Which Canadian SIM card can you recommend?
Do I need a Canadian SIM card in Canada?
Meanwhile, many phone providers offer a “travel option” where you can also use your own plan from home in Canada and the USA for a fee. A Canadian SIM card is not a must, but it makes Canadian life easier.
Just a few examples, why a Canadian SIM card is recommended:
- If you provide your foreign phone number in your job applications, fewer employers will call back because they don’t like to call foreign phone numbers.
- The Canadian banks insist on a Canadian phone number when opening an account.
- Canadian multifactor authorizations do not work with foreign phone numbers.
Which Canadian SIM card provider is the best?
There are three main networks in Canada: Rogers, Bell and Telus. The Bell and Telus networks are considered the best ones. The SIM card plans of the main providers are usually very expensive, so there are third-party providers that can offer cheaper rates. Below is an overview of the most common third-party providers, where you can check the current plans and offers on their homepage because they change constantly.
Don’t expect to have coverage in every corner of Canada as the network in general is very sparse outside of civilization.
Heads up! Mobile phone plans are very expensive in Canada. The cheap plans from home cannot be compared to Canada. The “cheap” rates of Canadian SIM cards start at $30 per month and upwards (data, talk, text). You first have to decide what is important for a plan. Would you like to have more data, or no data at all? The prices are also based on what options you choose.
When you look at the phone plans at the providers listed below, look for the category “Bring Your Own phone”. Those are the plans that run from month to month and you can cancel those at any time.
Rogers Network
- FIDO
- Chatr
- SpeakOut
- Petro Canada Mobile
Bell Network
- Virgin Mobile
- PC Mobile
- Lucky Mobile
TELUS network
- PhoneBox
- Koodo
- Public Mobile
One of the cheapest and best Canadian SIM cards on the market is from PhoneBox.
This Canadian SIM card has some advantages and very good conditions compared to other Canadian SIM card providers. Especially for visitors to Canada, students and newcomers such as work and travellers on temporary work permits. Save yourself the hassle of searching for a SIM card in Canada! Have it sent to your home country and have data immediately upon arrival in Canada. One of the best and cheapest plans in Canada with lots of data for the money.
Does a Canadian SIM card work everywhere in Canada?
A Canadian SIM card works everywhere in Canada where there is cell phone reception from the carrier.
Please note, Canada has very sparse coverage in remote areas due to the size of the country and some areas have no coverage at all. For example up north in the Yukon there is reception only in the vicinity of civilisation. If there is no cell tower, there will be no reception. This applies to all SIM card providers in Canada.
Can I call home from Canada? For example my family in Europe?
Many carriers do not have international calling included. If they offer international calling, then it will cost an additional monthly fee. If you would like to call someone outside of Canada, you can do it through Messenger or WhatsApp. However, if you want to call a landline number or a cell phone number outside of Canada, you would need to download a Wi-Fi calling app that you can then use to make calls over the Internet. One such app is Skype and they have very affordable talk flat fees. The data volume from the SIM card is then used to make the online calls.
Great feature from PhoneBox: free international calls are included and possible to over 30 countries. See list below.
Where can I buy a Canadian SIM card?
Online
If you are in Canada, you can order the SIM card online directly from the providers to get it shipped to the Canadian address. If you order online, you also save the activation fee, which costs $70 with some providers.
The PhoneBox SIM card is the only one that can be sent worldwide and for free. That’s another great thing about this SIM card!
In Canada
A Canadian SIM card can also be bought in various shops in Canada:
- in electronic stores, like The Source, Best Buy
- in the electronics corners of the big supermarkets, e.g. Walmart,
- in the ‘Real Canadian Superstore’ supermarket (The Mobile Shop at the entrance)
- in all shopping malls there are smaller mobile shops that offer different carrier options
