eSIM for Argentina

Viasimo's Argentina eSIM starts at $1.29 for 100 MB over 7 days, running on Claro and Movistar with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Works everywhere in Argentina

Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires F.D.
Catamarca
Chaco
Chubut
Cordoba
Corrientes

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$16.00

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$16.00

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

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Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.

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Network

Which networks does the Argentina eSIM use?

Host networks: Claro / Movistar

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

Data: 100 MB – 20 GB or unlimited
Validity: 1–180 days
Speed: 4G LTE
Hotspot / tethering: Supported on most devices
Activation: Automatic on arrival
Speed management: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
Top-ups: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
Text messages (SMS): Data only: use an app for verification codes
Connects via: Belgium
Unused validity: 180 days before it must be installed

Setting up Buy, scan the QR code we email you, and switch on the travel line when you land. How it works

Choosing a plan

How much data do you need?

The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.

Recommended data allowances matched to the plans sold for this destination
You are	Plan for	Cheapest plan that covers it
LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup	About 1 GB a week	$3.591 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$14.995 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$25.0010 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$34.00Unlimited, 7 days

Work it out from your own habits

What a week abroad costs

eSIM, local SIM or roaming?

Charged per day

Your carrier roaming

Queue and plastic

A SIM at the airport

$1.29

Viasimo, one bundle

Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.

About this eSIM

Argentina asks a lot of a phone plan because it asks a lot of a traveller. The country runs from subtropical rainforest at Iguazu to sub-Antarctic islands at the bottom of Tierra del Fuego, and the connectivity varies just as widely along the way. In the cities and the wine country you will have a fast, unremarkable connection. In Patagonia you will spend whole days with nothing, and the trick is arranging your trip so that those days cost you nothing.

Getting online when you land

Buenos Aires takes most international arrivals through Ezeiza, with Aeroparque handling domestic and regional flights and Cordoba and Mendoza receiving their own. Whichever one you come through, install the eSIM profile before departure and leave the line switched off until you have landed.

At the gate, enable the travel line and turn on data roaming for it. Registration is usually quick in Buenos Aires. Do this before you leave the terminal, because the first thing you will want is a ride into town, and booking that through an app is far simpler than negotiating at the kerb.

Your home SIM should stay in the phone with its own data turned off. Argentine card readers and international banks have a complicated relationship, and you will want your normal number available for the verification message that inevitably follows the first transaction.

The networks you'll be on

Two operators carry visiting eSIM traffic in Argentina: Movistar, running 4G LTE, and Personal, which adds 5G where it has been rolled out. Which one your handset settles on depends on where you are standing and what has the strongest signal at that moment, and it can change as you travel.

That last detail matters. If your data suddenly feels sluggish in a place that seemed fine an hour ago, check what your phone has attached to. Dropping to 3G is not a fault, it is just a slower ride, and it is usually a sign you have moved out of the denser urban footprint. Messaging and maps still work; large uploads will not be pleasant.

In Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario and the other big cities, 4G is the norm and behaves the way you would expect anywhere.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

The reliable spine of the country is the northeast and centre. Buenos Aires and its enormous suburban sprawl, the Pampas towns, Mar del Plata and the Atlantic beach resorts, Rosario, Cordoba and the Sierras, Mendoza and the vineyards around Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. Salta and Jujuy are well served in town, and the Iguazu Falls area around Puerto Iguazu has proper coverage because of the volume of visitors.

Then the map empties out. Patagonia is the honest problem: Ruta 40 running south past the Andes has enormous stretches with no service at all, and the settlements are hundreds of kilometres apart. Bariloche, El Bolson, El Calafate, El Chalten, Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia all have coverage in town, and the road between any two of them mostly does not. Ruta 3 down the Atlantic coast is the same picture.

The Andean passes, the Puna in the far northwest, the salt flats, the approaches to Perito Moreno and the trekking around Fitz Roy should all be treated as offline. So should Peninsula Valdes away from the entrance area. This is not a weakness of any particular network; there is simply nobody living out there to build for.

What you'll actually use data for here

WhatsApp is not one option among several in Argentina, it is the channel. Restaurants confirm bookings through it, tour operators send instructions through it, apartment hosts send door codes through it, and a business that will not answer an email will answer a message in seconds. Have it working before you need it.

Payments are the second big one. Card acceptance is broad in the cities, cash is essential outside them, and exchange rates move enough that people check them the way they check the weather. Keeping an eye on that from your phone is normal behaviour here, not paranoia.

After that: ride-hailing and transit apps in Buenos Aires, long-distance bus operators whose tickets live in an app or an email, football and tango and theatre bookings that sell out well ahead, and translation for the Spanish you will meet outside tourist areas, which is spoken fast and with its own accent.

For the road trips, offline maps are not optional. Download the whole route, including the stretches you think you will not need, and save your accommodation details as text rather than as a link to a booking site you cannot reach.

Before you fly

Cache offline maps for every region on your itinerary and download the Spanish language pack while you are at it. Both are much easier to do at home than in a hostel with contested wifi.

Save bus and flight tickets to the device itself. Remote terminals and small regional airports are exactly where you will find no signal and a queue behind you.

Bring a power bank sized for the distances. A twenty hour bus ride or a full day driving Ruta 40 will flatten a phone that is also running navigation. Check your handset is unlocked and eSIM capable, install the profile at home, and confirm it shows in your line settings before you go.

Unlimited runs at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continues slower.

Before you buy

Important to know

This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy

Looking for more information?

Frequently asked questions

Does an eSIM work in Argentina?

Yes. Your Argentina eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Claro, Movistar. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Argentina yet.

Do I get 5G in Argentina?

No. Claro, Movistar do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Argentina, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get.

Is there free wifi at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires?

Yes. Ezeiza (EZE) and Aeroparque (AEP) both offer an unlimited free network called AA2000-Free-WiFi, but you have to register before you can use it. It tends to be more reliable airside than in the arrivals hall, where it slows down at busy times. Many travellers find it quicker to switch on their eSIM after landing and skip the sign-up.

Where does 5G work in Argentina?

Mainly in the large cities. Personal has the most 5G antennas, concentrated in greater Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba, with growing coverage in Mendoza and Neuquén and at least one 5G site in every provincial capital. Away from those centres your phone will use 4G, which handles maps, messaging and ride apps without trouble.

Which ride-hailing apps work in Buenos Aires?

Uber, Cabify and DiDi all operate in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba. Cabify takes only card or in-app payment, while Uber and DiDi also accept cash. For licensed city taxis, the government's BA Taxi app lets you book and track a cab. All of them need mobile data to request and follow your ride.

Can tourists load credit onto a SUBE card through an app in Buenos Aires?

The app options, Carga SUBE, Mercado Pago, Ualá and home banking, mostly need an Argentine bank or wallet account. That makes them awkward for short visits. Most visitors top up at kiosks and Subte stations, then use Moovit, Google Maps or BA Cómo Llego on mobile data to plan routes across the bus and metro network.

What number do I call in an emergency in Argentina?

Dial 911 or 101 for the police, 107 for an ambulance and 100 for the fire service. Because your eSIM is data-only, you will need to place the call using your home SIM, which can still reach emergency services while roaming, or use a local landline. Save these numbers in your contacts before you travel.

How much data do I need for 7 days in Argentina?

For 7 days in Argentina, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.29, 500 MB for $2.29, 1 GB for $3.59, and unlimited data for $34.00. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →

Know before you go

Argentina: what to know before you land

In Argentina your eSIM connects to Movistar or Personal, and Personal runs the country's largest 5G footprint, concentrated in greater Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba. Ride-hailing, transit cards and bike hire in the capital all run through apps, so you will lean on data from the moment you clear arrivals at Ezeiza.

Emergency: 101 police
107 ambulance
100 fire
Plugs: CI 220V
Currency: Argentine peso (ARS)

Main airports

EZE Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza)
AEP Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
COR Córdoba Ingeniero Ambrosio Taravella International Airport
MDZ Mendoza Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport

Apps worth having WhatsAppUberCabifyDiDiBA TaxiMoovitBA Cómo LlegoMercado Pago

Landing at Ezeiza (EZE) and Aeroparque (AEP)

Ministro Pistarini International at Ezeiza (EZE) handles most long-haul arrivals, while Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), on the riverside close to Palermo, takes domestic and many regional flights. Both are run by Aeropuertos Argentina, whose free network is called AA2000-Free-WiFi. It is unlimited but asks you to register before it lets you through, and travellers report it is steadier airside than in the public arrivals hall, where it can slow down at busy times.

Because of that registration step, it is quicker to switch on your eSIM as soon as you land. Ezeiza is a long way out of the city, roughly 35 km, so you will probably want a ride app working before you reach the kerb. Uber, Cabify and DiDi all operate in Buenos Aires. Cabify only takes card or in-app payment, while Uber and DiDi also accept cash. If you prefer a regulated taxi, the city's official BA Taxi app books licensed cabs. Keep your home SIM active for calls and texts, since your bank may send a one-time code the first time you pay with a foreign card.

5G in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba

Argentina's 5G is still a city affair. By mid-2025, industry reporting put Personal well ahead, with more than 255 active 5G antennas, most of them in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA), Rosario and Córdoba. Córdoba, Santa Fe, Mendoza and Neuquén provinces were also making steady progress, and every provincial capital had at least one live 5G site. Speed tests published by Ookla ranked Personal's 5G as the fastest in the country. In Opensignal's last full Argentina report (November 2023), Personal also won the speed and coverage awards.

In practice, you can expect 5G in central Buenos Aires neighbourhoods such as Palermo, Recoleta and the Microcentro, and in the centres of the larger provincial cities. Once you leave them, your phone will fall back to 4G, which is perfectly adequate for maps, messaging and ride-hailing. Your eSIM can use Movistar or Personal depending on which signal is stronger, so you may see the network name change as you move around. That is normal and does not mean the connection has dropped.

Keeping your phone safe on Buenos Aires streets

The UK Foreign Office warns that thieves in Argentina snatch phones from people using them on the street, and that thieves on motorbikes grab bags from pedestrians. In Buenos Aires you should also watch for the "mustard" trick, where someone squirts a substance on your clothes and an accomplice steals your bag while you are being helped. If a stranger offers to help, decline politely and walk on.

This matters more than usual because your phone holds your ride apps, tickets and eSIM. A few habits help:

Step into a shop doorway or café to check directions, rather than walking with the phone out near the road.
Book rides indoors and wait inside until the app shows the car has arrived.
Note your eSIM details and keep a screenshot of your plan somewhere other than the phone, such as an email you can open from another device.
Turn on your phone's find-and-erase feature before you travel.

In an emergency, call 911 or 101 for the police, 107 for an ambulance and 100 for the fire service.

SUBE, Moovit and BA Cómo Llego for getting around

Public transport in Buenos Aires runs on the rechargeable SUBE card, which works on the Subte (metro), city buses and suburban trains. You can top up SUBE credit through the Carga SUBE app, Mercado Pago, Ualá or home banking, but those options mostly need an Argentine account. Visitors usually buy and top up the card at kiosks and stations, then use apps only for planning.

For routes, Argentina's tourism board recommends Google Maps, Moovit and the city government's BA Cómo Llego. These handle the capital's huge bus network much better than guessing at stops. The city's Ecobici bike scheme is run through the BA Ecobici app, which you use to register and unlock bikes, so you need a data connection at the docking station.

Uber, Cabify and DiDi also operate in Rosario and Córdoba, although the tourism board notes that availability varies from city to city. In smaller towns, expect to rely on local taxis or remises (pre-booked cars), which are often arranged over WhatsApp.

Researched October 2026 · 6 sources

argentina.travel Useful apps to get around Argentina: Uber, Cabify or DiDi? (Argentina.travel)
itsitio.com El 5G en Argentina: provincias con mayor avance hasta julio de 2025 (IT Sitio)
insights.opensignal.com Argentina mobile network experience, November 2023 (Opensignal)
gov.uk Argentina travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)
gov.uk Argentina travel advice: getting help (GOV.UK)
sleepinginairports.net Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport guide (Sleeping in Airports)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in Argentina: Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls and the Perito Moreno Glacier

A fast first-timer's week that pairs two days in Buenos Aires with the waterfalls of Iguazú and the glaciers of southern Patagonia. Argentina is huge, so the route depends on two domestic flights and suits travellers who accept early starts.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 3

When to go October to April is best: Patagonia's glacier excursions and El Chaltén trails run fully from about October to April, Buenos Aires is warm in spring and autumn, and Iguazú is cooler and less humid from April to September but very wet and hot in January and February.

Day 1 Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires: Plaza de Mayo and San Telmo

Ezeiza (EZE) is about 35 km from the centre; allow 45–75 minutes by road depending on traffic.

From Ezeiza, head into the city and start at Plaza de Mayo, with the Casa Rosada and the Metropolitan Cathedral, where San Martín's tomb sits under guard. Walk down Avenida de Mayo past Café Tortoni to the Congress building, then south into San Telmo for its cobbled lanes and covered market. If it is a Sunday, the Feria de San Telmo antiques fair fills Calle Defensa. Finish in La Boca at Caminito's painted houses, going there and back by taxi or ride app.

Signal Central Buenos Aires has strong 4G and Personal 5G in areas such as the Microcentro; the Subte runs underground with uneven signal, so load your route before you go down.
Day 2 Buenos Aires

Recoleta, Palermo and a tango evening

Spend the morning in Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Perón's family vault is the one most people look for, then walk to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the steel Floralis Genérica sculpture. Continue to Palermo's parks: the Rosedal rose garden and the Japanese Garden. After lunch, browse the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookshop in a former theatre on Avenida Santa Fe. In the evening, book a tango show or visit a milonga, where the dancing usually starts late.

Signal Recoleta and Palermo are among the best-covered parts of the city, with 5G in many streets; keep the phone out of sight on busy pavements, as snatch theft is common.
Day 3 Puerto Iguazú

Fly to Iguazú: the Argentine side of the falls

Flight from Aeroparque (AEP) to Cataratas del Iguazú airport takes about 1 hour 50 minutes; the park entrance is about 15 minutes from the airport by road.

Take a morning flight from Aeroparque to Iguazú and go straight to Iguazú National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ride the park's small train to the Cataratas station and walk the Upper Circuit along the top of the falls, then the Lower Circuit, which brings you close to the base of several cascades. Look out for coatis, but do not feed them. Return to Puerto Iguazú and walk to the Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet.

Signal Puerto Iguazú has good 4G, and the main park areas usually have a usable signal; near the border your phone may try to join Brazilian or Paraguayan networks, which your Argentina plan does not cover.
Day 4 Puerto Iguazú

Garganta del Diablo and the boat ride

Be at the park gate when it opens and take the first train to Garganta station, then walk the long catwalk over the Iguazú River to the Devil's Throat, the biggest of the falls. Come back for a boat trip under the falls from the lower section, which will soak you, so pack your phone in a dry bag. In the afternoon, walk the quieter Macuco trail through the forest to a small waterfall, or rest in town ahead of tomorrow's long travel day.

Signal Signal fades on the Devil's Throat catwalk and on the Macuco trail; the falls' spray is a bigger risk to your phone than the lack of bars.
Day 5 El Calafate

Fly to El Calafate in Patagonia

Usually two flights via Aeroparque, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes on the Patagonia leg; El Calafate airport is about 20 minutes from town.

This is mostly a travel day, as Iguazú and El Calafate sit at opposite ends of the country. Most itineraries connect through Aeroparque in Buenos Aires, so allow most of the day. If you land with light to spare, walk along Lago Argentino to the Laguna Nimez bird reserve on the edge of town, then visit the Glaciarium interpretation centre, which explains the Southern Patagonian Ice Field before you see it tomorrow.

Signal El Calafate's town centre has 4G on the main avenue; it is weaker on the edges of town, and the airport road has some gaps.
Day 6 El Calafate

The Perito Moreno Glacier

About 80 km from El Calafate; allow around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes each way by road.

Drive or take a bus to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, another UNESCO site. Spend a few hours on the network of boardwalks facing the ice wall, where chunks regularly break off into the lake with a loud crack. Add a short boat trip along the glacier face, or book ahead for a guided mini-trek on the ice with crampons. Bring layers, as wind off the ice is cold even in summer.

Signal Expect little or no mobile signal on the road and at the glacier boardwalks; download offline maps and your tour confirmation before you leave El Calafate.
Day 7 El Calafate

Day trip to El Chaltén and Laguna Capri

About 215 km from El Calafate, roughly 3 hours each way by road along Ruta 40 and Ruta 23.

Take an early bus or tour north to El Chaltén, Argentina's trekking capital at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy. With a day trip you have time for the Laguna Capri trail, about two hours uphill each way, which gives a view of Fitz Roy across the lake on a clear day. If the weather is poor, walk the shorter Mirador de los Cóndores path above the village instead. Return to El Calafate in the evening for your flight out tomorrow.

Signal Ruta 40 between El Calafate and El Chaltén has long stretches with no signal, the village itself has limited 4G, and the trails have none; tell someone your plan before you set off.

Staying connected on this route

Download offline Google Maps for Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazú and the whole El Calafate–El Chaltén area before leaving the capital.
At Iguazú, set your phone to manual network selection on an Argentine operator so it does not latch onto Brazilian or Paraguayan networks near the border.
Save your flight boarding passes and glacier tour vouchers as screenshots, since Patagonian roads and parks are largely offline.
Keep a power bank for the long Patagonian days; constant network searching in weak-signal areas drains the battery quickly.

Itinerary sources · 5

en.wikivoyage.org Wikivoyage: El Calafate
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Iguazu National Park
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Los Glaciares National Park
gov.uk GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Argentina safety and security
argentina.travel Argentina Travel: useful apps to get around Argentina

Where this comes from

Information and verification

Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.

Prices and plans: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.; Verified October 30, 2026
Host networks: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.; Verified October 30, 2026