eSIM for Croatia

Viasimo's Croatia eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on A1 and Telemach with 5G 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 Croatia

Bjelovar-Bilogora
Brod-Posavina
County of Osijek-Baranja
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik-Neretva
Hvar
Istria

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$6.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$6.99

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now

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 Croatia eSIM use?

Host networks: A1 / Telemach

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

Data: 500 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
Validity: 1–180 days
Speed: 4G LTE / 5G
Hotspot / tethering: Supported on most devices
Activation: Starts when you first connect in your destination
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
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	$1.591 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$4.595 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$8.0010 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$13.99Unlimited, 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

Croatia is one of the better-connected countries you can pick for a coastal trip: 5G in the cities, and a shoreline dense enough with towns that the towers follow you down it. The soft spots are predictable and almost all involve water or limestone. Plan around the ferries and the mountains and you will barely think about your phone again.

Getting online when you land

Install the profile at home over wifi and keep it switched off until you arrive. That way the first thing you do after landing at Zagreb, Split or Dubrovnik is flip a toggle rather than hunt for a working network to download a profile over.

Turn the profile on, allow data roaming for it, and it should attach before you have collected a bag. If you are arriving by road from Slovenia or Hungary instead, do the same at the border stop; the handover happens without drama.

Leave your usual SIM in the phone. Apartment hosts here overwhelmingly prefer to call rather than message when they are trying to find you at a meeting point, and a live voice number saves a lot of standing around.

The networks you'll be on

Two national operators are available: A1, on 4G LTE, and Tele2, which adds 5G where it has been rolled out.

That overlap is the reason Croatian coverage feels more robust than the terrain suggests. Where one network's signal is blocked by a ridge or a headland, another's often is not, and your handset can attach to whichever is reachable rather than being stuck with a single footprint.

In practice you will see 5G in the larger cities and along parts of the motorway network, 4G nearly everywhere else that people live, and an occasional drop to 3G on islands and in the interior. All three tiers do the job for maps and messaging; only the top two make streaming pleasant.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Strong: Zagreb and the whole continental north; the A1 motorway that carries most visitors from the capital to the coast; Split and its harbour; Dubrovnik old town and the Lapad peninsula; Zadar, Sibenik and Rijeka; and the Istrian resort belt from Rovinj round to Pula.

Reliable but occasionally thinner: the bigger islands. Hvar town, Korcula town, Brac around Bol and Supetar, and the Krk and Rab resorts all have proper service in their settlements, and noticeably less on the far side of the hill from them.

Weak or absent: the open water on longer catamaran and car ferry crossings, especially the runs out to Vis, Lastovo and Mljet, where you can spend a good portion of the journey with nothing; the interior of Kornati and Mljet national parks; the Velebit range and the Paklenica canyons; the Plitvice and Krka trail networks once you are down among the falls; and the sparsely populated Lika plateau inland.

The pattern is easy to remember. Croatian towers serve towns and roads. Water, karst ridges and forested park interiors are where they stop.

What you'll actually use data for here

Ferry timetables and live status, first and foremost. Sailings shift with wind, the bura in particular, and the difference between a cancelled crossing you knew about and one you did not is an entire ruined day. Check before you drive to the port, not after.

Then the everyday things: parking apps and zone payments in Split and Zadar, which are genuinely easier than finding a kiosk; restaurant bookings in Dubrovnik and Hvar in high season, where walking in and hoping is optimistic; navigation on the Adriatic coastal road, which is spectacular and full of turns you want warning about; and translation for menus and market stalls outside the tourist core.

If you are sailing or chartering, weather apps are the main event. Marine forecasts, wind models and harbourmaster updates all want a connection, and you will care about them far more than you expected to.

Before you fly

Download offline maps covering the coast, the islands you plan to visit and the motorway corridor. Island mapping in particular is worth caching, since that is where you are most likely to need directions with the least signal.

Screenshot your ferry bookings, apartment address and host phone number. Ports are chaotic in July and August and a screenshot beats a spinning loading icon.

Bring a car charger if you are driving. Coastal navigation, photography and a phone reaching for distant towers on island roads will empty a battery by mid-afternoon.

One last thing worth knowing: your apartment host may need to register your stay and will ask for passport details. Have a clear photo of your passport page saved on the device so you can hand it over without digging through a bag in the street.

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.
5G only works where the host network has deployed it and your phone supports it. Everywhere else it falls back to 4G LTE.
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 Croatia?

Yes. Your Croatia 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 A1, Telemach. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.

Do I get 5G in Croatia?

Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on A1, Telemach in Croatia, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.

Is Tele2 the same network as Telemach in Croatia?

Yes. Tele2's Croatian network was renamed Telemach by its owner, United Group, in November 2020. If your eSIM lists Tele2 but your phone shows Telemach, nothing is wrong. Telemach won Opensignal's 5G Availability award for Croatia in 2023, and your eSIM can also use A1, switching between the two as the signal changes.

Can I pay for parking by SMS in Croatia with a data-only eSIM?

No. SMS parking means texting a special short number, which a data-only eSIM can't do, and premium texts from a foreign SIM are unreliable. Use a parking app such as PayDo, which works with a bank card in cities including Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Šibenik, Pula and Rovinj. Otherwise, use the pay-and-display machine in your zone.

Do I need to print Jadrolinija ferry tickets?

No. The Jadrolinija app sells tickets and shows them on your phone. It also shows timetables and live delay information. Remember that a car-ferry ticket doesn't guarantee your car a space. Travel guides advise queuing one to three hours before departure, so keep data on to check the sailing's status while you wait.

Will my phone switch to a Bosnian network driving to Dubrovnik?

It can if you take the old road through Neum, a short stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the coast. Bosnia is outside the EU and outside a Croatia-only plan. The Pelješac Bridge, opened in 2022, keeps you in Croatia all the way to Dubrovnik, so your eSIM stays on Croatian networks.

Does Uber work in Dubrovnik and Split?

Yes. Uber and Bolt both operate in Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb, and both need mobile data to book and track rides. In August 2025, Dubrovnik's mayor proposed tougher national rules, including driver and vehicle registration for platforms and a state maximum fare per kilometre. Check the current position before you rely on app rides.

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

For 7 days in Croatia, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $1.59 and unlimited data for $13.99. 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

Croatia: what to know before you land

In Croatia your eSIM connects to A1 or to Tele2, the network that has traded as Telemach since 2020, with 5G where it is available. Data matters on the coast for two everyday reasons: Jadrolinija ferry tickets and live delay updates are in its app, and paying for street parking by SMS doesn't work on a data-only eSIM.

Emergency: 112
Plugs: CF 230V
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Main airports

ZAG Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport
SPU Split Airport
DBV Dubrovnik Airport
ZAD Zadar Airport

Apps worth having JadrolinijaPayDoUberBoltWhatsAppViber

Tele2, Telemach, A1 and HT on your screen

Croatia has three mobile networks: Hrvatski Telekom (HT), A1 and Telemach. Telemach is the former Tele2. United Group renamed the network in November 2020 and announced its 5G plans at the same time. So if your phone shows Telemach while the eSIM is listed as Tele2, it is the same network.

Your eSIM can attach to A1 or to Telemach. In Opensignal's 2023 Croatia report, Telemach won the 5G Availability award outright, meaning users spent the most time connected to 5G, and shared the overall download speed award with HT. HT took the award for 5G download speed. The practical result is that 5G is easy to find in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and the larger coastal towns, and your phone will move between the networks your plan allows as the signal changes.

Croatia has been in the Schengen area and the eurozone since 2023, so you drive in from Slovenia or Hungary without border checks. Borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro are external EU borders, though, and near them your phone can pick up a non-Croatian network.

Jadrolinija tickets and car-ferry queues

Jadrolinija, the state ferry company, runs most car ferries and many catamarans along the coast. Its app, launched in 2019 for iOS and Android, sells tickets and shows them on your phone, so you don't need a printout. It also shows timetables and live information on delays and traffic. You can book local and international car ferries and local catamarans on jadrolinija.hr too.

One thing catches out drivers: buying a car-ferry ticket does not reserve a space for your car. Travel guides advise queuing anywhere from one to three hours before departure, and the local Jadrolinija office can tell you the recommended wait for your sailing. In the queue you will want data to check whether the boat is running late, to message your accommodation on the island and to watch the live status in the app.

The summer timetable runs from about late May or early June to late September or early October, with extra departures in July and August. Outside that window, sailings are far fewer, so check the app before you plan a day trip to an island.

Paying for parking in Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik

Street parking in Croatian coastal towns is zoned. Locals often pay by sending a text to a special short number, but that does not work for you. Your eSIM is data-only, and premium short-code texts from a foreign SIM are not reliable.

The workaround is an app. PayDo was set up so drivers can pay for parking without SMS, using a bank card or a prepaid balance. Croatian tech press listed it as working in Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Šibenik, Pula, Poreč, Rovinj and Osijek when it launched, with more cities to follow. Check the signs in your zone, because they show which payment methods that zone accepts, and fall back to the pay-and-display machine if an app isn't listed.

In Dubrovnik and Split's old towns, the closest parking fills up early in summer. Use a map app on the drive in to find the garages on the edge of the centre, and set a phone reminder for when your paid time runs out. Fines are issued quickly in the busy season.

Uber, Bolt and Dubrovnik's taxi rules

Uber and Bolt both operate in Croatia's main tourist cities, including Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. They are often the easiest way to get from the airport or a ferry port to your accommodation, and you see the price before you book. Both need mobile data to request a car and follow it to the pickup point.

The rules may tighten. In August 2025, Dubrovnik's mayor, Mato Franković, proposed changes to Croatia's road transport law. They would oblige Uber and Bolt to verify and register every driver and vehicle before they can operate, introduce special taxi number plates and let the state set a maximum price per kilometre. The proposals were sent to the government to start the parliamentary process. Check the latest situation if you rely on app rides, especially in Dubrovnik.

If you drive the coast road south to Dubrovnik, the Pelješac Bridge, opened in 2022, lets you stay in Croatia instead of passing through the short Bosnian stretch at Neum. Staying on Croatian territory keeps your eSIM on Croatian networks.

Researched October 2026 · 7 sources

en.lider.media United Group renames Tele2 to Telemach Croatia (Lider)
ictbusiness.biz Opensignal announces Croatia mobile network experience report (ICT Business)
timeout.com Jadrolinija launches new mobile app (Time Out Croatia)
croatiatraveller.com Jadrolinija ferries (Croatia Traveller)
dnevnik.hr PayDo parking app (Dnevnik.hr)
croatiaweek.com Dubrovnik leads call for tough new taxi laws (Croatia Week)
en.wikipedia.org Pelješac Bridge (Wikipedia)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in Croatia: Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, the Dalmatian coast and Dubrovnik

A one-way drive from Zagreb to Dubrovnik that takes in the lakes and waterfalls of Plitvice and Krka, Roman Split, a catamaran day on Hvar and the walled city of Dubrovnik. Suits first-time visitors with a hire car and a one-way drop-off.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 5

When to go May, June and September give warm sea and full ferry timetables without the peak crowds and heat of July and August; Plitvice is at its fullest in spring and quietest in October, while winter ferry timetables are much thinner.

Day 1 Zagreb

Zagreb: Upper and Lower Town

Zagreb airport (ZAG) is about 20–30 minutes from the centre by road or airport bus.

Start at Ban Jelačić Square and walk up to Dolac market, then into the Upper Town past the cathedral to the Stone Gate shrine. See St Mark's Church with its tiled roof, visit the Museum of Broken Relationships, and take the short funicular down to Ilica. In the afternoon, walk the Lower Town's 'green horseshoe' of parks and squares, including the art pavilion and Zrinjevac, and finish with an evening on Tkalčićeva street.

Signal Zagreb has strong 4G and widespread 5G on both A1 and Telemach, so streaming and maps work smoothly.
Day 2 Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes National Park

About 2 hours by road from Zagreb (roughly 130 km).

Drive south to Plitvice Lakes, Croatia's best-known national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrive at opening time and walk the boardwalks through the Lower Lakes to the Veliki Slap, the tallest waterfall, then take the electric boat across Kozjak lake and continue through the Upper Lakes. Book your entry slot online in summer, as daily visitor numbers are limited. Stay overnight near the park to enjoy the evening quiet.

Signal Coverage is generally fine at the park entrances, but signal drops in the deeper canyon sections of the Lower Lakes; download the park map before you set off.
Day 3 Zadar

Zadar: Roman forum and the Sea Organ

About 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by road from Plitvice to Zadar.

Drive down to the coast at Zadar. Walk the old town peninsula to the Roman forum and the round St Donatus Church, then climb the bell tower of St Anastasia's Cathedral for the view. Visit the Museum of Ancient Glass or the archaeological museum, then sit on the waterfront at sunset by the Sea Organ, where waves push air through pipes under the steps, and the Greeting to the Sun light installation beside it.

Signal The road south over the Velebit foothills has a few weak patches, but Zadar's old town has strong 4G and 5G in many areas.
Day 4 Split

Krka waterfalls and Šibenik on the way to Split

Zadar to Krka (Lozovac entrance) takes about 1 hour; Krka to Šibenik 20 minutes; Šibenik to Split about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Head south to Krka National Park and walk the loop path around Skradinski Buk, a series of travertine cascades; swimming there is no longer allowed. Continue to Šibenik and see the Cathedral of St James, a UNESCO-listed stone church with a frieze of carved heads around its apse, and walk up to St Michael's Fortress. Drive on to Split in the late afternoon and check in near the old town.

Signal 4G is reliable along the A1 motorway, at Krka's main entrance and in Šibenik; Split has widespread 5G.
Day 5 Split

Split: Diocletian's Palace and Marjan

Spend the morning inside Diocletian's Palace, the Roman emperor's retirement residence that is now part of the old town. Go down into the palace cellars, stand in the Peristyle and climb the bell tower of the Cathedral of St Domnius. Walk out through the Golden Gate to Grgur Ninski's statue. In the afternoon, climb the steps to Marjan Hill for views over the islands, then swim at Kašjuni or Bene beach.

Signal Split's old town and waterfront have strong 5G and 4G; within the palace's stone cellars the signal is weaker.
Day 6 Split

Day trip to Hvar

Jadrolinija and other catamarans take about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes from Split to Hvar town; buy tickets in advance in summer.

Take an early catamaran to Hvar town. Walk up to the Fortica (Spanish Fortress) for the view over the harbour and the Pakleni Islands, then visit the main square, the cathedral and the old arsenal with its theatre. In the afternoon, take a water taxi to one of the Pakleni Islands for a swim, or walk the coastal path east of town. Return to Split on the evening catamaran.

Signal Coverage usually holds on the crossing near the islands and is good in Hvar town; it is patchier on the outer side of the Pakleni Islands.
Day 7 Dubrovnik

Over the Pelješac Bridge to Dubrovnik

About 3 hours by road from Split to Dubrovnik via the motorway and the Pelješac Bridge.

Drive south along the coast and cross the Pelješac Bridge, which keeps you on Croatian territory instead of passing through Bosnia at Neum. Arrive in Dubrovnik by early afternoon and walk the city walls, about two kilometres around the old town, with views over the roofs and the sea. Then walk the Stradun, visit the Rector's Palace and the Franciscan monastery, and take the cable car up Mount Srđ for sunset.

Signal Using the bridge keeps your phone on A1 or Telemach; in Dubrovnik's old town expect strong 4G and 5G, though it can slow in summer crowds on the Stradun.

Staying connected on this route

Install the Jadrolinija app and buy your Hvar catamaran tickets before the day, so you can follow delays in the app.
Take the Pelješac Bridge rather than the Neum road so your phone does not switch to a Bosnian network outside your plan.
Check how to pay for street parking in Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik before you arrive: SMS parking does not work on a data-only eSIM, so use the pay machines or a parking app the city accepts.
Download offline maps and the Plitvice park map before leaving Zagreb, as the lakes' canyons have weak spots.

Itinerary sources · 5

whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Plitvice Lakes National Park
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Historical complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik
croatiatraveller.com Croatia Traveller: Jadrolinija ferries
en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia: Pelješac Bridge

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