Best eSIM for Mexico: Data From €3.99, Tourist SIMs and the New ID Rule

Quick answer: the best eSIM for Mexico

Most visitors don't need a Mexican SIM card. A travel eSIM that you install at home gets you online the moment you land in Mexico City or Cancún, with no shop visit and no ID check. A Mexican SIM only makes sense if you need a Mexican phone number, and since January 9, 2026 it must be registered with your passport (or a temporary CURP) before it works.

• eSIMFOX Mexico eSIM: from €3.99 (1 GB, 7 days). 5 GB costs €15.99 and 10 GB €28.99, each for 30 days, on the Movistar, AT&T and Altan networks. No ID verification needed (product page, as of November 6, 2026).
• North America eSIM: costs the same or less at every size (5 GB: €13.99, 10 GB: €26.99), names the same three networks, adds a 20 GB plan and also works in the USA and Canada (product page).
• Telcel tourist eSIM: Telcel sells a Tourist International eSIM online. You install it after you arrive and must register the line in your name with your passport and a selfie check before you can use it (Telcel).
• Mexican SIM card: Telcel, AT&T México and Movistar sell prepaid lines. Foreigners can only register them with a valid passport or a temporary CURP (Telcel).

Mexico SIM card for tourists: Telcel, AT&T México and Movistar (as of November 6, 2026)

Telcel, AT&T México and Movistar all sell prepaid lines. Here is what their own websites said on November 6, 2026. We could not find package prices with a clear validity on these pages, so we don't quote local prices.

Telcel and its Tourist International eSIM

Telcel calls itself "La Red más grande del país", the largest network in the country, and offers 5G (Telcel). Its prepaid brand is Amigo. For visitors, Telcel sells the Tourist International eSIM online. According to Telcel's English page:

• There are three packages: Tourist International eSIM 20, 30 and 30 LATAM. The 20 and 30 packages work in Mexico, the United States and Canada; 30 LATAM also covers a list of Latin American countries. Prices are charged in Mexican pesos and include 16% VAT.
• You install the eSIM after you arrive, over Wi-Fi. You have up to one year from purchase to install it, and the plan validity starts when you install it. The line is valid for 90 days from activation.
• Before you can use the line, you must register it in your name with a valid government-issued photo ID such as your passport. The process uses your camera to capture the passport and a liveness check, and you get up to three attempts.
• Your phone must be eSIM-compatible and unlocked for use with any carrier.
• On unlimited packages, speed drops to a maximum of 512 Kbps once you pass the fair use threshold. Telcel does not state the threshold on the page.

AT&T México

AT&T México sells prepaid as AT&T Prepago. Its homepage says you can activate an eSIM at no cost and start a line from home with AT&T Go. A notice on the same page says you need to link (vincular) your number to get it back once its registration deadline has passed (AT&T México).

Movistar

Movistar lets you pick up your SIM at a Movistar store and top up there, or buy a new line online through Recarga Movistar. It also offers eSIM. Movistar asks customers to link their line to an official ID, otherwise they can lose their connection (Movistar México).

Buying a SIM at Mexico City Airport

The airport's directory lists a Telcel shop (upper level, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and a Movistar shop (upper level, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) in Terminal 1, and a Telcel shop on the ground floor of Terminal 2 (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.). Hours can change (AICM). Landing late? Use the free airport Wi-Fi to install an eSIM: see our Mexico City Airport Wi-Fi guide.

Mexico's SIM registration rule: what tourists need to know

According to Telcel, since January 9, 2026 everyone who takes out a mobile line in Mexico must register it, with any phone company. This includes prepaid lines (Amigo at Telcel). For tourists, the key points are:

• ID: foreigners can only register with a valid passport or, where applicable, a temporary CURP for foreigners.
• Where: in person at a Telcel customer service center, or online with a selfie check.
• Without registration: you can't use the line. Only emergency and service numbers such as 911 work.

This applies when you get a Mexican line. For its Mexico eSIM, eSIMFOX says no ID verification (eKYC) is required (eSIMFOX Mexico).

eSIMFOX Mexico eSIM: plans and prices (as of November 6, 2026)

These are the plans on the eSIMFOX Mexico product page, in euros. What the page says about the eSIM:

• Networks: Movistar, AT&T and Altan, with 4G or 5G where available. Telcel is not among them.
• Validity: starts with the first network connection in Mexico, not when you buy. You can install it days before your trip.
• ID check: no eKYC (ID verification) required.
• Hotspot: the plan pages list hotspot and tethering as supported (5 GB plan).
• Data only: no Mexican phone number. Your home SIM can stay active, so you stay reachable by SMS on your usual number.
• Top-ups: add data anytime without a new eSIM. Support is available 24/7 via WhatsApp.

We could not see an unlimited plan for Mexico on the product page on November 6, 2026, so we don't list one.

New to eSIMFOX? The code MEXICO10 takes 10% off your first eSIM (new customers only, one use per account).

Mexico eSIM or North America eSIM?

eSIMFOX also sells a North America eSIM for the USA, Canada and Mexico. Its page names the same networks as the Mexico eSIM: Movistar, AT&T and Altan. Here is how the prices compare on the two product pages:

So for Mexico, the North America eSIM is never more expensive, and it keeps working if you continue to the USA or Canada. The Latin America eSIM also covers Mexico, but it costs more (5 GB for 30 days: €21.99). Planning the whole region? See our guides to the best eSIM for the USA and the best eSIM for Canada.

eSIM for Cancún, Tulum and the Riviera Maya

The eSIMFOX Mexico page says the eSIM covers Cancún, Mexico City, Tulum and the Riviera Maya as well as the most-visited regions, and that the plan is valid nationwide (eSIMFOX Mexico). Tips for a beach trip:

• Install the eSIM before you fly. Then you have data for your transfer, ride-hailing apps and maps right after landing.
• Download offline maps before trips to cenotes, ruins or the jungle, in case reception is weak.
• Staying a week with hotel Wi-Fi? 3 GB or 5 GB is usually enough for maps and messages.

Travel eSIM, Mexican SIM or roaming?

• Pick a travel eSIM if you want data only, set up at home, with no registration and your home number still on your phone.
• Pick a Mexican line if you need a Mexican number, and have your passport ready for the registration.
• Roaming can be fine for a very short stay. Check your carrier's Mexico rate before you go.

How much data do you need in Mexico?

The data calculator on the eSIMFOX product page starts at about 0.5 GB per day for maps, messages and browsing, adds a 20% reserve and rounds up. The same page says HD video on Netflix can use up to 3 GB per hour.

Streaming every day, video calls or sharing your connection with a laptop? Plan for more and top up when you need to.

How to set up your Mexico eSIM

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM: compatibility list.
2. Buy your plan at home and install the eSIM over Wi-Fi by scanning the QR code. The validity only starts with your first connection in Mexico.
3. When you land, turn on the eSIM line, choose it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it.
4. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, but turn off data roaming for it to avoid charges from your carrier.

Step-by-step help is in the eSIM installation guide. No connection? Check the APN settings and our guide why is my eSIM not working?

Sources

• Telcel: Mobile line registration, Tourist International eSIM and homepage, checked November 6, 2026.
• AT&T México: homepage; Movistar: homepage, checked November 6, 2026.
• Mexico City Airport (AICM): Communications directory, checked November 6, 2026.
• eSIMFOX: Mexico eSIM, 5 GB plan, North America eSIM and Latin America eSIM, prices checked November 6, 2026.

Related guides

• eSIM Mexico: all eSIMFOX plans
• North America eSIM: USA, Canada and Mexico
• Mexico City Airport Wi-Fi: free network and how to connect
• Best eSIM for the USA
• Best eSIM for Canada
• Best eSIM for Costa Rica
• What is an eSIM?
• How to install and use your eSIM