Please Note:

Your Italy SIM Card (TIM) will require a SIM-unlocked GSM 900 / 1800 compatible international cell phone. If you do not have your own international cell phone, we have several models available for rental or purchase.

Your Italy SIM card will provide you with an Italy cellular phone number that is printed on the reverse of the SIM card packaging under the bar code and will begin with 33 or 36.

This service requires registration BEFORE YOU TRAVEL. You will need to provide a scan of your passport, your invoice number, Italy cell phone number, ICCID number, address and a signed declaration. Please consult our User Guide for further details.

For a service that does not require registration consider the Passport SIM card.

*You will need to snap out the thumbnail sized Italy SIM card along the perforated edge of its holder and then insert the Italy SIM card into your international cell phone with the gold contacts of the SIM card facing the metal contacts of your international cellular phone.

**When calling overseas from the United States to your Italy cell phone, callers will need to dial 011 followed by the country code 39 and then your Italy cell phone number. To call abroad from your Italy cell phone simply dial 00 followed by the country code and phone number.

Customer service for your Italy TIM prepaid SIM card is available 24 hours a day by dialing 1860 (Select option 2 for English) at any time from your Italy cellular phone.

For your reference, the emergency numbers while in Italy are: 113 for Police, 115 for Ambulance, 118 for Fire

^The PUK is only required to unblock your phone if you entered your PIN code incorrectly. Your phone may or may not prompt you for a PIN code. Follow your cell phone manual instructions to correctly use the PUK to unblock your phone.

Airtime Rates

Domestic Calls

Domestic rates are per minute for outgoing calls within Italy from your Italy SIM card while you are in Italy. All incoming calls, regardless of where they originate, are free with your Italy TIM SIM card.

Calling within TIM network Calls to landline numbers Calls to other* mobile networks SMS text messages

International Calls

International rates are per minute for international outgoing calls from your Italy SIM card while you are in Italy. All incoming calls, regardless of where they originate, are free with your Italy TIM SIM card.

United States Canada Europe SMS text messages 0.50 EUR ($0.60 USD) 0.50 EUR ($0.60 USD) 0.50 EUR ($0.60 USD) 0.30 EUR ($0.43 USD) per message

For cheaper international and roaming calling rates consider the Passport international SIM card.

Roaming Calls (calls placed when traveling outside of the country)

Roaming is available with your Italy SIM card. For rates, more information and to activate this service please contact Customer Care on 421249551111 at extension 110 before you leave Italy.

Thanks to International Roaming, you can travel abroad with your TIM Italy prepaid SIM card. You can place calls in roaming mode, and send SMS text messages in all countries which TIM has made roaming agreements.

The TIM Italy prepaid SIM card will allow you to make the following calls types while abroad:

*Europe 1 - Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, UK, Greece, Malta Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland

**Europe 2 - All other European countries. Recharging your prepaid cellular phone card when you're abroad is easy with the TIM prepaid SIM card.

GPRS Data Rates (Wireless Internet)

GPRS is currently not available with your Italy service card.

Adding Airtime

To add airtime to your TIM SIM card, you will need to purchase RICARICard airtime vouchers which you will find available at most convenient stores, tabac shops and petrol stations, conveniently located throughout Italy. They are available in 3 EUR ($3.87 USD), 25 EUR ($32 USD) and 50 EUR ($64 USD) denominations.

RICARICard airtime vouchers are available at face value, so a 3 EUR airtime voucher will cost you 3 EUR and subsequently will credit your Italy SIM card with 3 EUR.

To credit your prepaid SIM card with the airtime voucher simply:

Do not purchase another TIM SIM card when your airtime credit is depleted.

Each recharge extends the validity of the SIM card for 12 months from the date of the recharge, plus one month in which you may only receive calls. If you do not recharge your SIM card within that period, the SIM card and accompanying phone number will expire and any remaining airtime will be forfeit. If you wish to continue using your Italy service, you will need to purchase another SIM card.

NOTE: Incoming calls are NOT allowed in the Vatican.

More Information and Resources

Keeping in touch while in Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) can be very a frustrating and expensive experience without an international cell phone and Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) SIM card.

Sometimes a payphone takes coins (But how many is anybody's guess!!!), other times a proprietary calling card and still others only a credit card will do with accompanying instructions that would take a week to understand.

Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) cellular phone rentals can significantly cut down on the frustration of calling home while abroad but the airtime rates would bankrupt all but the thickest of wallets. Airtime rates for a Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) cell phone rental can typically start at $1.50 and may be as high as $2+/minute.

Think you got a deal on your world phone and plan on doing some international roaming? With international roaming charges the airtime rate you will pay is out of this world.

The Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) prepaid SIM chip is a quick and easy way to convert your existing world phone into a prepaid Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) cell phone for Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) and as discussed is more economical then a Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State) cell phone rental. For your next assignment or vacation in Italy / Holy See (Vatican City State), this SIM chip (combined with an unlocked GSM World cell phone) helps you stay connected while avoiding those international roaming surcharges that always accompany your 'home' SIM card while abroad. We offer a growing selection of prepaid SIM Cards for other international destinations as well as a wide variety of GSM cell phone accessories and GSM international cell phones.