San Marino eSIM

Staying connected in San Marino

San Marino is a small republic surrounded by Italy, about ten kilometres from the Adriatic coast near Rimini, so you will usually reach it through Italy. Install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you arrive. AirOva sells San Marino plans from $1.49: fixed GB plans and a data + calls option, all on Italian networks with 4G and 5G where available.

Which San Marino plan to choose

GB plans suit most visits: a visit to the historic centre needs little more than maps, messaging and photo uploads. The data + calls option adds call minutes to mobile data, handy for booking a restaurant or calling a hotel. GB plans are data only; all plans come with no local phone number. If you are touring Italy as well, see our Italy eSIM guide.

Italian networks in San Marino

San Marino plans run on TIM, WindTre, Iliad and Vodafone; each plan card lists its network. This matches how mobile service works locally: TMS, San Marino's own mobile operator, is majority owned by TIM San Marino, uses the TIM network and even relies on Italian number ranges. Some cards may show a maritime label as well; check the network list before you buy.

Arriving via Rimini or Bologna

San Marino has no airport of its own. Federico Fellini International (RMI) in Rimini is described as the main air gateway to the republic, and the SS72 road runs from there to the border at Dogana. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ), about 6 km from central Bologna, is the larger airport in the region. After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the data is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge.

EU roaming does not apply

San Marino uses the euro but is not in the European Union. The EU's Roam Like at Home rules cover the member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, and other countries are not covered. A home SIM that roams onto a San Marino network can be billed at international rates, so check with your operator.

Tip: keep roaming off on your home SIM while you are in San Marino and use the eSIM for data, even if you came straight from Italy. Leave the home SIM in the phone for bank codes, and set the eSIM as your data line before you cross the border.