A1 Telekom Austria SIM Card: Tourist Prepaid and eSIM

An A1 Telekom Austria SIM card is a reasonable choice if you want a real Austrian number and a plan built for a short stay, but it is not the quickest way to get online. A1's prepaid brand is B.free, and its tourist product is the B.free Travel eSIM. It is ordered online, sent to you by post, and has to be registered with photo ID before it works.

We have not tested A1's service. This page is desk research from A1's public pages, read on 8 October 2026.

What can a visitor buy with an A1 Telekom Austria SIM card?

The product aimed at visitors is the B.free Travel S eSIM. A1's shop lists it at a one-off EUR 12.90. It includes 50 GB of data, of which 20 GB can be used in EU countries, plus 2,000 minutes and texts within Austria and the EU. The free units are valid for two weeks. The page does not say how long the 50 GB data allowance itself lasts, so do not assume it outlasts the two weeks.

A1's shop also lists a longer Travel L version. We did not open that page, so check its price and length on A1's site. A1 states there is no contract.

A1 also sells ordinary B.free prepaid cards. We did not find an A1 page that gives current prices for those, so treat the A1 prepaid and A1 eSIM options as "check the site" for anything beyond the Travel plans.

Do you need ID to register an A1 prepaid SIM?

Yes. A1's B.free registration page says you need an official photo ID, such as a passport, national ID card or driving licence, and the SIM's PUK code. Registration can be done in an A1 shop, at selected retailers and tobacconists, or online. The online routes A1 lists are Handy-Signatur, online banking with a participating Austrian bank, photo identification with your ID and a phone or webcam, or an already registered B.free card.

The page does not say whether a foreign ID or passport is accepted, so confirm that with A1 before you rely on it. For the Travel eSIM, A1 says activation happens automatically once you have registered and installed the eSIM.

How does the A1 eSIM reach you?

This is the catch for tourists. The A1 shop page says the Travel eSIM is sent by post, with free postage, and suggests checking your spam folder if the email does not arrive. If you are flying in next week, order well ahead. If you are already in Austria, an A1 shop is the faster route to registration, though the shop page does not say whether the Travel eSIM can be bought over the counter.

What does A1 say about coverage on its SIM card?

The pages we read make no coverage claim: no 4G or 5G percentages, no map, no speeds. We therefore cannot confirm the common view that A1 is strongest in rural and alpine areas. If you are heading to the mountains, check A1's own coverage map for your valley before you buy.

How does an A1 Telekom Austria SIM card compare with a travel eSIM?

A travel eSIM can be bought and installed before you leave home. The A1 option needs registration and postal delivery. In return you get an Austrian number and an EU allowance. Our Austria SIM card comparison sets the options side by side, and cheapest eSIM covers the data-only side. Unlike A1, most travel eSIM providers do not publish which local network they use, so we do not name one here.

Other Austrian networks have their own tourist and prepaid pages: Drei and Magenta Telekom. For the full picture, start at the Austria hub.

Common questions

Is the A1 Telekom Austria SIM card good for tourists?

It can be, if you want an Austrian number and accept registering with photo ID. A1's Travel eSIM is a prepaid, no-contract plan with a 20 GB EU data portion and two weeks of free units. The drawbacks are postal delivery and the registration step. A1's pages we read make no coverage claims.

Can I buy an A1 eSIM in Austria as a tourist?

A1 sells a B.free Travel eSIM, and its shop page says it is delivered by post. The page does not say whether you can buy it over the counter in an A1 shop. Registration, which needs photo ID, can be done in A1 shops. Ask in store about same-day options.

Do I need a passport to register an A1 prepaid SIM?

A1 says you need an official photo ID, such as a passport, national ID card or driving licence, and your SIM's PUK. It does not state whether foreign documents are accepted. Online registration uses Handy-Signatur, Austrian online banking, photo identification or an existing registered B.free card.

How much data does the A1 Travel eSIM include?

A1's shop lists Travel S at EUR 12.90 with 50 GB of data, of which 20 GB works in EU countries, plus 2,000 minutes and texts in Austria and the EU. The free units last two weeks. The page does not state how long the data allowance itself is valid.

Is an A1 SIM better than a travel eSIM in Austria?

Not automatically. A1 gives you a local number and EU allowance, but needs ID registration and postal delivery. A travel eSIM installs before you fly and needs no registration with A1. Which is better depends on whether you need a local number. See our Austria comparison page.

A1 Telekom Austria SIM card: what a visitor can buy