Sim cards and a mobile phone making travellers think of How to Buy a Sim Card in Sri Lanka?
How to Buy a Sim Card in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka, being a major tourist attraction in the Indian subcontinent, there are plenty of tourists arriving on this splendid island on various favourable grounds. Some key features include diversified wildlife, spectacular beaches, amazing culture, tremendous climate, and so on. However, any tourist who has a keen interest to visit Sri Lanka must definitely know about purchasing SIM cards in Sri Lanka. If not, you would be in big trouble. And above all, you must keep your kith and kin pretty close, no matter how far you physically are. Hence, we thought of providing you with a clear picture of how you must buy sim cards in Sri Lanka. 

Is it Hard to Get a SIM in Sri Lanka?

Getting a SIM card in Sri Lanka is a piece of cake. There can be certain countries where getting a SIM card for you would be a pretty hard procedure. But fortunately, Sri Lanka does not belong to that category. You can easily build up connections with your home and friends from Sri Lanka very conveniently. Go ahead reading this article. No doubt, you would surely be delighted to know how simple it is. 

How to Get a SIM Card in Sri Lanka?

It is fair enough for you to be very excited to know how you can get a SIM card in Sri Lanka. Let us tell you now. In fact, you would not even have to exit the Bandaranaike International Airport, the main airport in Sri Lanka in order to get a SIM card. Just after the baggage reclaims area of the airport and the money changers, there are Sri Lankan telecommunication company outlets that sell SIM cards. 

All that you have to do is to hand over your passport to confirm your preference (perhaps a tourist package) It will only take about a couple of minutes for the whole procedure. The sales team of the shops will activate the SIM for you and that is it. 

What if you miss the outlets at the airport? Well, you would not have to worry about that either. There are authorized dealers who sell SIM cards in almost all places in Sri Lanka. If you need to buy a SIM card from outside the airport, just keep in mind the logos of the telecommunication providers in Sri Lanka. You would be able to buy a SIM card from a place where those logos are displayed. Locals are familiar with English. So, you would not have to worry about buying a SIM card from elsewhere. 

What is the Best SIM Card in Sri Lanka?

It would be great if you can have a good idea of the SIM cards that you can buy in Sri Lanka. If you have that awareness, you would not be lost. You can directly go for the best option. However, it is hard to say which is the best. There are pros and cons to each package. Hence, the best would be the package that suits you the most. This part of the article is to give you that idea. We will tell you about the packages that you can get from Mobitel, Dialog, Hutch, and Airtel, Sri Lanka’s leading telecommunication service providers. 

Mobitel Tourist Plans

First, let us take a look at the Mobitel Tourist Pack. In terms of the price of Mobitel packages, Mobitel offers two packages. One is for SLR 999 and the other is for SLR 499. According to Mobitel, you get lots of favourable offers during the first month from the time of activation of your package. You get free international calls to fixed lines and mobiles in your home country. And you get minutes if fixed and mobile line calls for any operator locally. Further, you get free data and free Wi-Fi hours to surf the internet. When you run out of the entitled free offers, you would have to top up your package and normal rates would be charged based on the destination. 

When it comes to where you can buy a Mobitel SIM card, it is just like we told you even before. You can buy either from the Bandaranaike International Airport, islandwide Mobitel outlets and authorized dealers. 

There are a few ways for you to top up your prepaid tourist SIM package. You can do it from any retail outlet manually or electronically. Also, you can top up online through www.mobitel.lk/myaccount. If not, you have the ability to top up via International top-up partners using your international Credit/ Debit card via PayPal on www.ezetop.com or m.ezetop.com. 

And when you need to check the available balance of your SIM package, all you have to do is to dial *100# on your phone. Consequently, you will be able to see the balance as a UUD message. 

Dialog Tourist Plans

Next, our focus is on the tourist packages Dialog offer. You can collect your prepaid Dialog SIM card free at the Bandaranaike International Airport, and when you top up SLR 1299, it will be activated automatically. If you miss the shop at the Airport, you can buy a tourist plan for SLR 150 from any retail outlet and top up the same amount to activate it.

To be specific, this package includes a data quota of 10GB. 6GB of that is anytime data whereas the rest is morning boost data. (12 midnight to 8. 00 A. M.) It also includes an SLR 600 quota for international calls and SMS. The quota for local calls and SMS is SLR 350

If you run out of the quota, then you would have to top up your package. Do not worry. You can either purchase a recharge card or reload at a retail outlet. If not, you also have the option of reloading using VISA or AMEX if you download the Dialog Self Care App. 

And when you need to check the balance of your package, you can simply dial #456#. You will be able to get to know your balance. 

Hutch Tourist Plans

Hutch offers you a few tourist plans. And you have the ability to choose the one that suits you the most. Some packages give priority to data whereas others give priority to voice and messages. According to your preference, you can opt for the best option. However, you have the ability to get the SIM cards from the Bandaranaike International Airport. 

Airtel Tourist Plans

Airtel also offers you packages that you can use in Sri Lanka. No difference, you can purchase the SIM cards at the Bandaranaike International Airport arrival lounge or from a retail outlet. All you have to do is hand over a properly filled application form with a passport copy to the sales team. And then, you can enjoy your stay while staying connected with your family. 

Which Sizes of SIM Cards are Available in Sri Lanka?

You might have a bit of doubt whether the SIM card that you would have to purchase would be compatible with your devices. Of course, you do not have to worry about this at all. At all outlets in Sri Lanka, standard, micro, and nano-SIM cards are available. Hence, you need not have any hesitation about that. 

Data Speeds

This is going to be an important concern wherever you go. In fact, you must definitely know whether the data speeds are good or not. As of Sri Lanka, there is at least 3G coverage in most parts of the country especially when it comes to Mobitel and Dialog. And there is 4G coverage usually in the suburbs.

The Bottom Line

We told you all that you need to know in order to get a SIM card in Sri Lanka as a tourist. Unarguably, you can have plenty of fun in Sri Lanka. And with the ease to get the proper connections, you can indeed maximize your joy. Enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka. Happy and Safe Travelling!