Buying a SIM Card or eSIM in the Netherlands (2024 Guide) (2024)

Looking to stay connected in the land of windmills and tulips, canals and bitterballen?

The Netherlands has plenty of free Wi-Fi in cafes, bars, and even on the trains. If you prefer your data to be mobile, though, the good news is that buying a local SIM card or travel eSIM is easy and doesn’t have to be particularly expensive.

There are some big differences between vendors, however, so it’s worth doing a bit of research ahead of time. I guess that’s why you’re here!

Here’s what you need to know.

There are three main cell networks in the Netherlands, operated by KPN, Vodafone, and Odido. KPN has the largest network, followed by Odido and Vodafone, but its resellers offer better pricing for prepaid customers.

I tested with Lebara and Lyca Mobile SIMs, which both use the KPN network: of the two, I’d definitely recommend Lyca Mobile.

Depending on how much data you need, you might find that a travel eSIM is cheaper than getting service from the local companies. It’s something I often end up doing these days, both for the cost savings and the convenience of being set up on arrival.

There’s typically little to no difference in price between the two cheapest options, Airalo and aloSIM. I’ve used both of them around the world and often get better speeds with aloSIM, so that’s who I’d recommend, but either is fine.

Like most travel eSIMs, it’s 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 – free with any single-country eSIM)

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, and you can read all about them here.

Purchasing either SIM card was extremely simple. I just walked into the nearest mobile phone shop with a Lyca Mobile or Lebara sign in the window, and had a working connection within a few minutes.

Buying the SIM card online from either company is usually free, but you’ll need a Dutch address to get it sent out to.

In both cases, the vendor activated the SIM for me, but as instructions are in both English and Dutch, you could probably do it yourself if necessary. You don’t need to be in a major city to buy a card: I picked mine up in Leiden and Utrecht, for instance.

Getting set up with a data package on Lebara was straightforward. I just asked the vendor to add credit to my SIM after he activated it, and then texted the code in the brochure he handed me to buy the bundle I wanted. You can do it online as well.

It wasn’t as easy with Lyca Mobile, however. For some reason, none of the three places I tried in Leiden (two phone stores and a major supermarket) had data top-up packs available at the top.

In the end, buying credit and activating a bundle online was the easiest option. There was no problem using an international credit card to do this, and took a lot less time than walking around the shops!

Tip: when doing this, you can also get an eSIM from Lyca Mobile instead of a physical SIM (just switch it at checkout). That avoids the need to buy a physical SIM in the first place: you’ll just get a QR code to scan once the payment goes through.

Lyca Mobile and Lebara

With Lebara, €11 gets you 150 domestic calling minutes, 150 texts, and 10GB of data valid for a month. You’ll pay extra for the SIM card when buying instore: mine cost €10 with €5 of credit preloaded, so my total cost to get set up was €16 (~$18).

The Lyca Mobile SIM was free, but I had to top up with ten euros at the same time. Unlimited national calls and texts and 10GB of data cost €15, valid for a month. Bundles change all the time, so check what’s on offer before you commit.

aloSIM

As I say, there’s rarely much if any difference in price between the two cheapest options, but aloSIM often has faster speeds.

Prices and bundles change all the time, though: I’ve compared many different eSIM companies in the past, and here’s how the best ones stack up price-wise in the Netherlands.

Topping Up

Lyca Mobile and Lebara

You can buy top-ups almost anywhere you see a sign for Lyca Mobile or Lebara. In the Netherlands, that seems to be about every hundred metres.

Supermarkets, convenience stores, mobile phone stores, and many others sell them, or you can buy online and save yourself the hassle.

aloSIM

Topping up with Nomad (or any of the other travel eSIM companies) is done by logging into the website or app. You just select your Nigeria 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.

When it came to data speeds, Lebara was a total disappointment. Despite being on the KPN network which spans the entire country, I’d regularly see my phone struggling to maintain a signal while standing in the centre of a major town or city.

I ran speed tests in Utrecht, Leiden, Amsterdam, Maastricht, and The Hague, and half the time, they didn’t even complete. Web pages would often timeout or take minutes to load. All in all, it was a very frustrating experience.

Lyca Mobile was much better anywhere and everywhere I tested it, with solid connections and speeds of 20-25Mbps. If you’re getting a local SIM, that’s the one to go for.

Like Lyca, aloSIM also uses the KPN network, so you can expect the same level of coverage around the country. Airalo goes one better, with both KPN and Vodafone networks available as needed.

The Netherlands 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 use one of the regional Europe eSIMs mentioned earlier.

Check out our guides to SIM cards and eSIMs in 65+ other countrieshere.