Best SIM card for new arrivals in Belgium (2026)

The first days in Belgium are full of forms that ask for a Belgian phone number: the commune appointment, the bank, the rental agency, the employer’s HR system, sometimes even the doctor. A prepaid SIM card (pay-as-you-go, with no monthly bill) is the quickest way to get one, often before you have an address or a bank account.

This guide is for people who have just arrived or are about to. It covers the prepaid offers of seven brands and, above all, the identification rule that trips up many newcomers. Belgium does not let anyone use an anonymous prepaid card. You must identify yourself before the card works, and the way you can do that depends on the documents you have.

Once you are settled, with a Belgian address and a current account, compare monthly plans in our mobile plan guide. They usually give more data for less, and the new operator can transfer the number you start with.

The ID rule for prepaid cards

What the law says

Identification of users of prepaid mobile cards is mandatory in Belgium (counter-terrorism measure). (source, checked 2 November 2026) The rule rests on two texts: Legal basis: Royal Decree of 27 November 2016 on the identification of end-users of prepaid cards, and the Act of 1 September 2016 amending Article 127 of the Electronic Communications Act of 13 June 2005. (source, checked 2 November 2026) The BIPT page on prepaid cards and the BIPT FAQ on compulsory identification explain how it works in practice. BIPT is the Belgian telecom regulator.

The rule applies to every operator, Belgian or not: The obligation also applies to prepaid cards of foreign operators sold in Belgium. (source, checked 2 November 2026) So a foreign travel SIM bought in a Belgian shop is identified in the same way.

Which documents are accepted

At a shop or other point of sale, the list is broad. At a point of sale, valid documents include a Belgian eID, an ID card of another EU Member State, an international passport, an electronic foreigner's card, or an official temporary replacement document; the original must be shown, not a copy. (source, checked 2 November 2026) That covers almost every new arrival: EU citizens can use their national ID card, and everyone else can use their passport.

Online is a different story. Each operator chooses its own remote identification methods, and few of them say clearly whether a foreign passport works. Proximus states that its online identification needs a Belgian eID card with its PIN code and a card reader. DIGI says “itsme or ID scan” without saying which documents it accepts. Orange gives an online identification link on receipt of the card. None of the prepaid pages we read stated that a foreign passport is accepted online.

What happens if you do not identify

If you do not identify at the point of sale, the card is not sold or activated and you must identify remotely (for example online). (source, checked 2 November 2026) Proximus states that an unregistered Pay&Go card cannot call, text or use mobile internet. In other words, a card bought in a supermarket without identification is useless until you complete the step.

Identifying by paying online

There is one more method that works for some newcomers. Identification by online card payment is allowed, but a new identification is required within 18 months of that payment. (source, checked 2 November 2026) Proximus confirms the same limit on its own page for registration through a bank reload. If you identify this way, put a reminder in your calendar, or identify again with a document when you visit a shop.

Do you need a Belgian address?

The BIPT rules list identity documents, not a proof of address. The prepaid pages we read did not state any address requirement either. In practice, a prepaid card is therefore the way to get a Belgian number before your commune registration is complete.

The prepaid SIM cards compared

The order follows the scores in the table above. Figures link to the operator page we read on 2 November 2026.

Lycamobile, a prepaid brand on the Telenet network, is not rated: its Belgian website blocked our request, so no price or condition could be verified. If you buy one of its cards, the same identification duty applies as for every other prepaid card: show your passport or EU ID card at the point of sale, or follow the online steps, and read the bundle conditions before you top up.

If you only have a passport

This is the most common case for non-EU newcomers. The rule is on your side: an international passport is a valid document at any point of sale. The difficulty is online identification, where operators either require a Belgian eID (Proximus) or do not say what they accept. The practical route:

1. Go to an operator’s own shop with your original passport. A copy is not accepted.
2. Buy the card there and let the staff identify it at the counter.
3. Test a call and a data connection before you leave.

If you would rather buy online, paying with a card is an accepted identification method, but you must identify again within 18 months, as the BIPT page on prepaid cards explains (checked 2 November 2026).

If you buy a card in a supermarket or newsagent

Prepaid cards are also sold in supermarkets and newsagents. If the shop does not identify you at the till, the BIPT rule applies: the card stays inactive until you identify remotely, usually online. That is fine if you hold a Belgian eID or if the operator’s online method accepts your document. It is a trap if you only have a foreign passport and the operator’s online check expects a Belgian card: you end up with a card you cannot use and must still go to a shop.

So before you buy a card off a shelf, read the identification instructions on the pack or the operator’s website. If they mention only an eID with a card reader, or an app that needs Belgian documents, buy from an operator’s own shop instead and ask for the identification at the counter. It costs you a trip, but the card works when you leave.

Carrefour Mobile, a prepaid brand on the Telenet network, is not in this comparison because its website blocked our request.

If you have an EU identity card

Your national ID card is accepted at points of sale, like a Belgian eID. Some online identification methods may still expect a Belgian card, so the shop route remains the most reliable if an online check fails.

If you will travel in your first months

Many newcomers fly home or travel for work soon after arriving. Prepaid offers differ a lot on roaming. DIGI Prepaid has none. Mobile Vikings prepaid charges the same rate in Belgium and the EU once the bundle is used. BASE publishes credit rates that apply in Belgium and Europe. Proximus, Orange and JIM Mobile did not state roaming on their prepaid pages. If you travel, ask before you buy, or keep your home SIM active in a dual-SIM phone.

If you need a number for your commune appointment or bank

Belgian administrations and banks send codes and appointment confirmations by text. Get your prepaid card identified before you book these appointments, so the number works when it matters. Keep the card topped up and within its validity period. Validity rules differ by operator: DIGI states a validity after the last top-up, JIM Mobile a credit validity, and the others did not publish theirs on the pages we read.

Moving from prepaid to a monthly plan

When you have a Belgian address and current account, a monthly plan is usually cheaper per gigabyte. Order the new plan and ask the new operator to transfer your existing number, rather than cancelling the prepaid card first. Our mobile plan guide compares the monthly offers, and our home internet guide covers combination discounts with home internet.

Step by step: your first Belgian SIM

1. Decide what you need most: data in Belgium, calls to Belgian numbers, or roaming.
2. Check that your phone is unlocked and whether it supports eSIM.
3. Choose a card from the comparison above.
4. With a Belgian eID, identify online. With a passport or EU ID card, go to a shop with the original, or use an online method the operator confirms.
5. Activate, test calls and data, and note the card’s validity and top-up rules.
6. Give the number to your commune, bank, employer and landlord.

Our verdict

DIGI Prepaid comes out ahead in the table. For data in Belgium, DIGI Prepaid stands out: the best value in the guide, eSIM, online sign-up, but no roaming and an online ID step that does not say whether foreign passports pass. Orange Tempo has a low per-megabyte rate, but we could read only its French pages, so English service is not confirmed. Proximus Pay&Go is the safest choice with only a passport, because you can identify in a Proximus Shop and the card works on the incumbent network straight away. Mobile Vikings is the English-language option that also works in the EU, once you have checked its prices. Lycamobile could not be verified, so it is not rated. JIM Mobile suits occasional users who want long-lasting credit, and BASE prepaid gives little data.