Tourists can buy a French SIM card at the airport or in town, but you must register it in your own name with a copy of your passport within 15 to 30 days of activation, or the line is suspended. The carriers present this as an obligation under French rules, not a store policy. Of the four major carriers, Bouygues Telecom ended all prepaid service on 30 June 2025, and Free's prepaid offer requires a stable link to mainland France. In practice, a visitor's realistic choices are Orange and SFR. This guide uses the four carriers' official pages and terms to explain how buying a SIM card in France works.
If you would rather skip the registration and be online the moment you land, you can set up an eSIM for France before you leave. See the Coral eSIM France plans and pick the data amount that fits your stay.
A French SIM card must be registered after you buy it
You usually do not have to show ID just to buy a French prepaid SIM. In most cases the SIM activates as soon as you insert it and it connects to the network. What you do have to do is register your identity online (or through another channel) before a deadline. Miss it and the line is cut off. Here is what each carrier officially says.
| Carrier | Registration deadline | If you do not register |
|---|---|---|
| SFR (La Carte) | Within 15 days of activation | The line may be suspended and is cut off within 45 days of activation |
| Orange (Orange Holiday / Orange Travel) | Within 30 days of first use or arrival | The line is suspended or deactivated |
| Free (Free Prépayé) | Identity provided when ordering | Suspended within 15 days, and may be terminated 7 days after suspension |
SFR and Orange both describe it as a legal requirement
SFR says registration follows a ministerial request under Law No. 91-646 of 10 July 1991 on the secrecy of electronic communications. That law was folded, without changing its substance, into the French Internal Security Code in 2012 and repealed as a standalone law, but SFR's help page still uses this wording. Orange's traveller site states that, in accordance with French legislation, every SIM card must be registered within the first 30 days of use. It is safest to treat this as a step you cannot avoid with any carrier.
You need a passport copy and your home address
On Orange's registration form for travellers, you enter the SIM number, your name, your home-country address and your date of birth, then upload a copy of a valid passport. Files must be jpeg, png or pdf and under 5 MB, and an unreadable copy is rejected. You must be 18 or over. According to Orange Travel's support page, verification takes about 10 days. Taking a photo of your passport's photo page before you travel saves time on the spot.
If you do not want to deal with this during your trip, you can choose an eSIM you set up before departure, such as the Coral eSIM France plans. The setup steps are in how to set up an eSIM for travel.
Which of France's four carriers sell a SIM card to tourists
Orange: the Orange Holiday tourist offer
Orange sells a prepaid offer for travellers called Orange Holiday. There is Holiday Europe for Europe and Holiday World for destinations beyond it, available both as a physical SIM and as an eSIM. Orange says Holiday Europe works in more than 40 European countries. You can buy it on Orange's website, in Orange shops in mainland France, in some Relay convenience stores at airports and stations, and at tobacco shops.
SFR: La Carte prepaid and the European Travel SIM
SFR sells the prepaid SFR La Carte, plus a European Travel SIM valid for 30 days in Europe and France's overseas departments (DOM). You can buy them at SFR stores, Relay stores, tobacco shops and supermarkets. All SFR prepaid offers are valid for 31 days, and you need to top up within that time to keep the line. As covered above, remember to register within 15 days of activation.
Bouygues Telecom: prepaid ended on 30 June 2025
Bouygues Telecom states on its official site that it ended service for all of its prepaid offers from 30 June 2025. Older travel articles that recommend a Bouygues prepaid SIM are out of date; you can no longer buy one.
Free: prepaid requires a link to mainland France
Free's prepaid service, Free Prépayé, states in its terms (August 2026 version) that you must be able to prove a stable link to mainland France and have a valid email address. That is hard for a short-term tourist to meet, so it is not a realistic travel option.
Where to buy a French SIM card at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
Orange's store locator lists the Terminal 2E baggage claim area at Charles de Gaulle Airport as a point of sale for Orange Holiday. Other locations such as Paris Gare du Nord are also listed, and Orange says the offer is sold in some Relay stores at airports and stations. The SIM activates when you insert it and it connects to the network.
We could not confirm the opening hours of these outlets, or whether the offer is sold in other terminals or at Orly Airport, from official sources. If you land late at night or early in the morning, a shop may be closed. For a comparison of buying a SIM at the airport versus preparing an eSIM, see airport SIM vs eSIM. Airports and stations also have free Wi-Fi, but your own mobile line is more dependable for contacting your hotel or booking a ride.
Using a French SIM card in other EU countries
Under the EU's Roam Like at Home rules, a French SIM works in other EU member states on the same terms as at home, with no extra charge. According to the European Commission, the rules cover EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. Regulation (EU) 2022/612 extended them until 30 June 2032 and also requires the same quality and network generation as at home where technically feasible.
If you are touring several countries, keep two points in mind.
- Prepaid plans may include less data for use elsewhere in the EU: the European Commission explains that operators may apply a data limit to prepaid customers while roaming. SFR's prepaid terms, for example, state that only 32 GB of a 200 GB plan can be used in the EU and DOM
- Extended use abroad can trigger surcharges: operators can check your usage over a 4-month period, and if you spend or use your phone more abroad than at home, extra charges may apply
The UK has left the EU and is not covered by these rules. If you are going on from France to Britain, also read buying a local SIM in the UK. Plans that cover all of Europe are compared in the best SIM cards for Europe.
Using an eSIM instead of a French SIM card
French carriers also offer eSIM versions of their tourist plans, as with Orange Holiday. However, Orange Travel's support page says that for some of its eSIMs, identity verification is a legal requirement under French law even on data-only plans, with registration due within 30 days. A local carrier's eSIM does not remove the registration step.
A travel eSIM you buy before leaving home, by contrast, is set up before departure and starts working when you turn off airplane mode on arrival. It does not come with a French phone number, but it is more than enough for maps, ride-hailing and messaging apps. To decide whether you need a local number, see eSIMs and phone numbers. To use an eSIM, your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked (how to check if your phone is unlocked).
France SIM card: frequently asked questions
Do I need a passport to buy a SIM card in France?
In most cases you need it for registration after activation rather than at the till. SFR requires registration within 15 days of activation and Orange within 30 days, and Orange's traveller form asks you to upload a copy of a valid passport. If you do not register, the line is suspended.
Can I buy a SIM card at Charles de Gaulle Airport?
Orange's store locator lists the Terminal 2E baggage claim area as a point of sale for Orange Holiday, and Orange says it also sells the offer in some Relay stores at airports and stations. Opening hours could not be confirmed from official sources, so take care if you arrive late at night or early in the morning.
Can tourists buy a Bouygues Telecom or Free prepaid SIM?
Bouygues Telecom ended service for all its prepaid offers on 30 June 2025. Free's prepaid terms require a stable link to mainland France, so it is not suited to short-term visitors.
Will a SIM card bought in France work in other EU countries?
Under the EU roaming rules, it works on home terms in EU member states and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. However, prepaid plans often cap the data you can use elsewhere in the EU, and the UK is not covered.
Does an eSIM from a French carrier avoid registration?
According to Orange Travel, identity verification is a legal requirement under French law for some of its eSIMs, even data-only ones, and must be done within 30 days. To skip this step, use a travel eSIM you buy at home and set up before departure.
Choose a French SIM card by whether you can complete registration, not just whether you can buy one
Getting hold of a SIM card in France is not hard. What trips people up is the registration deadline after activation and each carrier's conditions. Bouygues prepaid is gone and Free requires a link to mainland France, so a visitor's real options are Orange and SFR. Whichever you choose, have a copy of your passport ready and register before the deadline, and if you are moving on to other EU countries, check how much data you can use there. If you would rather not carry this task through your trip, an eSIM set up before departure is the more reliable choice.
See the Coral eSIM France plans, or browse all destinations.
