Help! Need an Italian SIM, special conditions...
 

I am looking for an italian mobile number that I can keep current and charged up, ideally both from Italy as well as the states. (I am in the U.S. now.)

I am about to print materials for my business, and want to include an Italian mobile number. (I have family in Italy, and may be moving there next year.)

There seems to be so much information out there, I don't know what's what: possibly I won't be able to update some SIM accounts from a US website, some may not have voicemail (those through roamsimple.com). And then there is the ability to keep the number active.

Generally, I wouldn't use the number when I'm here in the states, but it would be good to have it be active so I could check voicemail as needed. And it would be great to be able to give my number to business colleagues in Italy before I travel, and know that the number will work!

The best of all worlds would be where I could transfer the number to a billed account when the time comes.

Any ideas to my best options? I won't be traveling anytime soon, and I need to print materials relatively soon.

Does prepaid GSM still sell SIMS?

Thank you,
M

Vodafone roams in the US (all the major prepaid offers in Italy do), and can be topped up once a year for 5 euros using PayPal (foreign accounts work); you can monitor your account online. They'd be glad to transfer your number to a contract later if that's what you want.

You'll probably need one of your family members there to buy the SIM for you, as this will require registration at the POS with a (real or fake) codice fiscale. No big deal, you can change the account details online.

thanks for the information. looks like vodafone is the best solution.

i wouldn't get my real codice fiscale until i am living there, i assume. so a family members would be ok for now, right? just want to make sure that it wouldn't confuse things down the road to have different codice fiscale's tied to my name: one for the phone purchase, and then a legit one. i know this is used as your taxpayer id, for state health ins, purchasing a home, etc. and am not sure of all the implications.

m

We've discussed this in several places before, but as the formula for the CF is no secret, the one you generate online will almost certainly be identical to the real one you get at an Italian tax office (mine wasn't; they included my middle name in calculating it!). You won't get in any trouble using a "fake" one.

BTW, if you've got family in Italy, you could always get them to top up any prepaid SIM once a year for you, if you needed them to.

Another thing - Almost no one in Italy has a contract; it's one of the most prepaid-heavy markets there is (last time I checked, the share of contracts was 8%).

Generate your codice fiscale here:
Comuni d'Italia - Servizi al Cittadino e alle Pubbliche Amministrazioni

The link I found on SparRuf – mit dem Handy billig ins Ausland telefonieren

like Finland. It's more practical a prepaid card than contract (above all 'cause you haven't to pay 5,16 euro each month :))

Thanks for the good information! To get into specifics, would someone in my family need to activate the SIM within the network in Italy, or would I be able to do that with a fresh card here in the states?

Thanks again.

Yes, you can buy the card here---> http://www.shop.vodafone.it/190/tril...ecPage=Top+OLS

hmmm...the above link doesn't seem to work from the states:
Vodafone

wait...now it seems to be working. so can i purchase these from the U.S.? i assume not.

i'll forward this link to my family, and have them purchase...if they have a credit card.

Vodafone is a big company (it owns about 45 percent of Verizon Wireless - and, anomalously, Verizon owns 22 percent of Vodafone Italy - but is present under its own name in most European markets), and they have shops all over Italy, as do the other majors. Your family can pick up a SIM for you there, too, if that works out better.

I really don't get your point. Since your family is in Italy they can go at any Vodafone shop (there's plenty of them) and just buy a prepaid card. They don't need any credit card, the sim usually costs 10 euros. Since registration is compulsory they need their ID/Passport and their codice fiscale (real or fake, it doesn't matter). The sim card will be automatically activated at once or in a couple of hours.

BTW if you have your family in Italy which can top up your card at any time I wouldn't choose Vodafone since it's the most expensive network in Italy and usually not so fast with data (even if it has a very wide 3G coverage).

Hi...well, someone had passed along a link to the Vodafone online store where the SIMs can be purchased, so I only mentioned a credit card as this could be easier for my family, but a walk in shop may be better.

Vodafone was recommended on this forum, I believe, as it was the only carrier where you can recharge online from the states. But I imagine my family could email me recharge codes to top off from other carriers just as easily.

One other question I haven't heard a definitive answer to: With an initial SIM card, will it need to be activated within the countries network, or would I be able to drop it in my phone in the states and have it work via roaming? I think the safe thing is to have my family drop it in their phone, make a call, and then send me the SIM.

Yes?

Thanks.

With Vodafone, you don't need to make a call, the sim is already able to work when you buy it. The problem about the call is with Tim card :)

Again, family in Italy can top up for you. They don't need to send you the codes; as long as they know the number they can add credit at any tabacchi, for as little as 3 EUR (if you just want to extend validity). Or buy several small-denomination scratch cards when you are in Italy (note the expiration dates on them), take them with you, and keep them handy until you need them.

Oh, great. I didn't know this. So all they need is my number. Even if I have the SIM & phone in the U.S., they can recharge from Italy.

Thanks!