference is the 4G/5G network strength.
Therefore Traveltomtom considers Pelephone as the best prepaid sim card in Israel in 2023.
They have amazing 5G network coverage in 2023 and offer 70 GB and unlimited calls and sms in Israel for just 59 NIS = $16 USD.
That said if you don't want the hassle to find a phone shop when traveling to Israel, you can also arrange everything before your trip buy simply ordering a sim card for Israel online. Have a look below what it costs to order an Israel sim card on the internet and get it shipped to your home address.
Get it shipped to your home before your trip for free or pick up for free on arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport! Prices are also really competitive and you don’t need to waste time when arriving in Israel.
- 150 GB data + unlimited calls & sms in Israel + unlimited calls & sms to USA and Canada = $25 USD
Valid for 7 days = $25, 10 days = $29, 14 days = $35, 21 days = $39, 30 days = $45. Click on the link or the banner above to order one directly or for more information.
Click here to directly order an Israel prepaid sim card online or find more info in the link.
I hope all the above tips for getting a sim card for Israel were helpful. Last time I made a last minute trip to Israel I bought a HOT Mobile sim card on arrival. Simply because they were just the first store that I stumbled upon and they offered a mountain of Gigabytes for $20 and I had no time to find a Pelephone store. I had no problems at all traveling through Israel. Always enjoyed a fast internet connection.
Looking for some vital Israel travel tips then click in the link. While traveling in Israel I went on some pretty cool adventures: hot air ballooning, ATV riding through the desert and many more things. See my list of 33 things to do in Israel!
Click on the links for more info about sim cards for international travel in 2023 or the best sim card for Asia in 2023. In my article I will explain when it is better to buy a local sim card instead of an international sim card. So it is not recommend, but while reading you will find out why.
May you still have questions please leave me a comment, I am happy to help you out with any questions about buying a sim card in Israel as well as travel tips for Israel.
Go check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom if you are interested in a world traveler trying to visit every country in the world. As of May 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries.
Enjoy your trip to Israel!
Some links in this article about the best ways to stay connected when traveling to Israel 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.
