Sim to use for a year studying in Spain

discocrisps

Hi, first post.

My daughter is going to Spain for a year in September to study and will need access to both local calls and UK calls as well as data.

She is not too bothered about keeping her existing number and has paid off the remainder of her contract.

I am unsure whether its better to get something like Lycamobile or Lebara here then i just read a thread about how there's a possibility local calls in Spain would come off the international minutes balance.

She can ring home on WhatsApp or similar so that's no too bad. I wonder if it may be better to buy a sim once she arrives, rather than from the UK?

Thanks 

PHK

The problem with a UK SIM is that they rarely allow Roaming for extended periods. She would then pay a higher rate or be considered  no longer a UK resident and the account would be closed. 

There are two options, one is a worldwide SIM/eSIM and the other is to get a Spanish SIM with a bundle of calls/texts to the UK. 

I would look at Student or ex-pat forums for recommendations. 

DullGreyGuy

For a years stay its most likely that getting a local sim will be better value and you won't have issues with fair use policies and it will cover data and calls.

Looking at Vodaphone Espania they do 50GB + unlimited calls in Spain for €15/month whereas an esim provider is charging €19.99 for the same data and no calls.

unforeseen

I don't know whether they still have them but a few years ago(pre brexit) my daughter got a Spanish sim designed for overseas/Erasmus students that had an allowance for phoning other countries 

eDicky

A suitable Spanish SIM with its local phone number will be useful in allowing her to be contactable locally. The current best deal for the circumstances will be easy to find, in small local shops or maybe online.

In addition and if worthwhile (with a dual SIM or eSIM capable handset) she could port her UK number to a network that still gives inclusive EU roaming, they all stipulate a fair usage limit of two or three months but in practice I've found it not actually imposed. Lebara may do so. Avoid Lyca completely.

PHK

eDicky said:

A suitable Spanish SIM with its local phone number will be useful in allowing her to be contactable locally. The current best deal for the circumstances will be easy to find, in small local shops or maybe online.

In addition and if worthwhile (with a dual SIM or eSIM capable handset) she could port her UK number to a network that still gives inclusive EU roaming, they all stipulate a fair usage limit of two or three months but in practice I've found it not actually imposed. Lebara may do so. Avoid Lyca completely.

I disagree . Post Brexit we’ve  had several threads from people who’ve been surcharged. 

This is what Lebara say “ To safeguard against abuse, if your roaming usage is greater than usage in the UK over any continuous 120 day period, you will be subject to a surcharge of 0.20p/MB (equivalent to £2/GB) for data, 0.04p/sec (equivalent to 2.4p/min) for outgoing calls, 0.01p/sec (equivalent to 0.6p/min) for incoming calls and 0.8p for sending an SMS.”

Far better to get one of SIMs specifically for students/ex-pats

eDicky

PHK said:

eDicky said:

A suitable Spanish SIM with its local phone number will be useful in allowing her to be contactable locally. The current best deal for the circumstances will be easy to find, in small local shops or maybe online.

In addition and if worthwhile (with a dual SIM or eSIM capable handset) she could port her UK number to a network that still gives inclusive EU roaming, they all stipulate a fair usage limit of two or three months but in practice I've found it not actually imposed. Lebara may do so. Avoid Lyca completely.

I disagree . Post Brexit we’ve  had several threads from people who’ve been surcharged.

Lebara are the only network I've seen reported as actually imposing surcharges after a certain period of EU inclusive roaming use, are there others..? I don't think Brexit is relevant, fair usage limits have been in place since Roam like at Home regulations began.

Personally I've used EE, Three and O2 SIMs exclusively EU roaming for years with no UK usage, without suffering or being notified of actual cutoff or surcharges.

OP mentions that she is not bothered about keeping her number, so I mentioned it as only that the possibility exists. As you say, suitable Spanish SIMs are certainly available, I've often used them, better for general use while there.

Neil49

Just to add to the comments of eDicky above - avoid Lyca mobile like the plague! 

Aside from serious data breaches with bank account details being accessed they also have major financial problems. 

discocrisps

Neil49 said:

Just to add to the comments of eDicky above - avoid Lyca mobile like the plague! 

Aside from serious data breaches with bank account details being accessed they also have major financial problems. 

Thanks, we have definitely been warned away from Lycamobile!

discocrisps

PHK said:

eDicky said:

A suitable Spanish SIM with its local phone number will be useful in allowing her to be contactable locally. The current best deal for the circumstances will be easy to find, in small local shops or maybe online.

In addition and if worthwhile (with a dual SIM or eSIM capable handset) she could port her UK number to a network that still gives inclusive EU roaming, they all stipulate a fair usage limit of two or three months but in practice I've found it not actually imposed. Lebara may do so. Avoid Lyca completely.

I disagree . Post Brexit we’ve  had several threads from people who’ve been surcharged. 

This is what Lebara say “ To safeguard against abuse, if your roaming usage is greater than usage in the UK over any continuous 120 day period, you will be subject to a surcharge of 0.20p/MB (equivalent to £2/GB) for data, 0.04p/sec (equivalent to 2.4p/min) for outgoing calls, 0.01p/sec (equivalent to 0.6p/min) for incoming calls and 0.8p for sending an SMS.”

Far better to get one of SIMs specifically for students/ex-pats

Thanks, we have not had much luck finding info about sims for students. I came across Lobster as a seller for ex pats but still looking.

eDicky

In the college neighbourhood there's likely to be a small shop(s) selling electrical items and phone accessories etc, probably an Indian proprietor, who sells SIM cards from competing networks and can advise on the current best deal. Such as Lebara:

https://lebaraspain.es/