Amsterdam – known for its museums, canals & the Red Light District 😳.
It is also the capital city of the Netherlands, even though the government is based in The Hague (Den Haag).
Anyway, most flying into the Netherlands will most likely do so at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, also known as simply Amsterdam Airport or Schiphol Airport.
For the Dutchies reading this, I know “Amsterdam Airport Schiphol” is awkward, especially when we would say “Amsterdam Schiphol Airport” instead. I always use the official (full) names in my airport guides. And the former is apparently Schiphol's formal name.
For a small nation with no domestic flights, the airport does well by being the fourth-busiest airport in Europe (2022).
What it does not do well is offer reasonably priced SIM cards – all of them are overpriced, and the selection is meager.
Honestly, it is embarrassing 🗿.
And before you get your pitchfork ready – I am Dutch myself… I can complain about my country and the main airport 😜.
So, for how much can you get Dutch SIM cards at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol?
You can get a Vodafone, L-Mobi Mobile, Lebara, or Lycamobile SIM card for between 20 EUR (21.35 USD) and 60 EUR (64.10 USD) at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS).
Certainly not the cheapest starter SIM cards out here – mostly because the resellers refuse to sell them.
If I were you, I would wait until getting into Amsterdam proper (or whatever city you are visiting) and get a SIM card there because better options await you.
But I can understand some want/need to be connected as soon as possible – and I wrote this guide for you.
Let's review all your options at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is even worth it.
By the way, I am still working on this guide, which is why images are still missing. They will be uploaded shortly.
Original publication: 7th of July 2023. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Mobile Operators in the Netherlands
Before I tell you about the SIM card options you have at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, you first need to know about all the mobile operators in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands has three mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- T-Mobile Netherlands
- KPN
- Vodafone Netherlands
The Netherlands is also home to various Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), such as Lebara Netherlands, L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands & Lycamobile Netherlands.
The SIM cards of other MVNOs are not sold at (most) Dutch airports, so I will not give much attention to them (but you can read about them in my Netherlands SIM card buying guide).
Alright, back to what Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has to offer to us.
Where to Buy a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Several stores and booths at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol sell SIM cards (and eSIMs) from Vodafone Netherlands and various Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs): Lebara Netherlands, L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands & Lycamobile Netherlands.
Only resellers, with the exception of L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands, sell Dutch SIM cards in the four arrival halls.
While Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has three departure halls (all interconnected, so you do not have to go outside to move terminals, there are four arrival halls (with Arrival Halls 3 and 4 being underneath Departure Hall 3).
In Arrivals Hall 1, you have an AH (Albert Heijn) To Go that sometimes, if they have them in stock, sells Lebara and Lycamobile SIM cards.
This arrivals hall also has an electronics store called The Travellers Electronics Company, which sells Vodafone, Lebara & Lycamobile SIM cards.
Across this store, you have an Ako Nieuws (News) & Media convenience store with Lebara SIM cards.
The aforementioned two stores are between Arrivall Halls 1 and 2.
When we get to Arrivals Hall 2 proper, you will see this Airport Telecom store.
They only sell Lycamobile SIM cards, as its branding suggests.
Further down the arrivals hall, we find Albert Heijn – the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.
Unlike AH To Go, this Albert Heijn is much larger and often has more Lebara and Lycamobile SIM cards in stock.
So if the AH To Go stores (yes, there are multiple) do not have SIM cards, consider going to Albert Heijn in Arrivals Hall 2.
Further down, you will often see an L-Mobi Mobile stand.
Here, they sell L-Mobi Mobile SIM cards and Vodafone, Lebara & Lycamobile ones, depending on the plan you want.
When we get to Arrivals Hall 3, and very close to Arrivals Hall 4, you will find this Service Point store.
It has plenty of Lebara and Lebara SIM cards in stock.
Finally, we arrive at Arrivals Hall 4, where another AH To Go is located, which also has Lebara and Lycamobile SIM cards.
So regardless of what arrivals hall you arrive in, Lebara and Lycamobile SIM cards will be available to you.
Moreover, the prices charged by every store are the same… and overpriced (as we expect from airports).
But in most cases, you pay (more than) double at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for starter packs than what you would pay in Amsterdam proper (or whatever city you are going to), so be aware of this.
While The Travellers Electronics Company store and L-Mobi Mobile stand both have Vodafone SIM cards, the latter has more variants (for former sells only two starter packs).
Finally, you may see posters like this implying SIM cards have 5G NR access.
This is true… but only if you buy Vodafone SIM cards.
Lebara Netherlands, L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands & Lymobile Netherlands do not yet have 5G NR access (on the KPN network).
Even worse, MVNOs on the KPN network, which are all MVNOs with prepaid plans, have a speed restriction of 25 Mbps (and 10 Mbps upload).
Heck, even KPN prepaid customers have to deal with this (which I mention in my KPN review), which is why I do not really recommend KPN or Dutch MVNOs.
But plans offered by some Dutch MVNOs, such as Lebara Netherlands and Lycamobile Netherlands, can be crazy cheap for what they offer.
Yet those low prices cannot be found at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol…
With all of that out of the way, let's go through each mobile operator to see what they have to offer us at the airport.
What SIM Cards & Plans does Vodafone Netherlands Sell at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+Prices)?
Vodafone Netherlands sells its SIM cards at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol through L-Mobi Mobile and The Travellers Electronics Company, costing between 20 EUR and 60 EUR.
I will list all the prices in Euro (EUR).
To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Vodafone Netherlands (Nederland) is the smallest mobile operator in the Netherlands.
However, it is currently the only one allowing prepaid customers to use its 5G NR network (for free).
Vodafone, as a company, is active in Africa (mostly as Vodacom), Asia, Europe, the Middle East & Oceania.
Vodafone Netherlands has no store or stall at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – only L-Mobi Mobile and The Travellers Electronics Company have its SIM cards in stock.
That L-Mobi Mobile resells Vodafone SIM cards is quite ironic because it is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator on the KPN network… 🤨.
Anyway, let's start from the left side of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Arrivals Hall 1.
There, you find The Travellers Electronics Company, which sells these two Vodafone SIM cards:
| Price | Data 1 | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 19.95 EUR | 2 GB | 1 month |
| 39.95 EUR | 10 GB | 1 month |
1 with 5G NR access
20 EUR for 2 GB of data is criminal in my eyes… especially when you can get this SIM card for just 10 EUR from Vodafone Netherlands itself or resellers outside the airport.
The 40 EUR SIM card is not as overpriced, as it normally costs 30 EUR – but you still pay 10 EUR more at The Travellers Electronics Company.
Unfortunately, you do not get unlimited calls or SMS with Vodafone's starter pack, regardless of where you buy them.
But you can use your full data allowance while roaming in other European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) member states – there is no Fair Use Policy (FUP) you have to be aware of.
This statement applies to the starter packs mentioned above – not all of Vodafone's plans are this generous in terms of EU/EEA roaming.
What countries are part of the EU/EEA according, to Vodafone Netherlands?
Here is the full list:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guadeloupe
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Martinique
- Mayotte
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Saint Martin
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City
So this means you can use your Vodafone Netherlands SIM card in Belgium for free (reducing the need to buy a Belgian SIM card in this case).
There are some other regulations in place for free EU/EEA roaming.
But as long as you are not continuously abroad for four months, you do not have to worry about potential restrictions.
When we go to the L-Mobi Mobile stall in Arrivals Hall 2, we have a few more Vodafone plans.
The thing is, it sells plans for itself (L-Mobi Mobile) but also Vodafone, Lebara & Lycamobile.
And depending on the plan you choose, you get a random SIM card.
Let's go through the plans first before I give you some pointers:
| Price | Data 2 | Local Minutes | International Minutes | Validity 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 EUR | 500 MB | 10 EUR credit 3 | Shared with local call allowance | 1 month |
| 30 EUR | 5 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 35 EUR | 8 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 40 EUR | 15 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 55 EUR | 25 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month |
| 60 EUR 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month |
1 this plan has had a “promotional price” since at least 2018. Although the allowances were not as generous back then
2 with 5G NR access (applies to Vodafone only)
3 credit can also be used for international calls and local/international SMS
4 if you get a Vodafone SIM card, the validity is one calendar month. The validity for Lebara, L-Mobi Mobile & Lycamobile plans is 30 days instead
From what I recall, the 30 EUR to 60 EUR plans can be added to Vodafone SIM cards.
Perhaps the 20 EUR one too – but you would be better off going to The Travellers Electronics Company, as you would get 2 GB of data for the same price.
The unlimited calls to the EU and various other destinations (CA – Canada, CN – China, HK – Hong Kong, India, MY – Malaysia, SG – Singapore & US – the United States) apply to Lebara and Lycamobile SIM cards – Vodafone does not have such a (free) feature.
And I do believe the unlimited local calls do not apply to Vodafone Netherlands either because it does not have such plans (calls and texting need to be purchased separately, and they are not unlimited either).
So if you want more choices and better value for your money, you want to purchase your Vodafone SIM card from L-Mobi Mobile instead of The Travellers Electronics Company.
One thing L-Mobile Mobile and The Travellers Electronics Company do not give you are Vodafone eSIMs.
Mostly due to the fact that Vodafone Netherlands does not have eSIMs for prepaid customers (yet).
Travel eSIMs for the Netherlands are available – most being significantly cheaper than what is offered at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
I write about the best travel eSIMs for the Netherlands in my Best Netherlands eSIM buying guide.
What SIM Cards & Plans does Lebara Netherlands Sell at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+Prices)?
Lebara Netherlands sells several SIM cards at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol through resellers like Albert Heijn/AH To Go, L-Mobi Mobile & The Travellers Electronics Company, costing between 20 EUR and 60 EUR.
I will list all the prices in Euro (EUR).
To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Lebara Netherlands (Nederland) is a KPN Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).
This means that your speeds will always be capped @ 25 Mbps (10 Mbps for upload speeds).
Lebara, as a brand, is known for offering low rates for international calls abroad, and it is active in various European countries and Saudi Arabia.
Every store that sells SIM cards at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will sell Lebara SIM cards.
They all have the same offering, but L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands has more options than all the others.
And this same offer is the Lebara Tourist SIM card.
It costs 39.95 EUR (44.95 EUR from Service Point) and gives you 10 GB of data, unlimited local/international minutes (to 44 countries 1) & 100 local SMS for 30 days.
1 to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Morocco (fixed), the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey (fixed), the United Kingdom & the United States
Honestly, I did not know this SIM card existed because you cannot find it anywhere besides Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Even the link to the product page is not displayed on the Lebara website – I found out about it on the back of a starter pack I held 🗿.
Anyway, this Lebara Tourist SIM card is available at The Travellers Electronics Company and Ako Nieuws (News) & Media in Arrivals Hall 1.
In the same arrivals hall and Arrivals Hall 3/4, AH To Go may sell this SIM card too (but they are often out of stock, or other (cheaper) starter packs are available)).
The same applies to the Albert Heijn store in Arrivals Hall 2.
It sometimes sells them, but it often has other starter packs (if they have them in stock).
The Service Point store between Arrivals Hall 3 and 4 sells the same SIM card for 44.95 EUR instead of 39.95 EUR like most other resellers.
So if you do not mind walking to Arrivals Hall 2 or even 1 if arriving at Hall 3/4, you can save some money – even though the SIM card is already overpriced.
Mostly because you can get a Lebara plan with 10 GB/12 GB of data for just 20 EUR practically anywhere else than at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
The airport/tourist convenience fee/tax is hitting you hard at this airport 😩.
So I skipped over L-Mobi Mobile because it does not sell this (overpriced) “tourist” SIM card.
Instead, it sells other plans that can be cheaper.
So let's go through the plans first before I give you some pointers:
| Price | Data 2 | Local Minutes | International Minutes | Validity 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 EUR | 500 MB | 10 EUR credit 3 | Shared with local call allowance | 1 month |
| 30 EUR | 5 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 35 EUR | 8 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 40 EUR | 15 GB | Unlimited | N/A | 1 month |
| 55 EUR | 25 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month |
| 60 EUR 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month |
1 this plan has had a “promotional price” since at least 2018. Although the allowances were not as generous back then
2 with 5G NR access (applies to Vodafone only)
3 credit can also be used for international calls and local/international SMS
4 if you get a Vodafone SIM card, the validity is one calendar month. The validity for Lebara, L-Mobi Mobile & Lycamobile plans is 30 days instead
So why do my notes mention Vodafone, L-Mobi Mobile & Lycamobile when this is the Lebara section?
It is because L-Mobi Mobile is also a KPN MVNO, but it resells plans of Vodafone, Labera & Lycamobile too.
And depending on the plan you choose, you get a random SIM card.
And from what I recall, all plans listed above can be added to Lebara's SIM cards.
But you may want to specify that you want a Lebara SIM card when you select your plan.
Yet it does not matter if you go with Lebara, L-Mobi Mobile, or Lycamobile because all are KPN MVNOs that have to deal with the same speed restriction, unfortunately (25 Mbps).
On the right of the photo, you see that 5G (NR) speeds are available.
They are… if you choose a Vodafone SIM card – KPN MVNOs do not have access to KPN's 5G NR network (and probably will not anytime soon).
Vodafone Netherlands' 5G NR speeds are not too bad.
I will write about it in my Vodafone Netherlands SIM card review in a few months (currently traveling around Europe, then North America and Asia before I can sit down and write again), but I am impressed.
Anyway, if you want more choices and better value for your money, you want to purchase your Lebara SIM card from L-Mobi Mobile instead of any other reseller.
One thing the resellers do not give you is Lebara Netherlands eSIMs.
Mostly due to the fact that Lebara Netherlands does not have eSIMs for prepaid customers (yet).
Travel eSIMs for the Netherlands are available – most being significantly cheaper than what is offered at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
I write about the best travel eSIMs for the Netherlands in my Best Netherlands eSIM buying guide.
What SIM Cards & Plans does L-Mobi Mobile Netherlands Sell at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+Prices)?
Being added.
What SIM Cards & Plans does Lycamobile Netherlands Sell at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+Prices)?
Being added.