New Zealand SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know | 2022
Visiting New Zealand soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a New Zealand SIM card.
Fortunately, Oceania is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Oceania. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in New Zealand in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in New Zealand. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate English – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in New Zealand.
Best SIM Cards In New Zealand
If you’re traveling in New Zealand, we recommend using a SIM card from Vodafone, Spark, 2degrees, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Oceania, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Oceanian countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In New Zealand
You can either buy a New Zealand prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport. That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Oceanian prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Vodafone, Spark, and 2degrees.
Vodafone SIM Cards
Vodafone offers three different types of tourist plans:
- 2 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 29 ($16.86)
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for NZD 49 ($28.49)
- 40 GB, valid for 60 days for NZD 69 ($40.12)
Spark SIM Cards
Spark has four different prepaid plans available:
- 2 GB, valid for 90 days for NZD 29 ($16.86)
- 10 GB, valid for 90 days for NZD 49 ($28.49)
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for NZD 79 ($45.93)
- Unlimited data, valid for 90 days for NZD 129 ($75)
2degrees SIM Cards
2degrees offers several main SIM-only plans for tourists:
- 1.25 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 19 ($11.05)
- 2.5 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 30 ($17.44)
- 4 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 40 ($23.26)
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 55 ($31.98)
- 25 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 70 ($40.70)
- 40 GB, valid for 30 days for NZD 70 ($49.42)
Overall, we think Vodafone is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy A New Zealand Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. New Zealand is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid Oceanian SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or New Zealand. They currently offer three packages that cover New Zealand & Fiji:
- Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for $65
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $36
- 2.5 GB, valid for 30 days for $21
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for New Zealand or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Oceania.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For New Zealand
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in New Zealand.
Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for New Zealand.
Airalo New Zealand
If you want to buy an eSIM for New Zealand, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Oceania and New Zealand. I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available:
- Nzcom: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $7
- Nzcom: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $14
- Nzcom: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $21
- Nzcom: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $31.50
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 87 countries, including New Zealand.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly New Zealand
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Here’s an overview of the plan for New Zealand:
- 10 GB data, valid for 30 days for $34
- 20 GB data, valid for 30 days for $44
Nomad New Zealand
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for New Zealand:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $15
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $17
Nomad also has Global, an eSIM plan for 111 countries worldwide. This plan offers coverage in New Zealand. Here’s an overview:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $20
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $38
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $54
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In New Zealand
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in New Zealand or even an eSIM for your travels in New Zealand is pretty straightforward. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Oceania without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Oceania or global plan.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in New Zealand if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to New Zealand soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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