SIM Card in Milan: The Honest Expat Guide (2026)

Buying a SIM card in Milan is the first genuinely useful thing you can do after you land, because an Italian number unlocks everything else: bank one-time codes, appointment texts from the Comune, delivery couriers, even the free city Wi-Fi. The part nobody warns you about is that Italian operators will usually ask for a codice fiscale first. This guide covers the operators worth choosing between, the documents you actually need, honest 2026 prices, an eSIM plan to cover the gap, and how to get fibre home internet in Milan once you have an address.

The operators worth knowing in Milan

Italy has three network owners and a set of cheaper brands riding on them. In Milan the coverage differences barely matter, since the city is dense with 5G and the metro tunnels are covered. What differs is price and paperwork.

• TIM, Vodafone and WindTre own the networks: widest reach, most shops, highest prices. Their tariffs rotate constantly, so read tim.it, vodafone.it and windtre.it on the day.
• iliad is the disruptor: flat transparent pricing, no lock-in, staffed stores and self-service kiosks across the city.
• ho. Mobile (Vodafone’s network) and Very Mobile (WindTre’s) are the budget brands. Same masts, far less money.

For a first SIM card in Milan, most new arrivals land on iliad or ho. Mobile: prepaid by default, cheap, and no 24 month contract.

Documents you need to buy a SIM card in Milan

This is what catches people out. Italian operators must register every SIM to an identified person, and in practice they also want an Italian tax code. ho. Mobile states it plainly on its own support site: you must be 18 or over, hold a valid identity document, and have a codice fiscale. The documents it accepts are the Italian identity card, a passport, a driving licence, a permesso di soggiorno, a diplomatic document, the AT/BT form, a parliamentary badge, and an identification and privilege card.

That tax code is free, is issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate, and is the real prerequisite for a SIM card in Milan. From the agency’s own English guidance:

1. Not in Italy yet? Apply through the Italian consular authorities in your country of residence.
2. EU citizen already here? Apply at any Revenue Agency office with a valid identity card or passport.
3. Non-EU citizen? Apply at an immigration desk (Sportello Unico), at police headquarters, or at a Revenue Agency office, with a valid passport and visa, a residence permit, a certificate of identity from Italian diplomatic authorities, or a municipal ID card.
4. Book the appointment first: the agency states a first tax code requires attending in person for identity verification.

Find your nearest Milan office and book through the official portal at agenziaentrate.gov.it rather than turning up unannounced, and take the counter address and hours from that site on the day.

What a prepaid SIM card in Milan costs in 2026

These figures come from the operators’ own Italian websites at the time of writing. Italian promotions rotate roughly monthly, so treat this as the shape of the market and confirm the live price before you pay.

Two things to notice. The activation fee can cost more than three months of service, and ho. cuts it sharply if you port your old number in. And none of this needs a contract or an Italian bank account: a prepaid SIM card in Milan tops up by card, or over the counter at any tabaccheria.

eSIM and free Wi-Fi for your first days

There is a real gap between landing at Malpensa and holding a codice fiscale, and it can run to days. A travel eSIM closes it: install it before you fly and you have data the second you leave airplane mode. Airalo, Saily and Yesim all sell Italy plans. The honest trade-off is that an eSIM needs no paperwork but is data only, gives you no Italian number for verification codes, and costs more per gigabyte than a local SIM card in Milan. Treat it as a bridge, not a destination.

Milan also runs its own free network. OpenWiFiMilano is provided by the Comune di Milano across hundreds of hotspots: you connect, a welcome page opens, you enter any mobile number (Italian or foreign), and an SMS returns an access code that stays valid permanently, with no time limit and no charge. It is an open shared network, so a VPN such as NordVPN is sensible if you bank or work on it. To pay Italian bills before your local account exists, a multi-currency account like Revolut covers the interim, and if you would rather handle the shop counter in Italian than in hopeful English, a few lessons on italki go further than an app.

Home internet in Milan: fibre, prices and timing

Milan is one of the best connected cities in Europe for fixed broadband, mostly fibre to the home rather than the old copper mix. Much of the wholesale network belongs to Open Fiber, which advertises up to 10 Gigabit and states on its own site that it sells only through partner operators, more than 300 of them. So check your exact address first, then pick a retail provider.

Order the line the day you sign a lease, because the appointment queue, not the technology, is what makes you wait. Ask the landlord whether fibre is already terminated inside the flat, since older Milan condominiums sometimes need building consent for new cabling. While you wait for the engineer, tether your prepaid SIM card in Milan: 100 GB for under EUR 10 a month covers a fortnight of remote work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a SIM card in Milan without a codice fiscale?

Generally no. Italian operators register every SIM to an identified person, and ho. Mobile’s published requirements list a codice fiscale alongside a valid ID. Some tourist SIMs are sold on a passport alone, but for a resident plan assume the tax code is mandatory. It is free, so apply at a consulate before you fly, or at a Revenue Agency office once you arrive.

What is the cheapest SIM card in Milan for a resident?

At the time of writing, ho. Mobile’s 100 GB plan with unlimited minutes and 200 SMS at EUR 5.95 a month is the cheapest mainstream option, with 150 GB in 5G at EUR 6.95 close behind. iliad costs more but carries generous roaming. Compare on the operators’ own sites, since these promotions are replaced frequently.

Do I need an Italian bank account for a mobile plan?

Not for prepaid. You pay by card or top up in cash at a tabaccheria, and no direct debit is set up. A bank account and a residence document only become necessary for a subsidised handset or a bundled mobile and fibre contract, which you can safely postpone.

How long does home internet in Milan take to install?

The wait is the appointment slot, not the cabling, so order as soon as you have an address and expect days rather than hours. Check coverage at your exact street number with Open Fiber’s official checker before choosing an operator, and confirm the installation fee and monthly price with that operator directly.

Should I get an eSIM or a physical SIM card in Milan?

Both, in sequence. Install a travel eSIM before you fly so you have data on arrival, then buy a physical SIM card in Milan once your codice fiscale is in hand, for a real Italian number and cheaper long-term data.

Expat Essentials for Milan

A few quick wins make settling into Milan easier while you work through this guide. An Airalo eSIM keeps you online from the moment you land, a pre-booked Welcome Pickups transfer takes the stress out of arrival day, and NordVPN protects your logins on public wifi. See our full list of trusted services below.

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Written by FinePassport team