eSIM and SIM cards in San Marino

The bill depends on which network you land on

• San Marino is not in the EU or the EEA, so roam-like-at-home does not cover it.
• The Republic is entirely surrounded by Italy, and Italian networks reach well into it. A phone holding an Italian network is roaming in Italy, at your EU rate.
• A phone that switches to San Marino's own network is not, and an operator that bills San Marino separately will bill it separately.
• This can change while you stand still, which is what makes it worth knowing rather than merely trivia.

What to actually do

• Check whether your tariff lists San Marino before you go up. Some operators fold it into their Europe zone; others treat it as rest-of-world.
• If yours does not cover it, set the network manually to an Italian one while you are there, or turn data roaming off.
• A day trip needs no SIM at all. Most people come up from Rimini for the afternoon.

Free public wi-fi, and it is genuinely good

• VisitSanMarinoWiFi covers the Republic from 300 access points, in the historic centre, squares, museums, libraries and public offices.
• It is free and needs no registration - you connect and you are online, at any hour.
• On a short visit this is enough to make the whole roaming question moot.

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.