SIMs, data and staying connected
Match the package to the whole journey: days away, data you will use and every country on the route. A ten-day city break and a month on the road need different allowances. A BiH package may include other Western Balkan countries without including Croatia.
Compare days, data and the type of SIM
BH Telecom’s Tourist eSIM offer lists Tourist 1 at 31.70 KM: 40 GB for 10 days and 3 KM call/SMS credit. Tourist 2 is 51.70 KM: 100 GB for 30 days and 5 KM credit. These are advertised eSIM totals; physical SIM offers differ. Unused data will not extend the package’s validity.
HT ERONET’s physical !hej Tourist+ is listed at 40 KM, with a one-off 100 GB bonus lasting 15 days and 1 KM main balance. Its sales channels include operator shops, better-equipped kiosks, stores and petrol stations. Ask for Tourist+ by name; other !hej packages have different allowances.
BH Telecom’s local-language Tourist terms reduce speed to 64 kbps after the quota until expiry. Keep enough full-speed data for work or video calls.
Install the profile, then start the package
BH Telecom’s emailed eSIM QR profile needs a compatible phone and working Wi-Fi for installation. Its Tourist/Ultra terms start usage with the first outgoing call, SMS or data connection. Understand that timing before installing and using the profile.
m:tel’s Tourist eSIM page explains setup from an emailed QR code with an internet connection. Follow the activation instructions supplied with your package. If they require a call to 444, make it from that line; operator codes are not interchangeable.
With two SIMs, select the travel line for data. Leave data roaming off on your home line unless you intend to use its roaming allowance, and check its call and message charges separately. Keep the QR code and account details private. A saved address and offline map help while the connection is being set up.
If data does not connect, the access-point setting, or APN, may be relevant. BH Telecom publishes active.bhmobile.ba and HT ERONET publishes gprs.eronet.ba. For m:tel, use mtelfrend only if it is the APN supplied for your package. Follow the named operator’s device instructions.
Crossing into Croatia
BH Telecom names Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia for its included Western Balkans data, with at least 0.08 KM required on the main balance. Croatia is outside that published list. A Dubrovnik arrival or a drive along the Croatian coast needs its own roaming arrangement before the border.
Calling the airport or getting operator help
The country code is +387. In an ordinary international number, omit the initial local 0: Sarajevo Airport’s 033 289 100 becomes +387 33 289 100. Operator short codes stay as published; adding +387 to 1444 or 444 will not turn them into ordinary international numbers.
BH Telecom lists 1444 for help. m:tel lists 066 10 10 10 for prepaid support and 0800 50 000 for private customers. Its contact page says the prepaid line is free from m:tel and the private-customer line from BiH networks, but the footer describes both as free from BiH networks. Confirm the prepaid call charge from another network. From abroad, m:tel lists +387 66 101 010, charged at the relevant roaming tariff.
Before arrival and before the border
Before paying for an eSIM, establish that your unlocked phone supports it. Have payment and account access ready for top-ups. Save the arrival address and route while connected.
EU “roam like at home” does not automatically cover Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read your home provider’s BiH inclusions and charges before enabling data on that line.
For arrival planning, use the airport guides alongside the airport’s own information. Keep any agreed pickup details offline while setting up the phone. The airport-transfer guide covers transfer planning. A published sales channel does not settle a counter’s hours or stock on arrival.