Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
Not available for Sicily
Albania is a country of long journeys on a small map: from the capital to the coast or to the Albanian Alps is several hours by road, with winding highways and furgon minibuses linking beaches, lakes and mountain villages. Navigation, accommodation, taxis and ferry timetables all need internet right at Tirana airport. An eSIM installed at home gives you a connection from the moment you land, with no hunt for a shop in an unfamiliar city.
You can buy an eSIM for Albania online right on this page from 4 500 ₸: choose a data plan, pay by card and get the QR code within minutes. An eSIM is a digital SIM card — it installs on your phone with no plastic card and no visit to a phone shop.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Tirana and the rest of the country.
Roaming in Albania with a Kazakh carrier is usually far more expensive, and roaming data runs out fast. With a Funsim eSIM you pay a fixed price for a data package and keep your home SIM in the phone for calls and bank SMS — roaming on it can stay off.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for Albania at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
A typical Albanian trip is made of several stops: the capital, the port city of Durres, the coast, lakes and the mountains in the north. You do not need a separate profile for each leg, one plan covers the whole country. If you go on to Montenegro or North Macedonia, look at the regional plans, and see the plans above for Albania itself.
Your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while mobile data goes through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice calls or SMS, so messengers are the easiest way to talk to hosts, transfer drivers and guides. That is especially handy in Albania, where many questions about lodging and transport are settled by message.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to set up | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, in a shop or kiosk |
| What you do in Albania | Switch data on for the eSIM | Check your operator's terms | Visit in person and register the SIM |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on the operator's tariff |
| Your home number | Stays for calls and banking | Stays active | Usually a second SIM or a swap |
| Several regions on one trip | One profile nationwide | Depends on operator terms | Yes, but you need time to buy it |
Coverage is best in the cities and along the main roads, and less predictable in the mountains and on the lakes. These are the places and routes where you will use the internet most.
The capital and the main gateway: most visitors fly in here. After landing you need to call a taxi or find the right bus, tell your host you have arrived and open a map of the centre around Skanderbeg Square and the Blloku district. With an eSIM installed in advance you do not have to look for Wi-Fi in the arrivals hall or change money to buy a SIM.
A port city and beach resort about an hour from Tirana, where many people go for half a day or a few days. The internet helps with minibuses and buses, restaurant bookings on the seafront, the amphitheatre and museums. In summer the beaches are crowded and shared cafe Wi-Fi can be slow, so mobile data is more reliable.
A northern city near the Montenegrin border, with Rozafa Castle and a lake whose shores have cycling routes and small villages. It is easy to cycle or take a taxi by map here, check bus times and find a place to stay. If you go on to Montenegro, look at the regional plans in advance.
High-mountain villages in the Albanian Alps, popular with hikers. The roads are narrow and partly unpaved, and in the valleys signal can disappear for hours. Download an offline map and tracks, save your guesthouse host's contact and tell someone your route. Mobile data is useful for weather and messages whenever signal is available.
A narrow reservoir between cliffs, crossed by a ferry towards Fierze. The trip runs through a gorge where mobile signal is usually weak or absent. Check the timetable, book your seat and your lodging at the far end in advance while the internet is steady, and keep the confirmations on your phone.
A quiet resort town on the western shore of Lake Ohrid, next to the North Macedonian border. You use the internet constantly for lakeside walks, finding fish restaurants and booking lodging, but the network in town is usually steady. If you plan to cross the border to see the Macedonian side of the lake, check the regional plans.
The start of the Albanian Riviera, where harbours, pebble beaches and slopes to the sea follow one another. In summer, on the waterfront and at peak hours, the network can be slower than usual. Mobile data is useful for booking sunbeds and boats, checking the weather and talking to a host who meets you by message.
A hill town above the plain on the road north from Tirana, with a castle and a bazaar in the old quarters. It is usually a half-day trip by taxi, bus or rental car. You need internet for navigation, museum opening hours and the way back, and signal in the town itself is generally good.
Most familiar services work as at home, and a few apps are especially useful on the road in Albania.
The main app for roads, walking routes and finding places. For mountain sections, download an offline map of the region in advance and do not rely on online mode alone.
A ride-hailing service that works in Tirana and other large cities. The price is shown before the ride and you do not have to explain the address to the driver. Check that the sign-up code reaches your main SIM number.
A convenient way to find hotels and guesthouses on the coast and in cities. In the mountains many hosts answer in messengers, so save the confirmation and contacts separately.
Useful for Albanian: signs, menus and road notices. Download Albanian for offline use and translate menus and notices with the camera on the spot.
This is how you reach hosts, guides and transfer drivers. Since most plans have no voice calls, calling over the internet through a messenger is the easiest option.
Weather in the mountains and on the lakes changes quickly, and an Alpine hike or the Koman ferry depends on the forecast. Check it in the morning while you still have signal.
Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. You can find this in the settings or on the manufacturer's website.
Choose an Albania plan above and pay by card on the site, no passport is needed. If you are also visiting neighbouring Balkan countries, look at the regional plans.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the Quick install button or manually while you still have Wi-Fi.
After landing in Tirana, choose the eSIM as your mobile data line and switch data roaming on for that line.
Keep your main SIM on for calls and bank SMS, but turn off mobile data on it so traffic does not go through roaming.
If the package runs out, buy extra data on the site. You can use the hotspot for a laptop on plans that allow it, check the plan page.
Before heading into the mountains, download offline maps and save your lodging addresses in your notes: in the Alpine valleys signal can drop for long stretches, and that is normal.
