PAYG phone/sim for Spain

NFH

Im_just_careful wrote: »

Alternatively, I have a Vodafone SIM which I keep active and take on holiday for the £2 25MB deal in Europe. Not great but saved my bacon more than once !

It would be £1.67 in the Canary Islands, because they are outside the EU VAT area. When roaming outside the EU VAT area, no VAT is chargeable in accordance with Article 19 of the Value Added Tax (Place of Supply of Services) Order 1992. The United Kingdom opted to exempt non-EU VAT area roaming from UK VAT under Article 9(3)(a) of Council Directive 77/388 ("the Sixth VAT Directive") so that it could charge UK VAT on services used in the UK but billed outside the UK (e.g. US-based services marketed to UK residents).

Im_just_careful

NFH, super and vey useful information.


I've not used my UK Vodafone PAYG in the Canaries (sadly not been for a decade) so I can't comment on whether the charge is reduced. I think they still charge the EU rate (even though the Canaries are not in the EU).

NFH

Im_just_careful wrote: »

(even though the Canaries are not in the EU).

The Canaries are in the EU, but not in the EU VAT area. There are many parts of the EU (where EU roaming regulations apply) which are outside the EU VAT area, for example:

• Gibraltar (a special member state territory of the EU)
• Åland Islands (autonomous region of Finland and in the EU)
• French Guiana (an integral part of France and the EU)
• Guadeloupe (an integral part of France and the EU)
• Martinique (an integral part of France and the EU)
• Reunion (an integral part of France and the EU)
• Canary Islands (an integral part of Spain and the EU)
• Ceuta (an integral part of Spain and the EU)
• Melilla (an integral part of Spain and the EU)

Just to complicate things further, there are also two non-EU places that are inside the EU VAT area:

• Isle of Man (part of the UK's VAT area)
• Monaco (part of France's VAT area)

NFH

Im_just_careful wrote: »

I've not used my UK Vodafone PAYG in the Canaries (sadly not been for a decade) so I can't comment on whether the charge is reduced. I think they still charge the EU rate

According to http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/travelling-abroad/internet-abroad/index.htm Vodafone correctly recognises that the Canary Islands are outside the EU VAT area, but at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/travelling-abroad/index.htm they show the whole of Spain (including the Canary Islands) at the reduced non-VAT rate. This is clearly an error.

gallygirl

Looking for a SIM for OH for use in iPad mini, mainly for overseas use. Low usage, no downloading but will stream some stuff, and general internet browsing.

How do I go about finding a deal? We will be away in April for 10 days and Sept for the same, will rarely be used in the UK as good wifi or home broadband. Looking ideally for a pre-paid that does not expire till limit used, a lot seem to offer 30 days?

All the sites I've looked at focus on minutes etc.

Thanks.

DCFC79

Is reply #3 in this thread any use or even reply number 5.

Frozen_up_north

The Orange SIM, which was available from phone shops inside Carrefour supermarkets last September, is linked here in English:
http://en.orange.es/mobile-service-plans/international-calls/sim-holidays/

We visit Torrevieja twice a year and find many local cafe and bar owners offer free WiFi, so you might not need a SIM card.

Im_just_careful

I'm off to Spain in a couple of weeks and I'll be buying one of these in Carrefour


http://www.carrefour.es/telecom/internet-movil-prepago/tarifa-diaria/


You can just buy the SIM for about 5€ (I think that is what it cost me) and you pay a Euro plus VAT for each day of use.


http://www.carrefour.es/telecom/internet-movil-prepago/tarifas/


I would take it out (or turn it off) when you get back to the UK.


You might find it still works when you return in September, otherwise buy another. There is mention of "Consumo m!nimo mensual 3€" which I think means you have to spend 3€ a month. If you have the SIM removed from the iPad you might get away with this.


Take the APN settings with you written down.


A very useful article is found at:


http://wiki.apnchanger.org/Spain

gallygirl

Thanks all, will check with Lyca. Unfortunately no Carrefour nearby. We want to use it in our apartment and no free wifi (well, we can use the neighbours if we sit on the bottom step )

Im_just_careful

I bought a Spanish Lycamoble SIM on my last trip.


It worked fine in a phone (once I set the APN) but I couldn't get it to work in my MiFi by any means I could think of.


http://www.lycamobile.es/en/


You may need an unlocked Android phone or a Windows phone(but not an iPhone) to generate a hotspot if you buy a Lycamobile SIM.


It was very good value and there were many sellers (I got mine from an Internet caf! - you need a passport to buy a SIM in Spain) but it wasn't a data SIM.