eSIM Colombia: One Data Plan for Several Colombian Cities

Coverage is named for ten cities and for other places. Here is how they fit the routes most visitors take:

Bogota and Medellin

The classic city combination. An eSIM for Bogota covers your first days in the capital, and the same plan works as an eSIM for Medellin when you move on.

Caribbean coast: Cartagena, Barranquilla and Soledad

If you need an eSIM for Cartagena and a stop in Barranquilla, both are on the list, as is neighbouring Soledad.

The west: Pereira, Ibague and Cali

Pereira and Ibague lie inland between the big cities, Cali is the hub of the southwest. All three are named.

The northeast: Bucaramanga and Cucuta

Less touristy, but both cities appear on the coverage list too.

Colombia also means coffee farms, national parks, jungle and small coastal villages. These are not named, so the signal there may be weak or missing. Save maps and booking details before you leave a city.

Where a network is available, the eSIM uses 3G, 4G/LTE or 5G, depending on the network operator and the place. The operator's fair-use rule may reduce the speed.

Buying, installing and using are three separate moments. The purchase opens a window of 180 days in which the plan has to be activated. Installing the eSIM at home does not start anything as long as the line stays switched off. The validity of the plan begins with its first connection to a supported network in Colombia.

So you can get the Colombia eSIM sorted weeks before departure and still arrive with the full plan ahead of you.

Three moments, one goal: data as soon as you step off the plane.

Install: order and scan at home

First make sure your phone supports eSIM and has no SIM lock; some iPhone models for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have no eSIM. Then select Colombia on the eSIM page, choose a data plan, log in and pay from your Anosim balance, topped up with cryptocurrency or by bank transfer. No ID is needed. Scan the QR code you receive while on Wi-Fi; the plan also appears under My eSIM Plans. Scan it only once and keep the profile installed.

Fly: keep the eSIM off

Leave the new line switched off on the way, so it stays unused until you are in Colombia.

Switch on: three settings after landing

Turn on the eSIM, choose it as the line for mobile data and allow data roaming for it. A local network is usually found within a minute or two. If not, restart the phone, briefly use airplane mode and set network selection to automatic. Our support helps 24/7 via Telegram, website chat and email.

The eSIM brings data, not a phone number. Calls over WhatsApp and similar apps work, as do messages, maps, streaming and photo uploads. Your regular SIM stays in the phone, so WhatsApp keeps your usual number and people can still reach you.

What counts as the best eSIM for Colombia depends on how you travel. If you want to share data with a laptop or a companion, keep in mind that hotspot on this plan depends on the network operator. From the EU, note that Colombia is outside the EU roaming rules.

Ride, delivery and banking apps sometimes verify a new account by SMS. The Colombia eSIM has no number, so the code would never arrive. Use an Anosim number for that step:

- Activation: for a sign-up that needs one code.
- Rent Service: for a service that might request a code again.
- Rent Number: for a number that serves all services for the length of the rental.

If a number is virtual, it is labelled as such in the provider selection. Travelling on to Peru or Mexico? See eSIM Peru and eSIM Mexico.