Prepaid Bulgaria eSIM | A1, Vivacom & Yettel Coverage
Roami
Roami is a global eSIM carrier focused on travel connectivity. This guide is compiled from network data, official carrier and manufacturer documentation, and traveler inquiries.
📑 Table of Contents
Few destinations split the “best network” question by geography as sharply as Bulgaria. The national numbers are startling on paper: a median mobile download of 203.13 Mbps, 10th fastest in the world on Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for August 2026, and a median 5G download of 282.70 Mbps, ranked 11th globally. Local prepaid data has been sold in euros since 1 January 2026, in quantities most western European carriers would call lavish: 15 GB for under €8, and 100 GB for around €41. So which Bulgaria eSIM carrier should you buy? The answer depends almost entirely on your map. Sofia and Plovdiv, the Black Sea coast at Varna and Burgas, and the ski slopes above Bansko behave like three different countries. This guide compares the three carriers, the published visitor prices, mountain and coastal coverage, cross-border rules and every activation step. Between our own test lines and the questions travelers send us, the Bulgaria quirks worth knowing are all covered below — including the ones carriers would rather skip.
Quick answer: Purchase before departure, install before you land, and choose the local network that matches whether your route is rural or urban — the full comparison below shows which is which. The compatibility checker settles the one question Bulgaria visitors most often skip.
One prerequisite worth ten seconds of your time: confirm your handset is eSIM-capable via the eSIM compatibility page, and skim how eSIM activation works if the process is new to you.
The verdict up front: The A1 Bulgaria eSIM is the speed pick — fastest in the nPerf 2025 barometer and the strongest bet in Sofia, Plovdiv and the ski valleys. The Yettel eSIM is the only fully online prepaid product with no ID registration — 25 GB for €10.23 or 100 GB for €40.90. The Vivacom eSIM, issued in stores, is the coverage workhorse with the largest EU roaming allowance, which matters if your trip leans toward the Rhodopes or a wider Balkans loop. All three are cheap by EU standards, and the differences are terrain, roaming and paperwork rather than price. Prefer zero paperwork? A free trial plan rides these same networks, and code WEB20 knocks 20% off any Bulgaria eSIM plan.
Your eSIM carriers at a glance: A1, Yettel and Vivacom
Bulgaria has three national mobile operators — A1 Bulgaria (part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group), Yettel Bulgaria (formerly Telenor Bulgaria, rebranded in 2022, owned by PPF Group) and Vivacom (the former state incumbent, now part of United Group). All three sell prepaid and postpaid, all three run 5G, and all three are licensed by the Communications Regulation Commission. The market behind them is mature: DataReportal counts 5.86 million internet users — 87.1% penetration — alongside 9.25 million mobile connections, some 137% of the population.
| A1 Bulgaria | Yettel Bulgaria | Vivacom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | A1 Telekom Austria Group | PPF Group | United Group |
| Former brand | Mobiltel | Globul, then Telenor | BTC and Vivatel |
| Visitor eSIM route | In store, on prepaid data packs | Online, from anywhere | In store, on Free2Go or Data2Go |
| ID required? | No for data-only; yes for voice | No for the online data eSIM | No for Data2Go; yes for Free2Go |
| Prepaid entry | 15 GB for 15 BGN (≈€7.67) | eSIM 25 GB for €10.23 | Free2Go from ≈€7 |
| Big-data option | 100 GB for 80 BGN (≈€40.90) | eSIM 100 GB for €40.90 | Data2Go ≈€12.70–13 for ≈80 GB |
| LTE bands | B3, B7, B20 | B3, B7, B20 | B3, B7, B20 |
| 5G band | n78 (3.5 GHz) | n78 | n78 |
| 4G population reach | Over 99.4%, by the operator’s count | Not published in that form | Not published in that form |
| Named 5G resort sites | Albena, Golden Sands, Nesebar, Sozopol, Sunny Beach, Bansko, Borovets, Pamporovo | Cities, resorts and main roads | Cities and resort areas |
| EU roaming on prepaid | Small allowance on some packs | None on the eSIM plans | Largest of the three |
| Where it wins | City speed and ski valleys | Buying from home, zero paperwork | Rural south, quiet coast, cheap voice |
| Where it loses | A store visit for the eSIM | No EU roaming at all | Fewest online options |
Two things in that table deserve emphasis. First, Bulgaria’s pricing is extraordinary for the EU: 100 GB for about €41 makes western European visitors check the calendar. Second, the ID rules differ by product, not by operator — data-only SIMs and eSIMs need no registration, while any bundle with calls or SMS requires a passport in a store.
Mobile carriers you can use in Bulgaria
Barometers and national averages disagree because they sample different things over different periods. Read them together rather than picking a favourite.
| Measure | Figure | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| National median mobile download | 203.13 Mbps, 10th worldwide (August 2026) | Every operator, every technology |
| National median 5G download | 282.70 Mbps, 11th worldwide | 5G sessions only |
| A1 Bulgaria, nPerf 2025 | ≈187 Mbps median download | Fastest of the three on that method |
| Yettel Bulgaria, nPerf 2025 | ≈151 Mbps | Second |
| Vivacom, nPerf 2025 | ≈137 Mbps | Third, with the widest rural reputation |
The practical reading is that all three are fast enough for video calls and streaming in a city, so speed is rarely the deciding factor. Coverage and roaming allowances are.
How EU rules shape what a Bulgaria eSIM costs
One piece of context explains most of the price sheet. Roam-like-at-home is a right for EU residents, not for visitors. If you live in Germany or Italy and your domestic plan covers the EU, it works in Bulgaria under the EU roaming regulation at no extra cost. If you are flying in from the US, the UK or Australia, that right does not apply to you — you buy local.
What visitors inherit is the downstream effect of the EU wholesale caps. Under the recast Roaming Regulation the maximum one operator may charge another for 1 GB fell from €2.00 in 2022 to €1.30 in 2025, on a path to €1.00 by 2027, with the framework itself running to 30 June 2032. Because Bulgarian operators buy roaming data at those capped rates while competing hard at home, local prepaid prices sit far below the EU retail ceilings — which is why a Bulgaria eSIM competes against €7-per-15-GB packs and why travel providers price the country so aggressively too.
Bulgaria’s euro changeover: what it means for your eSIM bill
Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, with the lev fixed at 1.95583 to the euro, and dual BGN/EUR display ended in August 2026. For a visitor that means quoted prices and charged prices now match, and a euro card meets no conversion step at the till.
A second EU consequence cuts the other way: local plans give only small EU roaming allowances. Vivacom’s Free2Go includes roughly 9.2 GB usable across the EU, and Yettel’s eSIM packages exclude roaming entirely — they work in Bulgaria and stop at the border.
Bulgaria eSIMs in neighboring countries
| Neighbour | Your Bulgaria eSIM there | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | Works if your bundle carries an EU allowance | EU rules apply; Yettel’s eSIM plans carry none |
| Romania | Same as Greece | The easiest land border out of Bulgaria |
| Türkiye | Nothing — Türkiye sits outside the EU/EEA area | Buy a Türkiye plan before you cross |
| Serbia | Nothing automatic | Serbia is in the Western Balkans bloc, not the EU one |
| North Macedonia | Nothing automatic | Free roaming was authorised for negotiation in June 2026 |
| Rest of the EU/EEA | Your bundle’s EU allowance applies | The allowance, not your home volume, is the limit |
Two details are worth spelling out. Since 1 July 2021 the six Western Balkan economies removed roaming surcharges among themselves, and since 1 October 2023 a voluntary EU–Western Balkans declaration has cut cross-border data prices, with a benchmark of under €18 per GB from October 2023, under €14 in 2026 and under €9 in 2028. But that is a price reduction, not free roaming: the Commission only won authorisation to negotiate full inclusion in June 2026, and no deadline has been set. Until it lands, treat Serbia and North Macedonia as paid roaming.
💡 If a Balkans loop is the plan, one regional profile beats buying three:
Bulgaria eSIM plans for visitors: Yettel, A1 and Vivacom compared
Here is what each carrier sells to a person standing at Sofia Airport or browsing from home, with figures taken from the operators’ own pages and terms. One honest note: Cable.co.uk’s 237-market survey does not currently list Bulgaria, so this page quotes operator-published prices rather than an indexed per-gigabyte average.
Cheapest ways to get data in Bulgaria
| Carrier and product | Data | Validity | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 prepaid data pack | 15 GB | 30 days | 15 BGN (≈€7.67) | Cheapest entry of the three |
| A1 prepaid data pack | 30 GB | 30 days | 25 BGN (≈€12.78) | No ID needed |
| A1 prepaid data pack | 50 GB | 30 days | 40 BGN (≈€20.45) | No ID needed |
| A1 prepaid data pack | 100 GB | 30 days | 80 BGN (≈€40.90) | The headline big-data pack |
| A1 HIT voice bundle | 20 GB | 30 days | 20 BGN | Adds 1,000 national minutes; passport required |
| Yettel prepaid eSIM | 25 GB | 30 days | €10.23 (20 BGN) | Unlimited first 5 days at up to 50 Mbps |
| Yettel prepaid eSIM | 100 GB | 60 days | €40.90 (80 BGN) | Unlimited first 20 days at up to 50 Mbps |
| Yettel Surf & Fun starter | 15 GB | 30 days | €7.67 | Physical pack with domestic minutes |
| Vivacom Free2Go | ≈25 GB plus ≈9.2 GB EU | 30 days | ≈€6.85–7 | 1,000 national minutes; ID required |
| Vivacom Data2Go | ≈80 GB plus 13–17 GB EU | 30 days | ≈€12.70–13 | Data-only, no ID |
Prices move with promotions and seasons, so treat the ladder as the shape of the market and confirm the current figure in the operator’s app or at the counter.
Install guide for Bulgaria eSIMs
Yettel was the first Bulgarian operator to launch a fully digital prepaid eSIM, and it remains the cleanest route for a visitor — the only Bulgaria eSIM a traveler can buy entirely from home. Purchase happens in five online steps — plan, email, verification, payment, confirmation — and the QR code arrives by email with iOS and Android instructions. No ID document is required, because the product is data-only.
| Yettel prepaid eSIM | Price | Validity | Data structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 GB | €10.23 (20 BGN) | 30 days | Unlimited data for the first 5 days (capped at 50 Mbps), then 25 GB |
| 100 GB | €40.90 (80 BGN) | 60 days | Unlimited data for the first 20 days (capped at 50 Mbps), then 100 GB |
The validity clock starts at your first internet session in Bulgaria, not at purchase, so you can install it at home on Wi-Fi and fly two weeks later. The plan is Bulgaria-only — no EU roaming is included — and balance checks go through *123#.
Which operator wins on speed in Bulgaria?
A1’s prepaid data packs require no ID registration and stack as follows: 15 GB for 15 BGN (≈€7.67), 30 GB for 25 BGN (≈€12.78), 50 GB for 40 BGN (≈€20.45), and 100 GB for 80 BGN (≈€40.90), each valid 30 days. An A1 Bulgaria eSIM is issued in an A1 store — bring a passport for the identity check on any voice bundle such as the HIT pack (20 BGN with 1,000 national minutes plus 20 GB). A1 has also offered tourist-branded editions in recent seasons whose exact lineup changes, so check the current offer on a1.bg before you travel.
What does a gigabyte cost in Bulgaria?
Vivacom’s two visitor-relevant prepaid lines are Free2Go (from roughly €6.85–7: about 25 GB of domestic data, 1,000 national minutes, 1 BGN starter credit, plus roughly 9.2 GB of EU roaming) and Data2Go (around €12.70–13 for roughly 80 GB of domestic data plus a 13–17 GB EU allowance). Current sources quote slightly different data volumes for both bundles — Vivacom revises them seasonally — so treat the numbers as a range and confirm at the store or on vivacom.bg. Free2Go requires ID registration, where a Vivacom eSIM is issued as a QR code on the spot; Data2Go does not require ID.
The price split: local SIM vs travel eSIM
| Direct from a Bulgarian carrier | Travel eSIM on a Bulgarian network | |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork | None for data-only packs; passport for voice bundles | None at all |
| Where you buy | Yettel online; A1 and Vivacom mostly in-store | Online, from anywhere, before you fly |
| Typical 10 GB cost | ≈€8–13 on local packs (often with more data) | Similar or slightly higher per GB, instant delivery |
| Number and calls | Available on voice bundles (ID required) | Usually data-only; no local number |
| Network access | One fixed carrier | Automatic switching across A1, Yettel and Vivacom |
| EU roaming beyond Bulgaria | Small allowances on some bundles (Vivacom the most generous) | Depends on the provider’s plan; regional plans exist |
| Best for | Stays over two weeks, heavy data, a local number | Short trips, land-and-go, multi-carrier flexibility |
The honest arithmetic: a Bulgaria eSIM bought from a local carrier wins on raw price per gigabyte — nothing in the travel-eSIM market reliably beats €7.67 for 15 GB on the ground. The travel eSIM wins on friction: no shop queue at Sofia Airport, no Cyrillic bundle codes, and automatic re-selection when you drive from Sofia to Varna across two carriers’ footprints. A multi-network profile is the practical middle path.
Will my phone work with a Bulgarian eSIM?
Whether a Bulgaria eSIM runs on your handset comes down to three checks: its bands, its lock status, and an EID. Bulgarian networks build 4G on bands 3, 7 and 20 — the standard European LTE set — with 5G on the n78 (3.5 GHz) band in cities and resort areas. Any phone bought in Europe handles this without thinking. Handsets from North America or Asia usually work too, but a few regional models lack band 20 or n78, which shows up as fast service in central Sofia and a fall to 4G or 3G the moment you leave the highway.
Will an older phone accept a Bulgaria eSIM?
| Device class | What usually happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone XS, XR and later | Installs normally; supports B3, B7, B20 | Confirm Carrier Lock reads “No SIM restrictions” |
| iPhone sold in mainland China | eSIM hardware disabled | Use a physical SIM instead |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 and later | Installs normally | Check the model number, not the marketing name |
| North American flagship | Often fine, but some models lack band 20 | Expect fast cities and a weaker rural signal |
| Older flagship with no eSIM | No profile will install | Buy a data-only pack in a store |
| Tablet, laptop or router | Frequently no eSIM at all | Share the phone’s connection by hotspot tethering |
Do not memorize band tables; the reliable move is to check your exact model — the model number, not the marketing name — against the device compatibility list. Ten minutes of checking beats debugging a dead profile in a Rila valley where the nearest store is 40 km away.
How to buy from each Bulgarian carrier, step by step
Each carrier runs a different purchase path, and the paperwork differs by product type rather than by brand. Registration follows EU practice: data-only SIMs and eSIMs need no ID; any bundle with voice or SMS must be registered against a passport in person.
Getting hold of a Bulgaria eSIM
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Go to Yettel’s prepaid eSIM shop and choose 25 GB (€10.23) or 100 GB (€40.90).
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Enter your email, verify, pay by card, and confirm — five steps, no account creation.
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Receive the QR code plus an activation code by email, with separate iOS and Android instructions.
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Install on Wi-Fi before you fly; the profile sleeps until your first session in Bulgaria.
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On arrival, set the eSIM as your data line, enable data roaming, and the 5 or 20 unlimited days start counting at up to 50 Mbps.
Support sits behind short code 123, and *123# reports remaining data. If you delete the profile, the original QR code re-installs it.
Local SIM versus visitor eSIM in Bulgaria
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Find an A1 store (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and most towns have one) with your passport.
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Choose a data pack — 15 GB for ≈€7.67 is the floor — and ask for the eSIM variant.
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Staff generate a QR code on the spot; scan it in store before you leave.
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Data packs need no registration; adding minutes (the HIT pack) triggers the passport step.
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Top-ups run through the A1 app or any kiosk; out-of-bundle use is billed per megabyte, so refill before you hit zero.
What Bulgaria eSIM plans cost
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Bring your passport to a Vivacom store for Free2Go (voice) or skip the ID for Data2Go (data-only).
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Ask staff to load the bundle and issue the eSIM QR code; activation is immediate.
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Check balance with
*123#or the My Vivacom app, which also handles top-ups. -
If your trip includes EU legs, confirm the current EU-roaming allowance of your bundle before paying.
Bulgaria eSIM: six checks to run before you fly
| Check | What “good” looks like |
|---|---|
| Carrier lock | Settings shows “No SIM restrictions” |
| EID present | *#06# returns an EID string |
| Band cover for your route | Your model lists B3, B7, B20 and n78 |
| Profile installed | The eSIM appears as a labelled line before you leave home |
| Data line set | Mobile data points at the eSIM, not the home SIM |
| Roaming enabled | Data roaming is ON for the eSIM line only |
| Allowance known | You know the expiry date and the EU allowance, if any |
Install every profile on Wi-Fi at your hotel, not in the airport concourse. If the install misbehaves, our eSIM activation walkthrough walks the generic sequence for both platforms.
Bulgaria eSIM coverage: Sofia, the Black Sea coast and the ski mountains
A Bulgaria eSIM inherits whatever the nearest cell can give it, and national averages flatter every country. The 203.13 Mbps median is an urban figure in disguise. What follows is the terrain-by-terrain reality for the three networks.
| Where you are | The reality on the ground | Strongest bet | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia and Plovdiv | 5G on all three downtown, solid 4G between districts | A1 Bulgaria | Downtown cells throttle at lunch and evening peaks |
| The Danube lowlands and northern towns | Good 4G in Ruse, Pleven and Vidin | A1 or Vivacom | Village-to-village roads thin out fast |
| The Balkan range and Veliko Tarnovo | Strong 4G in the old capital and along the E85 | A1 or Vivacom | Pass roads and the national park interior have gaps |
| Rila Monastery and the Rila valleys | Covered in the monastery valley | A1 or Vivacom | The forested approach road is weak |
| The Rhodope gorges and Trigrad | Villages and main roads covered | Vivacom | Gorge roads and cave entrances lose signal |
| Vitosha, above Sofia | Covered at the base near Simeonovo | A1 | Patchy on the mountain road and higher slopes |
Bulgaria ski resort coverage: base versus upper slopes
| Resort | Base and town | Mid-mountain | Upper slopes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bansko (Pirin) | Strong 5G in town and at the gondola base | Intermittent on the gondola ascent | Patchy above the tree line; storm days worse |
| Borovets (Rila) | Strong 5G in the resort | Good along the main lifts | Thins on the highest runs |
| Pamporovo (Rhodopes) | Strong 5G in the resort | Good on the main pistes | Thins away from the marked runs |
| Vitosha, above Sofia | Coverage at the base area | Patchy on the access road | Largely offline higher up |
| Anywhere above 2,000 m | No continuous coverage on any carrier | — | Download offline maps before you ascend |
All three carriers cover the resorts on paper — A1 names Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo among the sites with 5G gigabit speeds. In practice the season changes the arithmetic: a February Saturday pushes thousands of visitors onto a handful of cells, and the network that leads a barometer downtown does not always lead at 1,600 metres.
Black Sea coast coverage: resort strips versus quiet coves
| Place | Coverage | Peak-season reality |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | Strong 4G and 5G across the city | Busy but resilient |
| Golden Sands and Albena | Strong 5G in the resort strips | The heaviest July–August load on the coast |
| Sunny Beach | Strong 4G/5G; third-party guides rate Yettel especially strong here | Speeds fall well below the national median in peak weeks |
| Nesebar | Solid 4G on the peninsula and in the old town | Extremely crowded in July and August |
| Burgas | Strong city coverage, and a useful fallback | — |
| Sozopol | Good 4G in town and on the beaches | Busy during the August arts festival |
| The coast road, Varna to Burgas | Continuous coverage on all three | — |
| Quiet coves north of Kavarna and south of Sozopol | Thinner, sometimes absent | Download maps before you drive |
Sofia, Plovdiv and inland city coverage in Bulgaria
| City | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Sofia | The strongest part of any Bulgarian map, with 5G downtown |
| Plovdiv | Strong 4G across the city, the old town and the Rose Valley highway |
| Varna and Burgas | City-grade coverage with a summer surge |
| Ruse, Pleven, Stara Zagora | Good 4G, though usually only one or two carriers at full strength |
| Smaller towns and villages | Coverage is settlement by settlement; plan for gaps |
| Trains and intercity buses | BDZ trains carry no Wi-Fi on board |
Topping up a Bulgaria eSIM: the routes that work
Every top-up method in Bulgaria assumes either a local bank card or cash, and neither is guaranteed for a visitor — so plan the refill before you need it.
| Route | How it works | Needs a local card? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator app | My A1, My Vivacom and Yettel all sell top-ups and data boosters in-app | Usually no | The default for most visitors |
| Operator website | a1.bg, vivacom.bg and yettel.bg take a card | Usually no | Refilling from a laptop |
| Scratch voucher | A code from a card, redeemed by USSD or in the app | No — cash | Anyone without a working card |
| Supermarket or petrol cashier | Kaufland, Billa, Lidl and fuel stations sell vouchers | No — cash | Refilling while shopping |
| Operator store | Staff process the top-up at the counter | No — cash or card | Replacing a SIM or reviving a suspended line |
| ATM mobile top-up | Some UniCredit Bulbank and DSK Bank machines offer it | Local card usually | A last resort |
| In-app data booster | Adds a bundle without changing the base plan | Depends on the app | Heavy use mid-trip |
Voucher denominations cluster around 5, 10, 20 and 30 leva, with some operators also issuing 8 and 40 leva cards. Balance checks run over USSD: *123# on Vivacom and Yettel. Yettel’s plan stops rather than billing overage, but A1’s out-of-bundle rate is high enough that a refill is always cheaper than a surprise.
How to activate your Bulgaria eSIM, and what usually goes wrong
The generic install — Settings, Add eSIM, scan the QR code, label the line, set it as the data line, enable data roaming — is identical everywhere and covered in our step-by-step activation walkthrough. What follows are the four failure patterns Bulgarian networks actually produce.
A. The profile will not install. Confirm Carrier Lock reads “No SIM restrictions,” confirm the QR code is unscanned (they are single-use), and check the email did not bury the activation code in a PDF your scanner app cannot read — Yettel’s flow includes both a QR image and a manual code, and the manual code solves most scan failures on Android.
B. Installed, but no signal bars. Wait two minutes at Sofia Airport — the arrival-hall cells are saturated in summer. Then set network selection to manual and pick A1, Yettel or Vivacom explicitly. A profile bought in store sometimes takes an hour to provision; a coffee is cheaper than a support call.
C. Signal bars, but no internet. Check the APN against the table below — this is the most common Bulgarian carrier failure for manually-installed profiles. Confirm data roaming is ON for the eSIM line, because the profile registers as a roaming line even at home. Then check your allowance: local packs cut off or throttle rather than billing overage.
D. Works in Sofia, dead in the mountains. This is not a failure but physics. Above the tree line in Rila, Pirin or the Rhodopes no carrier has continuous coverage, and a satellite messenger is the correct tool for serious hiking.
Bulgaria eSIM FAQs
| Item | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Order reference | The provider’s confirmation email |
| Device model and OS build | Settings → About |
| EID display | Dial *#06# |
| A photo of the failure | Take it before the screen changes |
| APN entries on the line | Cellular Data Network, or Access Point Names |
| Roaming toggle state | Settings → Cellular → your eSIM line |
| The exact plan name | The activation email or the in-app plan page |
If none of these land it, the wider catalogue in the troubleshooting guide covers profile corruption, transfer limits and error codes.
Bulgaria eSIM APN settings for A1, Yettel and Vivacom
APN settings are the last thing most travelers need to touch and the first thing worth ruling out when data refuses to flow. You only need this section if you bought your Bulgaria eSIM directly from a carrier; a travel eSIM supplies its own APN and should not be edited.
| Carrier | APN | Username | Password |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Bulgaria | internet.a1.bg |
blank | blank |
| Yettel Bulgaria | internetbg |
blank | blank |
| Vivacom | internet.vivacom.bg |
VIVACOM | VIVACOM |
Yettel’s own prepaid eSIM terms state delivery via the internetbg APN (older device-setup guides list telenorbg from its Telenor days — either may work on an older SIM, but internetbg is the current documented value). Vivacom’s values appear in its official device-settings pages. If your profile auto-configured, leave everything alone; manual entry is only for older handsets or manually-coded installs.
To edit these on iPhone, go to Settings → Cellular → tap the eSIM line → Cellular Data Network. On Android, open Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Access Point Names and add a new entry. Save, reboot, and double-check that the eSIM — not your home SIM — is the active data line.
What travelers ask before buying a Bulgarian eSIM
Can I use a Bulgaria eSIM in Greece or Romania?
Not automatically. Data-only eSIMs like Yettel’s 25 GB and 100 GB packages are valid in Bulgaria only and include no roaming. Vivacom bundles carry a small EU data allowance (roughly 9–17 GB depending on the pack), and voice bundles registered with ID may include EU minutes. For a real cross-border trip, buy a regional plan.
Roaming charges on Bulgaria carriers
Only if you want more data or a local number. If you are an EU resident whose plan includes roam-like-at-home, your domestic allowance already works here and you pay nothing extra, subject to your operator’s fair-use limit. Visitors from outside the EU have no such right, so a Bulgaria eSIM is almost always the cheaper route.
Can I use a Bulgaria eSIM in Serbia or North Macedonia?
No, not on ordinary terms. Neither country is in the EU roaming area. The EU and the Western Balkans did agree a voluntary price reduction in 2023, and the Commission won authorisation to negotiate full free roaming in June 2026, but no deadline is set. Buy a dedicated plan for each country you cross into.
Which companies run Bulgaria’s networks?
All three cover the town well, and Yettel and A1 hold signal furthest up the gondola lines. On peak February Saturdays every network slows — the local cells are simply outnumbered. A multi-network eSIM that re-selects the strongest carrier is the most reliable fix.
What ID does a Bulgaria SIM need?
Only if the product includes calls or SMS — those bundles must be registered in person against a passport or ID. Pure data packs and data-only eSIMs, including Yettel’s online prepaid eSIM, require no registration at all. Keep your home SIM active for bank codes either way.
Does Vivacom sell an eSIM for tourists?
Yes, issued in Vivacom stores against a QR code, on the same Free2Go and Data2Go prepaid bundles sold as physical SIMs. There is no premium for the eSIM form. Vivacom does not sell a fully online visitor eSIM yet, so plan a store visit in Sofia or your arrival city.
Is mobile data expensive in Bulgaria?
Less than almost anywhere in the EU. Local prepaid packs run from about €7.67 for 15 GB to €12.78 for 30 GB, so a local eSIM works out somewhere near €5–8 for an effective 10 GB. Travel eSIMs price the country from roughly €10–17 for 10 GB, trading a few euros for instant delivery and multi-network switching.
Is 5G live in Bulgaria yet?
Yes — all three carriers run 5G in the capital and in Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas, on the n78 band. The national median 5G download measured 282.70 Mbps in August 2026. Your device must support n78 and be unlocked; an eSIM itself changes nothing about which speeds you reach.
Will my eSIM work on the Black Sea coast in July and August?
It will connect, but expect speeds well below the national median inside Sunny Beach and Golden Sands during peak weeks — resort cells serve a seasonal population several times their design load. Coverage along the coast road between Varna and Burgas is strong; quieter coves north of Kavarna and south of Sozopol are thinner.
Is WhatsApp blocked by Bulgaria carriers?
Yes. A data-only eSIM never touches your number — WhatsApp, iMessage and your bank apps keep running on your home SIM for verification while data flows through the Bulgarian profile. In settings, leave calls and SMS on your home line and point Mobile Data at the eSIM.
How much data do you need in Bulgaria?
Dial *123# and press call — the response shows the remaining allowance and expiry date. Yettel also sends SMS notifications at 80% and 100% of your data, each with a link to buy a fresh package. There are no overage charges; the plan simply stops.
Crossing borders with a Bulgaria eSIM
Data roaming still needs to be on. Even though you are physically in Bulgaria, most local eSIMs register as roaming lines, and both iOS and Android block data unless roaming is enabled for that specific line. Turn roaming on only for the eSIM, and leave it off for your home SIM to avoid surprise charges.
Reference pages for every figure in this Bulgaria guide
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Ookla Speedtest Global Index — the Bulgaria country page publishes the 203.13 Mbps median mobile download, the 282.70 Mbps median 5G download and the world rankings quoted above, updated monthly.
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nPerf 2025 mobile barometer — the Bulgaria awards page produced the per-carrier download medians in the speed table.
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Yettel Bulgaria — the official prepaid eSIM terms PDF spells out the €10.23 and €40.90 plans, the unlimited-day structure and speed caps, the
internetbgAPN and the no-ID purchase flow. -
European Commission — roaming policy — the Digital Strategy roaming page defines roam-like-at-home, the wholesale data cap falling from €2.00 per GB in 2022 towards €1.00 by 2027, and the fair-use framework.
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European Commission — Bulgaria and the euro — the euro-area country page dates the 1 January 2026 adoption and the fixed 1.95583 lev conversion rate.
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DataReportal / GSMA Intelligence — the Digital 2025 Bulgaria report underpins the market-size figures (5.86 million internet users, 9.25 million mobile connections).
Every statistic here is a dated third-party or operator-published figure, not a live guarantee. Your real-world result depends on your handset, the band you attach to, and how many skiers or beachgoers are sharing the cell next to you.
Get your Bulgaria eSIM ready before you fly
Bulgaria rewards the prepared: the networks are fast, the prices are among the lowest in the EU, and the only real variable is terrain. Set up a profile that follows you from Sofia’s yellow cobblestones to a February morning in Bansko without a second purchase — Roami’s Bulgaria eSIM switches across A1, Yettel and Vivacom automatically. New customers can claim a free pilot eSIM, and code WEB20 knocks 20% off your first plan.
The practical play: test first with Roami’s free pilot eSIM — it uses the same infrastructure as the local networks — then lock in a paid Roami data plan with code WEB20 for 20% off if Bulgaria becomes a regular destination.
