SIM card and eSIM in Montenegro 2026: operators' tourist packages, prices, registration with a passport and roaming in the region and the EU

In Montenegro all three mobile operators, Crnogorski Telekom, One and m:tel, sell a tourist prepaid package with 500 GB for 15 euros for 15 days, as a SIM card in a shop or as an eSIM you buy online before your trip. The card is registered with an ID card or passport, and for an eSIM the identification is done online. A Montenegrin card works on roam like at home terms in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, while as of 25 September 2026 Montenegro has not yet joined the European Union's roam like at home area.

Package details are published by the operators, roaming rules by the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services, and users' rights are set by the Law on Electronic Communications. This guide compares the tourist packages and explains buying an eSIM, registration, how long a number stays valid, roaming in the region and the EU, and the rights of prepaid users.

How much do tourist packages cost?

• Telekom also has a 15 € package for 10 days with 500 GB, 500 minutes within its network, 500 minutes to other Montenegrin networks and 500 texts.
• All three operators add extra data with the first top-up: Telekom 500 GB in Montenegro and 3 GB for the region for 5 days, One and m:tel an extra 500 GB.
• Regional gigabytes apply in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, and with Telekom also in Croatia.

How do you buy an eSIM before you arrive?

1. Check whether your phone supports eSIM.
2. Choose a package on the operator's website and pay for it.
3. Complete the online identification: you need a passport or ID card, and with Telekom also a biometric check that takes about two minutes.
4. The QR code and activation code arrive by e-mail. You install the eSIM in your phone's settings before the trip.
5. On arrival you switch the eSIM on, and the package activates with your first data use or first call.

You buy a classic SIM card in the operators' shops and at authorised sales points, with the same document. According to Telekom, citizens of Balkan and EU countries can register with an ID card or a passport, and others only with a passport.

How long does a number stay valid, and how do you top up?

How does roaming work in the region and the EU?

• Western Balkans: since 1 July 2021 a Montenegrin card works at domestic prices in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, under a fair use policy.
• European Union: Montenegro is not yet in the EU's roam like at home area. During 2026 the Agency estimated this could happen at the end of 2026 or early 2027, and amendments to the Law on Electronic Communications published in August 2026 introduced regulated roaming in line with EU rules.
• Voluntary price cap: operators from the region and the EU that signed the Tirana Roaming Declaration charge at most 14 euros per GB for data roaming between the EU and the Western Balkans from 2026, and 9 euros from 2028. All three Montenegrin operators are signatories, as are the Deutsche Telekom, Telekom Austria and Orange groups.

A visitor with an EU card pays roaming in Montenegro on their own operator's terms, so for a longer stay a Montenegrin tourist package is usually the simpler option.

What rights do prepaid users have?

• A prepaid user can ask the operator, one year after buying a phone from it and with the receipt, to unlock the phone for other networks, and the operator must do so within five days.
• When moving to another operator, the user gets a refund of the remaining prepaid balance on request, and the operator may charge a fee only if the contract provides for it and it is proportionate to the actual costs.

If you are just moving here, residence registration and the other steps are explained in our article on the first 90 days in Montenegro, and monthly costs in our guide to the cost of living and our article on whether Montenegro is expensive. If your phone needs repairing, you can book a repair through the Glatko platform.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a tourist SIM card cost in Montenegro? With all three operators a package with 500 GB for 15 days costs 15 euros, and a package with 1 TB for 30 days 20 euros.

Can you buy an eSIM before you arrive? Yes. You buy the eSIM online on the operator's website, complete the online identification and activate it on arrival.

Which document do you need for a SIM card? An ID card or passport, because every card is registered, and with Telekom citizens of countries outside the Balkans and the EU register with a passport.

Does a Montenegrin card work in Serbia and Albania? It works at domestic prices, because roam like at home has applied in the Western Balkans since July 2021.

Does a Montenegrin card have free roaming in the EU? No. Montenegro is not yet in the EU's roam like at home area, and data roaming with operators that signed the declaration costs at most 14 euros per GB.

How long does a prepaid number stay valid? With Telekom 12 months from first use, and with One 90 days from the last top-up, with an extra period to top up.

Sources

Packages and terms are published by Crnogorski Telekom, One and m:tel. Roaming in the region and the price caps are described by the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services, and the state of the EU roaming talks was reported by Radio and Television of Montenegro. Users' rights are governed by the Law on Electronic Communications (Official Gazette of Montenegro 100/2024, amended by 119/2026, Articles 137 and 160). Prices were checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; operator offers change, so check the terms on their websites.