Mobile Phone Service in Portugal

One of the most important tasks for living in Portugal is making sure that your phone requirements
are satis ed. Because of two factor authentication (2FA) required for bank accounts and many
other websites. At the same time, having local mobile service in Portugal can be essential. This
document should help you with setting up and using a phone in Portugal.

Some quick de nitions. A SIM card is a small plastic card that goes in your phone to connect
you with your service provider. An eSIM provides the same functionality without a physical card, it
is downloaded onto the phone. A dual SIM phone either has two physical SIM slots or one eSIM
and one physical SIM slot. A virtual provider allows you to have a phone service without a SIM
card, using wi or mobile data.

Preparing your phone. Phones in the US are typically “locked” when bought from the carrier.
This means you cannot use another provider because the phone is tied to your provider in the US.
If you owe money to the carrier for the phone, you cannot unlock it; if you do owe money, you
need to pay it fully before you can unlock. You should do this at least a few weeks before moving
to Portugal, as there are always things that can go wrong. The carriers are legally required to
unlock your phone if it is paid o . Otherwise, there is little to do. Your apps should work in Europe
(and anywhere) except for location-sensitive apps, such as transit apps, or apps that just don’w
work in Europe, like Lyft.

Do I need a Portuguese number? Generally speaking, life will be much easier with a Portuguese
phone number. There’s an expectation of many businesses that everyone will have a Portuguese
number, and some individuals do not use services like WhatsApp that work regardless of the
provider, or even the lack of one when used with WiFi. Also, some banking functions may require
a Portuguese phone number.

How do I sign up for a Portuguese number? The three main carriers have stores everywhere.
There are others, but most people sign up with the large ones as it makes it easier to nd a
location if you have problems. The stores usually have someone who speaks English, but that is
not guaranteed.

You can get a better price, and a single service point, if you sign up for a package with the
providers. Packages typically include xed internet, mobile phone plans, and sometimes cable TV.
To nd out if a phone provider also has xed internet at your home (not guaranteed), you ask the
provider if they service your address.

Post-paid phone plans usually o er unlimited calls/texts and a certain amount of mobile data
usage that can be chosen. Pre-paid phone plans may o er less.

You will be required to provide identi cation for the plan. Typically, this is either a passport or a
residence card if you already have one. You may be required to provide proof of address, typically
with a rental contract, an atestado from your junta de freesia, or a utility bill.

There is no signi cant di erence in coverage between the three providers from a “big picture”
view. That doesn’t mean your home will have coverage from all providers, though, and if you live
in a rural area, it is best to nd out from neighbours is they have coverage. Also, some buildings
have construction that blocks mobile signals. In that case, WiFi calling may be necessary for
regular phone service. You will need to check with your carrier if your phone is supported for WiFi
calling, as not all phones are.

If your phone has an eSIM, you should get the Portuguese service on the eSIM. The reason for
this is explained below in the section on traveling to the US.

What about 5G coverage? At the time of writing, 5G coverage in Portugal is very spotty. Carrier
maps need to be checked. Also, not all phones that have 5G capability are supported. Until March
31, 2022, 5G data is free. After that, there may be a charge. Before paying, check the latest
coverage maps to make sure it is going to be used. Also, while people get excited about 5G and
always think that faster is better, it is highly unlikely you will need the increased for normal phone
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tasks. It’s not going to make web browsing, email, or even streaming videos any better. The one
use case that can easily justify 5G is using the phone as a mobile hotspot for a number of users.

On a technical note, implementation of 5G so far has been in what is known as the Sub-6 band.
This is slower 5G; while faster than 4G+, it is not the blazingly fast speed sometimes discussed.
Speed test results right now run from 500 - 800 mbps. The extreme speed 5G is from mmwave
bands, which so far are not implemented in Portugal. mmwave has issues with short range and
outages during rain.

Roaming in Europe. One thing often misunderstood is that carriers in the EU are required to
provide calling/texting/data in the EU equivalent to your plan. You do not need to use a French
SIM when you are in France, for example, you can just use your Portuguese number.

Maintaining a US number. Keeping your US number can be anywhere from useful to necessary.
For 2FA with some US websites, you must have a US number. For business calling, you will
probably want a US number. For calling non-mobile numbers in the US, you will want a US
number. And for hiding your location, you may want a US number.

WhatsApp is a popular service for providing free communications internationally and is

recommended as an alternative. The problem is that it doesn’t satisfy the requirements for a US
number mentioned above. It is a dual-end solution, i.e., both users must have WhatsApp. While
it’s common in Europe for people to have WhatsApp installed on their phones, it’s far less
common in the US, and it is absent from almost all US businesses. WhatsApp is not a good
replacement for a US phone number.

So how do you maintain a US number? The simplest way is to use a dual SIM phone or two
phones with a US SIM in one. However, this has a very high cost compared to using a virtual
service. Some people have family with a plan in the US that allows them to piggyback, but
otherwise it’s going to cost a minimum of $250/year and typically more.

A much lower cost way to do this is to use a virtual phone service. The most popular is Google
Voice, which has a one-time $20 fee but sometimes requires being set up in the US. Some people
have reported 2FA issues with Google Voice though, which may be an issue. iPlum is a popular
provider, as their plans start at $5/month and provide reliable voice and text. iPlum’s phone
interface is excellent, their web interface less so. Other options include Skype and a variety of
less-used services.

Note that Google Fi is not a virtual service like Google Voice and carries a monthly cost in excess
of any virtual phone plan.

For the technology-challenged, a virtual phone service works over the internet. It serves a phone
number that is almost always recognised as a “real” US phone number. It is used through an app
on the mobile device and sometimes on the computer. Skype is the best example of a virtual
service that works well on the computer.

What happens when I travel to the US? In the US, you will probably not want to use your
Portuguese SIM due to costs that can be incurred. Sometimes, there is a data allowance and
sometimes not, depending on carrier and plan. There are several options if you do not have a
SIM.

You can get a “travel SIM” from T-Mobile for about $40/month with unlimited data. This gives you
another US phone number but you won’t need that if you have virtual phone service with a US
number. Your virtual phone service will continue to work with a US SIM card as it is tied to the app
and not to speci c SIM card. The travel SIM will be a physical card, so if your phone has an eSIM
and physical SIM slot, you will want the Portuguese number on the eSIM. If your Portuguese
number is not an eSIM or you don’t have a dual SIM phone, you will have to swap it out and be
very careful not to lose the SIM. Alternatively, you can use a second phone. If you upgrade your
phone and your old phone is working, you can keep it for travel to the US.

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Traveling but not living in Portugal. T-Mobile generally is free for service in Portugal. Others
have expensive plans, as high as $10/day. You can buy a Portuguese SIM card at the airport in
the Vodafone booth that you can use during the visit at a far lower cost. While you won’t have
your phone number unless you have set up a virtual service with a US number, you will have much
lower costs. If you have WiFi calling, you would then turn on the US SIM when you have WiFi
access.

Free calling to the US. Finally, a tip on calling to the US if you are living in Portugal. Your xed
internet service should come with a regular landline phone connection. You can hook up a cheap
phone (typically as low as €15 at the chain stores) and call the US for free after 9PM weekdays
and all weekend.

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