Phones

How to get a Mobile Phone

Forget about getting a land line here in Pamplona, getting a mobile phone (un movil) is just as easy for the short-term traveller or student as it is for the native.  There are only a couple questions you should ask yourself first.

So you have an existing mobile phone that you would like to use?

If so, you may be able to get it to work here (it must have a SIM Card that you can take out and replace).  You should find out if your phone is locked (meaning that it will only work with the original chip).  If you want to unlock it (liberar tu movil), there are many services around town where they will do it for 30 euros and give you back your phone the next day.

You will have to get this done before getting your new service for your old phone in Pamplona.

What kind of service would you like?

Phone numbers come in two ways – contract and pre-paid (contrato or tarjeta).  Contracts will offer you better, cheaper prices but they will often ask you to keep the service for at least a year.  Pre-paid cards are more expensive, but you make no commitment to any company.

Most students will go for the pre-paid option, it is usually the most convenient and recharging your mobile phone with credit (saldo) can be done at stores, ATMs or Cash Machines and supermarkets.  Also, you can get a pre-paid phone today with just a valid form of ID.

Which Carrier / Company to go with?…

Now that you have that figured out, you just have to decide which mobile phone company you want to go with.  Here in Pamplona, and here in Spain, there are the Big Three – Vodafone, Orange and Movistar (of Telefonica).

There will always be new offers on phones and fees so it is recommended that you go check out the websites given above to see what the current offers are.

Mobile phone service is pretty good with all of them, but all of them may not work great in some apartment buildings around town.

To get your service…

Simple. Go to one of the many stores that you will see around town.  For about 20 euros you can walk out with a pre-paid service, a free mobile phone, and about 10 euros worth of credit. And your phone will work immediately.

Pretty soon you will be mastering the art of the llamada perdida.