Vodafone Spain just made a move that’s been a long time coming — and one that’s likely to resonate with travelers, expats, and anyone who prefers a digital-first experience. Starting today, the operator is extending its online eSIM activation service to prepaid customers, not just contract users.

In other words, you can now buy, verify, and activate a Vodafone Spain prepaid eSIM without touching a plastic SIM or stepping into a store. For a market that’s pushing toward frictionless connectivity, this puts Vodafone back in the conversation in a big way.

A digital onboarding flow built for speed

Vodafone’s new prepaid eSIM process is designed to be fast and tourist-friendly, taking just a few minutes from start to finish. Customers go through four simple steps on the website: pick a prepaid plan, pay with any common method (card, Bizum, Google Pay, Apple Pay), complete self-identification online, and receive the eSIM instantly.

Nothing surprising for anyone used to buying eSIMs from global marketplaces — but significant for a major operator in Spain, where digital onboarding for prepaid SIMs has historically lagged behind EU peers. The entire flow is available in Spanish and English, making it particularly relevant during peak travel seasons when millions of international visitors land in Spain every month.

A small but appreciated feature: scheduled activation

One detail deserves extra credit: Vodafone now lets customers schedule their activation date. This is the kind of feature travel eSIM specialists introduced years ago, but it’s still rare among traditional operators. Tourists can buy a plan from home and arrive in Barcelona, Malaga, or Madrid with data and voice services already up and running. No queues at airport kiosks, no last-minute paperwork, no fiddling with SIM trays at the baggage carousel.

Another thoughtful touch: each user can activate up to five eSIMs with the same ID, which is helpful for people managing multiple numbers or families traveling together. Support is available through phone, chat, and email — again, not revolutionary, but a reminder that MNOs still have an edge in assisted onboarding.

The new prepaid eSIM tariffs

Vodafone has refreshed its prepaid lineup for this launch, and the numbers are aggressive — especially considering these plans include roaming not only in the EU but also in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Here’s what the new 28-day prepaid eSIM offering looks like:

Vodafone Prepaid eSIM Plans

• 60 GB: 60 GB data + unlimited national calls + 500 international minutes — €10
• 240 GB: 240 GB data + unlimited national calls + 2,000 international minutes — €15
• 300 GB: 300 GB data + unlimited national calls + 3,000 international minutes — €20
• 350 GB: 350 GB data + unlimited national calls + 3,000 international minutes — €30
• 400 GB: 400 GB data + unlimited national calls + 3,000 international minutes — €40

These are some of the most data-heavy prepaid plans currently available from an EU mobile operator. For comparison, Movistar and Orange usually cap their prepaid data around 150–200 GB during promos — and they typically don’t match Vodafone’s US + UK roaming footprint at these price points.

Where Vodafone stands in the wider eSIM landscape

Zooming out, Vodafone’s update aligns with a broader European trend: mobile operators are finally stepping up their digital onboarding for prepaid SIMs. Spain has been one of the slower markets in this space, even as travel eSIM players like Airalo, Airhub, Nomad, and Yesim built massive international user bases by offering hassle-free activation for tourists. Operators have long relied on physical distribution and in-store KYC, but customer expectations have shifted dramatically — particularly among younger and business travelers.

Reliable reporting from the GSMA and the European Commission over the past two years highlights the same pattern: travelers want immediate, app-based connectivity, and they’re increasingly bypassing traditional operators in favor of digital-first eSIM platforms. With today’s move, Vodafone signals that it’s ready to compete for that audience again.

The bigger question: Is this enough to win travelers back?

Vodafone’s prepaid eSIM expansion is a smart, overdue step — and a sign the operator understands that digital-first onboarding is no longer optional. The plans themselves are genuinely competitive, especially for heavy data users heading to Spain and needing roaming in the US or UK. But Vodafone is entering a space where global eSIM platforms have spent years setting the standard for convenience, transparency, and international coverage. They offer instant purchase, wide country support, and curated travel plans that traditional operators often struggle to match.

That said, Vodafone’s advantage is network quality, regulated roaming, and strong voice inclusion — areas where many travel eSIM brands can’t compete. Suppose the operator continues to improve its digital experience and keeps pricing this sharp. In that case, it may not win the entire traveler segment, but it can absolutely reclaim a meaningful slice of it. In a market where convenience increasingly defines customer decisions, this is a move in the right direction — and one likely to push more European operators to accelerate their own digital transformation.