First week
Time
20 min
Cost
€10–15
Difficulty
Easy
What to bring
Passport
A Lisbon address (hotel is fine)
Not needed: NIF. Pay-as-you-go SIMs do not require one
Our pick
Compare all 4 →Prices checked June 2026
Do it
- 1
Go to a MEO or NOS store
There’s usually one inside Colombo, Vasco da Gama, or on Av. da Liberdade. Skip Lycamobile kiosks.
- 2
Ask for a pay-as-you-go starter ("cartão pré-pago")
Show your passport. They’ll fill in the form. No NIF required for pre-paid.
- 3
Choose a plan or top up
€10–20/month gets you generous data. Tell the staff how you’ll use it; they’ll pick the right tariff.
- 4
Activate before you leave
Ask them to insert the SIM and confirm it works. Make a test call.
Words you'll hear
NIFneef
Your nine-digit tax number. Needed for leases, banks, contracts, and asked for at every till.
Fidelizaçãofee-deh-lee-za-SAWNG
The loyalty lock-in on phone/internet contracts. Usually 24 months. 'Sem fidelização' = contract-free.
Common questions
Do I need a NIF for a SIM card?
Not for prepaid — passport is enough. Contracts (pós-pago) do need a NIF and usually a Portuguese IBAN, which is why prepaid comes first.
My home eSIM still works — why bother?
Roaming covers the first days, but banks, deliveries, and MB Way all expect a Portuguese number. It's the dependency under half your other errands.
Can I keep my number if I switch operators later?
Yes — portability is free and takes a few working days. Pick whoever is convenient now and optimise later.
Read more
How to get your NIF in Lisbon
Full guide · 5 min read
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Settli app for Lisbon.