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Buying a SIM Card or eSIM in Hong Kong

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Thinking about a trip to Hong Kong? Whether you’re there on a long layover or planning to explore for several days, there’s no shortage of impressive sights to see, food to eat, and history to explore.

I’ve visited a couple of times recently, including earlier this month. Thanks to the airport being such a major transit hub, my long-haul flights often end up going via Hong Kong and it’s been easy to just tack on a few extra days to my trip.

It’s a very advanced, tech-focused city, and chances are you’ll find most things a lot easier if you’ve got a working phone and a decent amount of data to go with it. Fortunately that’s extremely easy to achieve, before or when you arrive, and doesn’t have to cost a lot of money either.

Here’s what you need to know.

Companies

  • I recommend an eSIM from aloSIM for most visitors
  • If you want a physical SIM card and local number, go with csl or CMHK

There are four network operators in Hong Kong: csl, China Mobile HK, Three, and Smartone. CMHK and csl have the largest networks by number of subscribers, but given the city’s small size, you can expect excellent coverage with all carriers.

Data speeds, however, vary quite a bit between providers, especially if you’re using the LTE/4G networks. 5G networks are noticeably faster, but both your phone and the prepaid SIM you’ve purchased need to support it.

If you need a physical SIM and are buying at the airport, your options are limited to those two larger operators, csl and China Mobile. There’s not much difference in speeds or coverage between the two, so go for whichever has the best deal on the day.

Despite being a special administrative region of China, internet access and phone service in Hong Kong are somewhat separate to the mainland.

That means you won’t have the same issues around strict internet censorship, but there is still a certain amount of government surveillance going on, at least when using local SIM cards. Use a VPN and/or a travel eSIM if you’re concerned about this.

Travel eSIM for Hong Kong

These days, if I’m only visiting somewhere for a short length of time, I tend to use travel eSIMs instead of dealing with local SIM cards. One look at the long lines at the SIM card stores at the airport told me that Hong Kong would be no exception.

I opted for aloSIM, the company I’ve used most often around the world. With fast speeds and reliable connections, it worked so well everywhere I went in the city that I had no need to try any other companies during my time there.

Unlike the local SIMs, there’s no need for any kind of registration or uploading of identity documents. I prefer this, both because it speeds up the process, and also because I don’t love sending scans of my passport to random web portals!

Like most travel eSIMs, they’re data-only: you don’t get a local number. I use apps for everything from communication to transport these days, so the lack of a local number rarely matters to me, but you might have different needs.

If you’re new to eSIMs, they offer big benefits to travelers in terms of how quickly, easily, and (often) cheaply you can get connected when you arrive in a new country. Most recent phones support them, and you can read all about them here.

There’s a pricing table below that’s updated every week, with details of all of the plans from both aloSIM and the other eSIM companies worth considering.

How to Buy a Prepaid SIM Card in Hong Kong

Small airport SIM card store with 1010 branding above the door and several customers in line and at the counters inside.
1010 (csl) store at Hong Kong airport, arrival hall A

If you’re planning to buy your SIM at the airport, chances are you’ll end up going with csl. I found their tourist SIMs for sale at multiple kiosks in arrival hall A when I landed, including at their own stores (branded as “1010”).

I also spotted tourist SIM packs for China Mobile (CMHK) being sold nearby, at both the China Mobile store and resellers like Global Exchange and Travelex. As I mentioned above, neither Three nor Smartone SIMs were available anywhere that I could find at the airport.

Prices and package details were similar but not exactly the same between the two companies, so it’s worth having a quick check of the signs outside the various stores before choosing which line you want to join. There’s always a line.

Note that whichever company you go with, if you buy a physical SIM or eSIM from a local provider in Hong Kong, it needs to be registered to you. These laws came into force in 2022, and your service won’t be activated until it’s done.

Unless you strike it lucky with the staff member, you’ll probably be told to do the registration yourself, but it’s not hard. Just head to e.g. the csl website, enter the SIM card serial number from the packaging, and upload a scan of your passport.

As with many parts of the world, if you’re happy to wait until you get into the city to buy your SIM, you’ll probably save money. Head to the large market on Apliu Street (a block back from the Sham Shui Po MTR station) and wander round the endless supply of SIM card sellers there.

This is where you’ll find a much wider range of prepaid SIM packs than what’s at the airport, generally sold at a discount to the price marked on the packaging.

Prepaid SIM and eSIM Costs

CSL

Sign advertising tourist SIM cards with two offers: 12GB for 7 days at 88 HK$, and 24GB for 30 days at 118 HK$.
csl tourist SIM card options at Hong Kong airport

When buying at the airport, you’ve got a choice of two tourist SIM card offerings from csl. If you’re staying in Hong Kong for a week or less, pick up the 12GB bundle for 88 HKD (~$11.50 USD), which also has 30 HKD credit for calls and texts.

If you’re staying longer, go for the 24GB/30 day version, which costs 118 HKD (~$15.50 USD) and also includes 30 HKD of credit. Both packs include 5G access if your device supports it, and work in both Hong Kong and Macau.

If you’re happy to wait until you get into the city, you’ll have more choices. As an example, a prepaid SIM with 6GB of data and 1000 domestic minutes, valid for 30 days, costs 48 HKD. It may be cheaper again if you buy on the street versus an official store.

aloSIM

Given I was only in Hong Kong for a few days and didn’t need a lot of data, I went with a 3GB travel eSIM from aloSIM instead. The package was valid for 30 days, had I been staying in the country that long.

Because aloSIM had good service and the cheapest prices for the amount of data I needed, that’s who I’m recommending for most people traveling to Hong Kong.

It’s worth double-checking the details in the table below, though, especially if you need more or less data than I did. This table is updated every week, most recently on 10 February 2025.

Validity Period

  • 7 days

  • 15 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

Data Amount

  • 1 GB

  • 2 GB

  • 3 GB

  • 5 GB

  • 10 GB

  • 20 GB

Price (USD)

  • $4.50

  • $6.50

  • $8.50

  • $11.50

  • $18

  • $26

Validity Period

  • 7 days

  • 15 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

Data Amount

  • 1 GB

  • 2 GB

  • 3 GB

  • 5 GB

  • 10 GB

  • 20 GB

Price (USD)

  • $4.50

  • $7

  • $8.50

  • $12

  • $19

  • $32

Validity Period

  • 7 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 30 days

  • 45 days

  • 45 days

Data Amount

  • 1 GB

  • 3 GB

  • 5 GB

  • 10 GB

  • 15 GB

  • 20 GB

  • 50 GB

Price (USD)

  • $6

  • $9

  • $12

  • $18

  • $20

  • $25

  • $57

Topping Up

csl

You can top-up the credit on your SIM card online: there are several payment methods available, but the easiest option for Western visitors is likely to be the VISA/Mastercard gateway.

Once you’ve added your credit, you’ll need to use it to buy a new data bundle. They’re the same price and validity as the initial card (88 HKD/7 days or 118 HKD/30 days for 12 or 24GB), with unlimited domestic calls.

To activate the new bundle, use the csl app or dial *101# and follow the text-based prompts.

aloSIM

Topping up with aloSIM (or any of the other travel eSIM companies) is done by logging into the website or app. You just select your Hong Kong eSIM, hit the top-up button, and buy the same package again.

The top-up packs have exactly the same pricing and duration as the original eSIMs: there’s little difference between topping up your current eSIM and buying a new one, other than not having to activate it.

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Coverage and Data Speeds

On my most recent trip, I spent three days in Hong Kong, exploring all around both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. I had excellent coverage with aloSIM on the csl network everywhere I went, including the top of Victoria Peak.

Similarly, on my previous trip about a year earlier, I also used aloSIM and had no problems on Lantau Island either. Speeds have been fast everywhere I’ve tested them, and everything from video calling to navigation and messaging has worked like a charm.

Screenshot of speed test results for aloSIM in Hong Kong, showing 136Mbps download and 22.1Mbps upload
aloSIM LTE speeds in Hong Kong

Check out our guides to SIM cards and eSIMs in 65+ other countries here.

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