Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world, and most visitors arrive with a phone plan from somewhere else. If yours comes from the EU, Spain is covered by Roam Like at Home, so you use your plan much as you do at home. If you are coming from the United States, the United Kingdom, Latin America or Asia, roaming is usually charged separately, and a week of maps, translations and messages adds up.
Spain also has a few places where a phone can quietly leave EU roaming without you leaving the country. They are all on the edges of the map.
Key facts for Spain
- EU roaming: covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Movistar, Orange, Vodafone (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 112 for all emergencies; National Police 091, Guardia Civil 062, medical emergencies 061
- Embassies: in Madrid, with consulates in Barcelona and on the coasts and islands
Where Spain's roaming has gaps
Gibraltar has been outside the EU since Brexit. Around the Bay of Algeciras and in La Línea, phones often pick up a Gibraltar network, and an EU plan can charge for it. Andorra, reached from Catalonia through the Pyrenees, is outside the EU roaming area as well.
In the south, Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish and inside EU roaming, but close to the border a phone can connect to a Moroccan network, and the same can happen on the coast near Tarifa. On ferries and cruise ships, phones may switch to the ship's own network, which is not covered by EU roaming rules and is billed separately. Turning off data roaming while you sail is the safest choice.
The islands
The Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands are part of the EU, so Roam Like at Home applies there exactly as on the mainland. Coverage is good in towns and resorts; in the mountains of Tenerife, La Palma or Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana it can be patchy.
Cities and trains
In Madrid and Barcelona, data does most of the work: metro routes, train tickets, museum time slots and restaurant bookings. Cabify and Uber operate in the main cities alongside regular taxis. High-speed trains run by Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo connect the big cities; signal is generally good along the main lines, with short gaps in tunnels and in remote interior stretches.
Getting connected
Travelling with an EU SIM? Spain counts as home for roaming purposes, so nothing changes on the mainland or the islands. The exceptions are the edges described above, plus tariffs that give you only a small data allowance outside your own country; in that case a travel eSIM keeps your home bill clean.
Travelling with a SIM from elsewhere? Set up a travel eSIM before departure. You scan a QR code at home, it stays dormant until your phone first reaches a Spanish network, and your regular line remains reachable for SMS while WhatsApp, maps and email use the eSIM's data.
Prefer a local number? Operator shops sell Spanish prepaid SIMs; they register them against your passport.
Consular protection: who to call in Spain
- 112 handles all emergencies, and its operators can often help in English and other languages.
- 091 is the National Police, 062 the Guardia Civil and 061 medical emergencies.
- Embassies are in Madrid; many countries also have consulates in Barcelona and on the coasts and islands. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- Emergency phrases in Spanish are ready to show on screen in the app.
Questions travellers ask about Spain
Does my EU phone plan work in Spain and the Canary Islands?
It does: mainland Spain, the Balearics and the Canaries all fall under Roam Like at Home.
Why was I charged roaming near Gibraltar?
Gibraltar is outside the EU, and around the bay phones often connect to its networks. Choosing a Spanish network manually avoids it.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Spain?
Movistar, Orange or Vodafone, depending on the plan, with 4G and 5G where available.
Do phones work on the ferries to the islands?
Near the coast they use land networks. Further out they may switch to the ship's network, which is billed separately.
The short version
From the EU, your plan covers Spain and its islands, but watch Gibraltar, Andorra, the Moroccan border and ships. From outside the EU, install a travel eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Related reads:
Ready to stay connected without surprises?
Activate your eSIM in seconds and travel connected in 200+ countries and territories.
See plans