Buying a SIM Card or eSIM for Travel in Belgium

Belgium: home of beer, chocolate, the European Union, and one of the most original landmarks on the planet.

It is also one of the most (unfairly, in my opinion) underrated countries in Europe. Many travelers just pass through, reserving a mere half-day to visit Brussels, maybe check out a pub or two in Bruges, and move on.

Most people who do stay longer, though, end up pleasantly surprised. Belgium has a diverse population, a thriving arts scene, a phenomenal brewing culture, and excitingly for me, a fast, reliable cellular network.

It’s quite expensive compared to many other countries in Europe, though, even the neighboring ones. This means that even more than elsewhere, it’s also worth looking at travel eSIMs: they’re cheaper than physical SIM cards unless you need a lot of data.

However you choose to do it, here’s what you need to know about staying connected in Belgium.

Belgium’s telecom landscape is dominated by three companies: Proximus, Base, and Orange. While you’ll get good LTE or 5G service with all of them, Proximus has the highest levels of coverage, blanketing the entire country.

That’s why I opted for Proximus on my first couple of trips to Belgium, a decision made easier by the fact it has a store in Brussels Midi station, right beside the exit of the Eurostar terminal.

There are also a handful of resellers that run on Base’s network, including Carrefour, Lyca Mobile, and Vectone. They’re likely a bit cheaper than the main companies if you expect to use a lot of data, but you’ll need to visit a supermarket or convenience store with your passport to buy and register the SIM to you.

As I mentioned, if you’re buying a physical SIM, mobile service is comparatively expensive in Belgium no matter who you go with. This means that travel eSIMs are a better option for most visitors unless you plan to burn through a lot of data. Most recent phones support them.

Not only will you save money, you’ll also save time: the whole thing about travel eSIMs is that you can set them up in a few minutes before leaving home and then be connected as soon as you arrive, with none of the annoying registration requirements that plague local SIMs.

I’ve switched to using eSIMs in most countries I travel to these days, and looking at the prices for physical SIMs before my most recent trip to the north of the country did nothing to change my perspective.

Instead, I bought and tested eSIMs from three of the providers I regularly use. Coverage and speeds ended up being remarkably consistent between all of them, which makes it easy to recommend on price alone.

Given that, I’d suggest that unless you need a particularly large data pack, buy your eSIM from aloSIM and use the discount code WDD to get $3 off your first purchase. This generally makes it the cheapest option: small data packs cost less than a coffee, and even larger ones won’t set you back more than the price of a few of those delicious Belgian beers.

Still, competition is fierce, and prices can and do change regularly. Make sure you check the prices and details below before making a final decision: they were last updated on 25 May 2026.

Like most travel eSIMs, these are data-only: you don’t get a local number. I use apps for everything from communication to transport these days, so the lack of a local number very rarely matters to me, but you might have different needs.

One thing worth noting: if you’re planning to travel to several European countries within a few weeks, it might be worth looking at some of the regional eSIM packages on offer.

There are too many to list each one separately (and they change all the time), but as a starting point, these are the Europe eSIM options from companies I’d actually consider using:

• aloSIM (34 countries)
• Airalo (39 countries)
• Nomad (30-35 countries)
• SIMOptions (29-39 countries)
• yeSIM (31 countries)
• easySIM (36 countries)

If you’re new to eSIMs, they offer big benefits to travelers in terms of how quickly, easily, and (often) cheaply you can get connected when you arrive in a new country. Most recent phones support them.

Going to other countries as well? Be sure to check out my quick and easy eSIM finder with real-world recommendations for every trip: it only takes a few seconds, and could save you a ton of money!

Buying the SIM card from Proximus was quick. I just popped into the store at the Midi train station, beside the Eurostar terminal exit, and asked one of the attendants for help.

They explained the couple of options I had for a prepaid card in flawless English, and set me up as soon as I made my choice.

They also registered me under their system, for which you need to show proof of ID. EU nationals can show their ID card, but for everyone else, passports are the only valid form of identification.

In the past, there was no need to show proof of ID to purchase a prepaid card. You could even do it online, with the SIM card arriving in the mail a few days later. Things changed after terrorist attacks in early 2016, when the law was changed to require all new SIMs to be registered.

The documentation requirements to do this online are high, with new customers being asked to provide their e-identity number and Belgian bank account, among others. Since only residents have these things, foreigners can no longer sign up for SIM cards online.

Proximus

Getting the SIM card set me back 10€, loaded with the same amount of credit and a small amount of bonus data, calls, and texts. You can spend the credit on extra data (or calls) as needed.

500MB valid for a month costs 6€, for instance, while 3GB will set you back 12€. I wasn’t in town for long, so just went with the basic 500MB option.

Topping Up

Proximus

Topping up is fairly simple. You can do easily it online, either through Proximus’ website or free app.

Alternatively, you can purchase a credit voucher at any of the authorized spots, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations around the country.

aloSIM

Topping up with aloSIM (or any of the other travel eSIM companies) is done by logging into the website or app. You just select your Belgium eSIM, hit the top-up button, and buy the same package again.

The top-up packs have exactly the same pricing and duration as the original eSIMs: there’s little difference between topping up your current eSIM and buying a new one, other than not having to activate it.

Proximus talks a lot about the quality of its network, and it’s not wrong.

Even back when I used to buy physical SIMs, the company’s 3G network was fast and reliable everywhere I went in the country.

As I mentioned, though, I’ve since moved away from using physical SIMs in most countries, Belgium included. All of the travel eSIMs I tested on my most recent trip had similar speeds and excellent coverage, whether I was in a town or city, or hiking around in the countryside outside Liège.

Belgium is part of the European Union, so EU roaming regulations apply. These “roam like at home” rules ended roaming charges across much of Europe in 2017, letting you use a SIM card from any EU country across all the others at no extra charge.

There are some exceptions and limits, however, especially with large data packages. Double-check the exact details at time of purchase, or just use one of the regional eSIM packs mentioned earlier.

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