Spanish phrases for getting a mobile SIM card in Spain
In a phone shop, ask for “Una tarjeta SIM de prepago, por favor”. The assistant may ask for your ID: “¿Me dice su DNI o NIE, por favor?”. To keep your old number, ask “¿Puedo mantener mi número de móvil?” and “¿Cuántos días tarda la portabilidad?”.
Try it · about two minutes
In a phone shop you buy a prepaid SIM, show your ID and ask to keep your old number.
Sound on: the shop assistant speaks Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.
How does the conversation usually go?
- Shop assistant
Dígame, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?
Hello, how can I help you?
YouUna tarjeta SIM de prepago, por favor.
A pay-as-you-go SIM card, please.
- Shop assistant
¿Me dice su DNI o NIE, por favor?
Could you give me your DNI or NIE number, please?
YouAquí tiene.
Here you are.
The assistant starts to set up the SIM. You would like it to keep your old number.
You¿Puedo mantener mi número de móvil?
Can I keep my mobile number?
- Shop assistant
Eso se llama portabilidad. Ahora lo miro.
That’s called portabilidad. I’ll check it now.
You¿Cuántos días tarda la portabilidad?
How many days does it take to transfer my number?
- Shop assistant
Son doce euros con cincuenta.
That’s twelve euros fifty.
You¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
- Shop assistant
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
YouNo, nada más, gracias.
No, that’s all, thanks.
Which Spanish phrases do you need?
Dígame, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?
Hello, how can I help you?
Una tarjeta SIM de prepago, por favor.
A pay-as-you-go SIM card, please.
¿Me dice su DNI o NIE, por favor?
Could you give me your DNI or NIE number, please?
Aquí tiene.
Here you are.
¿Puedo mantener mi número de móvil?
Can I keep my mobile number?
¿Cuántos días tarda la portabilidad?
How many days does it take to transfer my number?
Me he quedado sin datos este mes.
I’ve run out of data this month.
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
No, nada más, gracias.
No, that’s all, thanks.
What is worth knowing in Spain?
In the phone shop
- 1
Ask for the kind of SIM you want, such as a prepaid one.
A pay-as-you-go SIM card, please. - 2
The assistant may ask to see your ID.
Could you give me your DNI or NIE number, please? - 3
If you want your old number, ask before you pay.
Can I keep my mobile number?
What prepago means
A prepaid SIM works on credit you pay in advance rather than a monthly bill. When your data runs out, you can top up.
Me he quedado sin datos este mes.
I’ve run out of data this month.
Moving your number
Moving your number to a new SIM is called la portabilidad. Ask for it when you buy the SIM, and ask how long it takes.
¿Cuántos días tarda la portabilidad?
How many days does it take to transfer my number?
Questions about this situation
- Which Spanish phrases matter most here?
- “Dígame, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?” (Hello, how can I help you); “Una tarjeta SIM de prepago, por favor.” (A pay-as-you-go SIM card, please); “¿Me dice su DNI o NIE, por favor?” (Could you give me your DNI or NIE number, please). The full list is above.
- Can I hear how they sound?
- Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
- How can I practise this conversation?
- Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Spain. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.
Related situations in Spanish
- Buying bread at the bakery
- Ordering at the butcher's or fishmonger's counter
- Buying fruit and veg at the market
- Dropping off clothes or shoes for cleaning or repair
Practise these phrases in Frasa
Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.
AI-generated. May be inaccurate.