eSIM and SIM cards in Monaco

Outside the regime, inside the arrangement

• Monaco is not in the EU, so roam-like-at-home does not cover it as a matter of law.
• In practice it usually behaves as though it did. Monaco Telecom and the French operators arranged for visitors to use the local network the way they would in a European-zone country, and many other European operators list Monaco in their home zone.
• "Usually" is not "always". It rests on your operator's own country list, so check it rather than assume - especially on a non-EU plan.

One network, and a border you cannot feel

• Monaco Telecom is the operator, and the Principality is small enough that a single network covers it.
• The country is under 2.1 square kilometres and wrapped in France. A phone standing near the edge can hold a French network instead, which is inside the EU regime - so two people side by side can be billed under different rules.
• If your plan covers France but not Monaco, that quirk is worth knowing about; if it covers both, ignore it.

What to actually do

• Most visitors need to do nothing. Monaco is a day out from Nice for many people, and a French or Italian SIM is already in the phone.
• On a non-European plan, buy an eSIM before you arrive rather than paying a per-megabyte rate for the Casino's wi-fi password.

eSIM

• An eSIM is live before you land and skips the shop entirely, which on a short trip is the whole argument for it.
• Check your phone takes one. Most flagship phones since 2019 do; most budget models do not.

Practical points

• Keep your home number reachable for two-factor codes. If you swap in a local SIM as your only card, bank apps that text a code to your home number stop working at the worst possible moment. A dual-SIM phone, or an eSIM alongside your home SIM, solves it.
• Wi-fi is widespread in cafes, hotels and stations.