Yettel's Bulgaria-only tourist eSIM
Yettel's English tourist page offers a prepaid data eSIM bought online and delivered by email for installation. At the time of checking, it displayed €10.23 for a 30-day package: unlimited data for the first five days, then 25,000 MB for the remaining validity. It also displayed a larger 60-day package. These are operator-stated offers, and the first unlimited period is not the same as unlimited data for the entire month.
The tourist page makes two important limits explicit. This eSIM is for data without calls or SMS, and it works only in Bulgaria on Yettel's network. It will not continue supplying data on an onward journey to Greece or Romania, even though those are EU countries. Yettel says the QR code and setup instructions arrive at the supplied email address; keep that message accessible until service is working.
Yettel says its tourist eSIM can be moved to another device by deactivating it on the old phone and activating it on the new one. It also describes reactivation with the original QR code after accidental deletion. Follow the current operator instructions for that particular product rather than assuming every eSIM provider permits the same transfer. Check remaining data with the method Yettel gives for the prepaid line.
Registration differs by product
Vivacom's prepaid registration portal asks for an email address and SIM number, then takes the customer through document and selfie steps. It explicitly says an identity card or passport can be used. That makes its published route clear for a passport holder who has acquired a new Vivacom physical SIM, although the online process still needs a working connection and camera for verification.
Yettel describes physical prepaid cards sold through its own shops and partners, with a digital order route as well. Its buying guide says a physical card delivered by courier must be registered after receipt. A visitor who wants a Bulgarian voice number should ask the outlet to complete activation before leaving, check that calls and data work, and retain the packaging details needed for account support.
A1's prepaid mobile-internet 30 GB page says that particular data starter pack is available without registration as either eSIM or physical SIM. It also says the card can be used only on A1 Bulgaria and does not support sending SMS. The page still shows a promotion that expired in August 2026, so the old activation bonus and displayed price should be reconfirmed at purchase. Its no-registration wording applies to this data product; it should not be stretched to all Bulgarian prepaid voice lines.
Read national coverage claims carefully
Bulgaria's Communications Regulation Commission identifies A1 Bulgaria, Vivacom and Yettel as the three nationwide mobile operators. Its 2024 annual report says LTE networks have wide national coverage and that 5G networks were continuing to expand. This supports expecting mobile data on many ordinary routes, but the report does not guarantee reception at a precise mountain trail, Black Sea beach or basement room.
The choice matters if the itinerary moves from Sofia through the Rila or Rhodope mountains, or crosses the country to Varna or Burgas. Check the selected operator's location-specific map and download navigation before a long bus or rail leg. Signal within a moving vehicle can differ from coverage shown for the surrounding outdoor area, and a 5G-ready eSIM still depends on a compatible handset and the local network.
Yettel and A1 advertise 5G access for these data products, subject to a compatible device. That is no promise of 5G along every road.
Check the border before relying on EU roaming
Bulgaria is covered by the EU roam-like-at-home framework. The European Commission says eligible EU and EEA subscriptions generally retain domestic call, text and data conditions on occasional trips in Bulgaria, subject to fair-use limits for some data plans. Check the home provider's actual allowance and whether data roaming is enabled before buying another line.
A Bulgarian product is not automatically an EU roaming product. Yettel explicitly restricts its tourist data eSIM to Bulgaria, and A1 likewise states that its specified mobile-internet starter works only on A1 Bulgaria. Yettel's guide for other physical prepaid plans says some include EU-zone roaming, so a voice-and-data card must be judged by its own tariff terms. A traveller going on from Sofia to Bucharest, Thessaloniki or Istanbul needs a separate check for each stop.
Keep the home SIM active if it carries important calls, but select the intended line for data in the handset settings. An unlocked iPhone can use a travel eSIM alongside another line on supported models, according to Apple. Set the roaming switches deliberately: the Yettel tourist eSIM will not work outside Bulgaria, while an unplanned home-line data fallback could create charges under a non-EU contract.
Prepare the Sofia airport transfer
Sofia's tourism administration says the airport has two terminals linked by a free shuttle and that the metro station is at Terminal 2. Its guide identifies metro line M4 as the connection towards central stops including Sofia University and Serdika. A visitor arriving at Terminal 1 should account for the terminal transfer before following a map that begins at the metro station.
The same guide lists buses serving the terminals and points to the urban transport timetable. Its fares are in lev and may be stale, so check current prices locally. Save the hotel address and terminal number before leaving the aircraft, especially if eSIM activation is unfinished.
Do not mistake data for emergency calling
Bulgaria's State Agency for Road Safety says 112 reaches medical, fire and police services and that calls are free from a mobile or fixed phone. Save 112 before travelling to remote areas, and keep the address or landmark of accommodation where it can be found offline.
Yettel states that its tourist eSIM has no calls or SMS. A map or messaging app working through that data plan does not show that the eSIM can dial 112. Keep an active voice-capable home or local SIM as a dependable calling route and confirm ordinary calls work after the phone's line settings change. The same caution applies to A1's data starter, whose product page says it cannot send SMS.
If hiking in the Rila or driving a mountain road, do not count on an online map being available everywhere. The regulator's national LTE description is broad rather than route-specific. Download the route and important numbers while connected, and use the operator's coverage information for the particular trail or road.
Set up and top up with the actual itinerary in mind
Before departure, confirm the handset is unlocked and supports eSIM if buying a digital product. Save the Yettel installation email or the Vivacom registration portal address, and ensure a passport or accepted identity card is available for a line that requires verification. Install while a reliable internet connection is available, then test mobile data on arrival before leaving Sofia or heading to another city.
A short Bulgarian-only visit may fit a domestic data eSIM; a traveller needing calls, SMS or cross-border roaming should select a product that explicitly includes those functions. With dual SIM, label the lines clearly so the data setting does not drift back to the home plan. Apple recommends checking carrier-lock status for iPhones used with a different provider.
Yettel says its tourist eSIM warns users as data is consumed and points to a new prepaid card. Check the chosen product's expiry and recharge terms rather than assuming the original promotion repeats.
Networks our Bulgaria plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Bulgaria, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- A15G
- Telenor5G
- Vivacom5G
- Yettel5G
- Yettel Bulgaria EADLTE