Your phone in Costa Rica: local data and a U.S. number

Give each line a clear job

For a move, your phone may need to provide Costa Rican data, a local number for everyday arrangements, and access to U.S. calls or account-verification messages. One plan may not handle all three affordably.

List the services that depend on your current U.S. number before canceling or transferring it: banks, email recovery, insurance, retirement accounts and professional tools. Ask each important institution which verification methods it supports. Test those methods while you still have reliable access to the old line.

Receiving an ordinary text from a friend is not a complete test of the bank’s login process. Keep recovery options current and follow the institution’s own security instructions.

Check the actual device

Apple’s Dual SIM documentation describes separate voice and data lines and notes that an iPhone must be unlocked to use two different carriers. Physical-SIM and eSIM combinations depend on the model. Other manufacturers have their own compatibility requirements.

Before buying a plan, confirm the model and regional variant with the receiving carrier. Ask whether the device is unlocked, supports its network and can use the combination of lines you want. A phone supporting eSIM does not guarantee that every carrier can activate every service on it.

For an iPhone setup, Apple also documents choosing the default data and voice lines. Review data switching and roaming settings so the phone does not silently use the more expensive line for a large upload.

Confirm local activation requirements

Kölbi offers eSIM for compatible prepaid and postpaid services through its stores and ICE agencies. Its current prepaid identification page lists requirements by customer category. Confirm which document the provider accepts for your exact status before visiting; a general tourist-SIM recommendation is not a substitute for that check.

Ask whether the selected product supplies a Costa Rican telephone number, voice and SMS, or only data. Also ask how to refill it, when unused service expires and how to recover the line if the phone is lost.

Kölbi is an example of an operator with published instructions, not a claim that it is the best network for every town or building. Test service where you will actually live.

Keep the line registered and recoverable

SUTEL’s prepaid-registration guidance explains why a line should be registered in the user’s name: it supports number retention and SIM replacement after loss or theft. Its published guidance mentions passports and immigration identification for foreign users, but registration instructions and an operator’s sales requirements are distinct steps.

Have the provider confirm the registration details before leaving the shop. Keep the account reference and recovery instructions somewhere other than the phone. If you change devices, ask how the eSIM is replaced before erasing the old installation.

Use the home-internet guide to plan a separate connection for work. Two mobile lines do not establish that either has good indoor coverage at the rental.

Test the arrangement before relying on it

Run through an ordinary day: an incoming U.S. call, the verification methods you need, a local call, navigation, a video meeting and a hotspot connection. Check the bill or usage record after testing. Ask your U.S. carrier about extended overseas use, Wi-Fi calling, roaming charges and any restrictions that apply to your plan.

If you transfer your U.S. number, coordinate the sequence with both providers and keep the existing service active until the receiving provider confirms completion. Do not schedule a transfer immediately before a time-sensitive payment or flight.

A workable setup should have known costs, tested account access and a recovery path. Recheck those three things after changing plans, devices or locations.

Sources & notes

Sources consulted September 13, 2026. Specific rules and fees can change; use the linked authority’s current instructions for an application or financial decision.