Kosovo: 2 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

Kosovo – Europe‘s youngest nation after gaining independence from Serbia in 2008.

Although some countries do not recognize Kosovo as a nation, that should not withhold you from visiting the lovely nation.

From mosques to churches, from the peaceful countryside to busy Pristina – Kosovo has it all (except for beaches. The country is landlocked).

Regardless of what you plan on doing while in Kosovo, you certainly want to stay connected to learn more about what there is to do in Kosovo or just to show off your amazing travel experiences on social media.

Honestly, I cannot blame you for that. However, you should know that international roaming can be expensive. If unlucky, it can be bankrupting-expensive.

Fortunately, many countries worldwide let travelers buy local SIM cards, like a Kosovar one.

That way, you can enjoy local rates at a fraction of what your home mobile operator would have charged you while roaming.

So, how expensive are SIM cards in Kosovo?

You can get a Kosovar SIM card for 3 EUR (3.20 USD) from Vala (Kosovo Telecom) or between 4.95 EUR (5.25 USD) to 11.99 EUR (12.70 USD) from IPKO in their stores. SIM cards are also sold at Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari (PRN – IPKO only).

Not too expensive, right?

But, if you have been to the Balkans before, or have read my guides related to countries in the Balkans, then you know the cost for mobile data is low in this region.

But what about the quality? Does cheap not equal low quality? No – check out Canada, where they charge top-dollar rates for prepaid and dare to throttle your speeds.

The mobile operators in the Balkans do not play those jokes.

Looking to get your questions related to Kosovar SIM cards answered? You came to the right place, because…

In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Kosovo. Let's go.

Original publication: 21st of March 2020. Last updated: 1st of October 2023.

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Table of Contents

Can You Buy a SIM Card in Kosovo?

Anyone 16 years old or older living in or visiting Kosovo can buy a Kosovar SIM card from Vala (Kosovo Telecom) and IPKO with no restrictions.

You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.

Moreover, you need a phone that supports the frequencies used in the country (preferably all of them to have the most optimal experience while in Kosovo).

Furthermore, you need to have a SIM-lock-free device.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Kosovo?

You can get a Kosovar SIM card in Vala (Kosovo Telecom) and IPKO stores. They are also sold at Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari (PRN – IPKO only).

You can expect to pay the following for Kosovar SIM cards:

• Vala (Kosovo Telecom): 3 EUR
• IPKO: 4.95 EUR, 5 EUR, 5.50 EUR, 7.99 EUR & 11.99 EUR

TIP: Check out my SIM card prices lookup tool for a detailed overview of SIM card starter pack benefits (for Kosovar SIM cards and SIM cards worldwide).

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Can You Use Your Phone in Kosovo?

Kosovo uses GSM technology for mobile communications. CDMA phones will not work in Kosovo. If your phone has a SIM card slot, then it supports GSMA (99% of the phones do support GSM nowadays).

Traditional European frequencies are used in Kosovo, which are mostly used in ITU Regions 1 and 3 (Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania).

The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2) use American frequencies, which differ from the European ones.

If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 and 3), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in Kosovo.

If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, then there is a possibility you cannot use your phone when in Kosovo or can only use slower networks (3G or 2G).

If you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you can use your phone in Kosovo (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE.

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Kosovo

Kosovo has three mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

• Vala (Kosovo Telecom)
• IPKO
• MTS Kosovo (northern Kovoso only)

The following frequencies are used in Kosovo:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in Kosovo, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.

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A Note about MTS Kosovo

Coming soon.

VoLTE & VoWiFi in Kosovo

Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFi calling) are not offered by the mobile operators in Kosovo (yet).

This means that when you make a call, your phone will downgrade to 3G (or 2G when 3G is not available) instead of staying connected to 4G/LTE.

This is also why you often cannot use mobile data while calling if not connected to WiFi.

VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular network.

5G NR in Kosovo

5G NR is not available in Kosovo as of 2022, and the Kosovar government has not made any indications of when they will auction 5G licenses.

Best SIM Card in Kosovo

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Best eSIM in Kosovo

Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM (to prepaid customers) in Kosovo yet.

However, you can get travel eSIMs from Airalo.

Airalo has the Kosnet eSIMs:

You have four options:

1. Kosovo/Kosnet 1 GB eSIM for 7 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Kosovo/Kosnet 2 GB eSIM for 15 days
3. Kosovo/Kosnet 3 GB eSIM for 30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Kosovo/Kosnet 5 GB eSIM for 30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

With this eSIM, you can skip Kosovo's SIM card registration scheme entirely and use it immediately upon arriving in Kosovo!

If you plan on visiting other neighboring European nations, consider the Eurolink eSIM (six variants: 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days – very popular with PTW readers, 5 GB/30 days – most popular with PTW readers, 10 GB/30 days – very popular with PTW readers, 50 GB/90 days & 100 GB/180 days) in these other countries (but not Kosovo itself):

SIM Card Registration in Kosovo

SIM card registration with your passport information is required in Kosovo. It will be done at the point of purchase.

EU Roaming in Kosovo

Note that Kosovo is not part of the European Union (EU) nor European Economic Area (EEA), meaning that EU roaming regulations do not apply in Kosovo.

As a result, you should not expect to roam for free if you have an EU/EEA SIM card while traveling in Kosovo.

It is unlikely that your mobile operator offers free roaming for Kosovo.

Western Balkans Roaming in Kosovo

Coming soon.

Roaming in the Western Balkans with Kosovar SIM Cards

Coming soon.

Kosovo Mobile Speeds, Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

Being redone.

Currency in Kosovo

Kosovo uses the Euro with the symbol EUR (which will be used throughout this guide).

However, prices are often listed as just €. For example, 25 EUR = €25.

For reference, below are some exchange rates between EUR and USD (US Dollars):

• 1 EUR = 1.05 USD
• 10 EUR = 10.60 USD
• 100 EUR = 105.85 USD

For up-to-date EUR:your currency (let's say USD) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Kosovar Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Vala (Kosovo Telecom) & IPKO, and go through:

• Background information
• Mobile coverage
• SIM card types, prices & availability
• Recharge / top-up information
• Combo plans, data plans & special packs (such as social media packs)

With that being said, let’s see what Kosovo has to offer to us.

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Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

Vala (Kosovo Telecom) is the largest mobile operator in Kosovo.

It is also the fastest mobile operator in the country.

Vala/Kosovo Telecom is fully owned by the Kosovar government.

And people say state-owned entities are always bad 🤓.

Vala uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)
• VoLTE: No
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about Vala:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Vala SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

Vala has the best coverage throughout Kosovo.

While Vala has an official coverage map, it has no legend.

Below is a Vala coverage map produced by Speedtest:

However, click here to see Vala's official coverage map.

SIM Card Price – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

You can get a Vala SIM card for 3 EUR with 1 EUR credit, 3 GB of data, 50 local minutes & unlimited local SMS – all for 15 days in Vala/Kosovo Telecom stores. Vala SIM cards are sometimes (between April and September) sold at Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari.

Vala has no eSIMs – not even for postpaid customers.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Kosovo without personal detail capturing, you can get Kosovo kosnet eSIMs from Airalo (four options):

1. 1 GB/7 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. 2 GB/15 days (new)
3. 3 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. 5 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

No idea what or who Airalo is? Check out my Airalo review, where I share my hands-on experience after using its eSIMs in more than 25 countries over four years.

If you plan on visiting other countries in Europe and others in other regions or continents, consider the Airalo Discover Global eSIM to be used in 84+ countries worldwide with 12 variants:

1. 1 GB/7 days
2. 1 GB/7 days
3. 2 GB/15 days
4. 2 GB/15 days
5. 3 GB/15 days
6. 3 GB/15 days
7. 5 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
8. 5 GB/30 days
9. 10 GB/60 days
10. 10 GB/60 days
11. 20 GB/180 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
12. 20 GB/180 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

Do you think the map above is nice, but you want a country list instead (because you do not recognize the countries on a map🗿)? You can find it in my Airalo review!

• Be sure to check out my Airalo Discover Global eSIM review for my insights!

Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in Kosovo.

You can read about them in my Best Kosovo eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.

Be aware that there is no VoLTE nor VoWiFi with Vala.

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

Vala has four data-featured prepaid plans:

• Pakot e Kombinuara/Combined Packages (combo)
• Pakot Diaspora/Diaspora Packages (combo)
• Internet Në Mobil/Data Bundles
• N'Trip (data)

All Vala plans can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 50555.

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say USD – United State Dollar) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

Pakot e Kombinuara (Combined Packages) – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

The Pakot e Kombinuara (Combined Packages) are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

The following Pakot e Kombinuara are available, which can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 50555:

Price	Plan	Data	Western Balkan Data	On-Net Minutes	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code
2.99 EUR	FOL S	2 GB	N/A	Unlimited	150 miutes	150 SMS	10 days	FOL S
4.99 EUR	FOL M	4 GB	N/A	Unlimited	300 minutes	300 SMS	30 days	FOL M
5.99 EUR	INT M	7 GB	1.69 GB	150 minutes	Shared with on-net call allowance	150 SMS	30 days	INT M
7.49 EUR	FOL L	10 GB	N/A	Unlimited	500 minutes	Unlimited	30 days	FOL L
9.99 EUR	INT L	15 GB	2.82 GB	Unlimited	200 minutes	Unlimited	30 days	INT L

Pakot Diaspora (Diaspora Packages) – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

The Pakot Diaspora (Diaspora Packages) are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

The following Pakot Diaspora are available, which can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 50555:

Price	Plan	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code
10 EUR	Diaspora 10	30 GB	500 minutes	Unlimited	30 days	Diaspora 10

Internet Në Mobil (Data Bundles) – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

The Internet Në Mobil (Data Bundles) are, as the name implies, data plans with (without 5G NR access).

The following Pakot Diaspora are available, which can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 50555:

Price	Data	Validity	Activation Code
0.50 EUR	500 MB	1 day	500MB
1.50 EUR	1 GB	7 days	1GB
2.50 EUR	2 GB	15 days	2GB
3.50 EUR	3 GB	21 days	3GB
6 EUR	5 GB	31 days	6GB
7.50 EUR	8 GB	31 days	8GB

N'Trip Plans – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

The N'Trip plans are data bundles (without 5G NR access) for the youth between 16 to 28 years old.

Sorry, this plan is not for you, you oldie 🤪.

Age verification has to be done in a Vala/Kosovo Telecom store.

The following N'Trip are available, which can be activated by texting the Trip plus to 50555:

Price	Data	Validity	Activation Code
2.99 EUR	2 GB	30 days	Trip plus

APN/Internet Settings – Vala (Kosovo Telecom)

• Name: Vala
• APN: vala

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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IPKO

IPKO is the second-largest mobile operator in Kosovo.

It is run by Telekom Slovenije from Slovenia.

IPKO uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)
• VoLTE: No
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about IPKO:

* Coverage
* How to Get an IPKO SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – IPKO

IPKO has the best 4G/LTE coverage throughout Kosovo.

However, Vala (Kosovo Telecom)'s overall coverage is better.

Below is IPKO's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – IPKO

You can get an IPKO SIM card for between 4.95 EUR to 11.99 EUR with various perks in IPKO stores. However, if you want a regular IPKO SIM card, called SIM + Refill, it costs 5 EUR with 3 EUR credit for 30 days.

Below is an overview of the five IPKO SIM cards:

Price	SIM Card	Credit	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
4.95 EUR	SIM +TiP Bazik	N/A	1 GB	200 minutes	Unlimited	7 days
5 EUR	SIM + Refill	3 EUR	N/A	N/A	N/A	30 days
5.50 EUR	SIM + TiP Trendy	N/A	2 GB	150 minutes	Unlimited	21 days
7.99 EUR	SIM + TiP Aktiv	N/A	6 GB	200 minutes	Unlimited	30 days
11.99 EUR	SIM + TiP Ndryshe	N/A	10 GB	250 minutes	Unlimited	30 days

IPKO has no eSIMs – not even for postpaid customers.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Kosovo without personal detail capturing, you can get Kosovo kosnet eSIMs from Airalo (four options):

1. 1 GB/7 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. 2 GB/15 days (new)
3. 3 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. 5 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

No idea what or who Airalo is? Check out my Airalo review, where I share my hands-on experience after using its eSIMs in more than 25 countries over four years.

If you plan on visiting other countries in Europe and others in other regions or continents, consider the Airalo Discover Global eSIM to be used in 84+ countries worldwide with five variants:

1. 1 GB/7 days
2. 1 GB/7 days
3. 2 GB/15 days
4. 2 GB/15 days
5. 3 GB/15 days
6. 3 GB/15 days
7. 5 GB/30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
8. 5 GB/30 days
9. 10 GB/60 days
10. 10 GB/60 days
11. 20 GB/180 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
12. 20 GB/180 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

Do you think the map above is nice, but you want a country list instead (because you do not recognize the countries on a map🗿)? You can find it in my Airalo review!

• Be sure to check out my Airalo Discover Global eSIM review for my insights!

Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in Kosovo.

You can read about them in my Best Kosovo eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.

Be aware that there is no VoLTE nor VoWiFi with IPKO.

Text English to 50505 to change the system's language to English (or replace English with Shqip for Albanian or Srpski for Serbian).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – IPKO

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – IPKO

IPKO has four data-featured prepaid plans:

• TiP Packages (combo)
• Hej! Plans (combo)
• Diaspora Plans (combo)
• Interneti në Mobil/Mobile Internet Plans (data)

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say USD – United States Dollar) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

TiP Packages Plans – IPKO

The TiP packages plans are combo bundles (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

The following TiP packages are available, which can be activated by dialing the Activation Code:

Price	Plan	Data	Roaming Data 2	On-Net Minutes	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code
2.95 EUR	Bazik	1 GB	N/A	200 minutes	Unlimited	7 days	*110*2#
3.50 EUR	Trendy	2 GB	N/A	150 minutes	Unlimited	21 days	*110*4#
5.99 EUR 1	Aktiv	6 GB	2258 MB	200 minutes	Unlimited	30 days	*110*5#
9.99 EUR 1	Ndryshe	10 GB	3764 MB	Unlimited 3	Unlimited	30 days	*110*7#

¹ can also be used in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia & Serbia)
² in Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia & Serbia)
³ +250 off-net minutes

Hej! Plans – IPKO

The Hej! plans are combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS for the youth between 16 to 28 years old.

Sorry, this plan is not for you, you oldie 🤪.

Age verification has to be done in a Vala/Kosovo Telecom store.

The following Hej! are available, which can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 50888:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Data	On-Net Minutes	On-Net Minutes	Validity	Activation Code
5 EUR	Hej! Pro	5 GB	Unlimited 1	Unlimited	Unlimited	30 days	hej4

¹ for Instagram

Diaspora Plans – IPKO

The Diaspora plans are combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

The following Diaspora are available, which can be activated by dialing the Activation Code:

Price	Plan	Data 1	Local Minutes	International Minutes 2	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code
25 EUR	Diaspora 2	10 GB	500 minutes	10 minutes	500 SMS	20 days	*115*2#
35 EUR	Diaspora 3	20 GB	1000 minutes	20 minutes	1000 SMS	30 days	*115*3#
50 EUR	Diaspora 4	50 GB	1200 minutes	50 minutes	1200 SMS	30 days	*115*4#

¹ can also be used in the Western Balkans and various other countries: Albania (One Telecommunications & ALBtelecom), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH Telecom), Croatia (HT HR), Greece (COSMOTE), Montenegro (M:tel), North Macedonia (One & A1), Serbia (A1) & Turkey (Turkcell)
² Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Male, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom & Vatican

Interneti në Mobil (Mobile Internet Plans) – IPKO

The Interneti në Mobil (Mobile Internet Plans) are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

The following Interneti në Mobil are available, which can be activated by dialing the Activation Code:

Price	Data	Validity	Activation Code
1.50 EUR	1 GB	24hr	*900*0#
2.50 EUR	2 GB	7 days	*900*1#
3.50 EUR	3 GB	10 days	*900*2#
4.50 EUR	4 GB	14 days	*900*3#
6.50 EUR	8 GB	30 days	*900*5#
8.50 EUR	10 GB	30 days	*900*7#

APN/Internet Settings – IPKO

• Name: Ipko
• APN: ipko

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Kosovo

Getting a SIM card from Vala (Kosovo Telecom) would do you well when considering a Kosovar SIM card.