Getting a SIM Card and Mobile Plan in Canada: A Guide for New Zealand Arrivals

Sorting your phone out is one of the first things worth doing after you land in Canada. You need it for navigation, banking, job hunting and everything else involved in settling in.

Your first 24 to 48 hours

1. 1

   Keep your NZ SIM for the first few hours

   It'll work on international roaming when you land, fine for a quick message to say you've arrived, but roaming charges add up fast, so treat it as a stopgap only.

2. 2

   Grab a prepaid SIM at the airport or a nearby store

   Major airports have carrier kiosks, though airport pricing runs a little higher. Any pharmacy, supermarket or carrier store in town is a cheaper alternative.

3. 3

   Use prepaid as a bridge while you settle

   For the first week or two, while you sort your address and decide on a longer-term plan, a prepaid SIM is the easiest way to stay connected.

Prepaid options

The prepaid market has thinned out. Fido has had no prepaid plans since early 2025, and Bell's Virgin Plus is winding its prepaid service down, with a shutdown date of 15 January 2027, as at 26 Aug 2026. That leaves Koodo (Telus) and a handful of discount brands as your main prepaid options.

Koodo's own current prepaid plans, all with unlimited Canada-wide calling and texting, as at 26 Aug 2026:

Discount brands owned by the big carriers, such as Public Mobile (Telus), Lucky Mobile (Bell), Chatr (Rogers) and Fizz (Quebecor), typically run somewhere between $25 and $50 a month depending on data, and are worth comparing alongside Koodo once you've had a look around.

If you're staying long-term: postpaid plans

Once you've got an address and a bit more certainty about your plans, a postpaid plan on your own device (bring your own device, or BYOD) is usually better value than staying on prepaid. Fido's BYOD plans, for example, run from roughly $40 a month for 20 GB up to around $50 a month for 60 GB with Canada-US-Mexico roaming included, current as of mid-2026 market pricing. Rogers, Bell and Telus offer similar tiers directly, and it's worth comparing all three since promotions shift regularly.

A few tips

• eSIM is often the fastest way to get connected. Koodo, for example, currently offers eSIM activation for $0 for a limited time, no physical SIM card needed.
• Unlimited Canada-wide calling and texting is standard on nearly every plan, even the cheapest prepaid tiers, so the real comparison is on data and price.
• Avoid buying at the airport if you can wait a day. Prices at airport kiosks tend to run higher than the same carrier's regular stores.
• Check whether your NZ carrier offers a Canada roaming pack for your first day or two. It can be cheaper than an airport SIM if you only need a few hours of coverage.

Related Reading

Moving from New Zealand to Canada: The Complete 2026 Guide

Banking in Canada for New Zealanders: Accounts, Transfers, and Getting Set Up

Shipping Your Life from New Zealand to Canada: Costs, Customs, and What to Know

Cost of Living in Canada vs New Zealand: What Kiwis Actually Pay After Moving