Stay online in the Maldives from the moment you land in Malé. Install a data eSIM before you fly and keep your usual number for calls and texts, so you can message your resort, follow your seaplane or speedboat transfer and share the view.
Maldives eSIM
Maldives eSIM plans
Every plan is data only, priced in US dollars, with no contract and nothing to return.
Our picks
Three plans we would buy ourselves, by the trip you are taking. Every plan we sell is listed below.
Short trip
10.5 GB
1.5 GB a day
7 days
A week or so away: maps, messages, rides and the odd video call.
Part of the Global (170 countries) bundle
$17.99
Buy this planLong trip
22.5 GB
1.5 GB a day
15 days
Two weeks or more, with room for photos, streaming and work email.
Part of the Global (170 countries) bundle
$29.99
Buy this plan
Also covered by Global (170 countries)
One eSIM that also works in the other countries of the bundle, for a trip that crosses borders.
See every country in Global (170 countries)
No eSIM, no charge. If your payment goes through and we cannot issue your eSIM, we refund you in full. Refund policy
Real people. A person answers every day, 07:00 to 23:00 Paris time, within 2 hours. How we look after you
Safe checkout. Secure payment by Stripe. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Local networks. See which ones it uses in Maldives
Which plan fits your trip
The Maldives is sold on our global plans, which cover it together with more than 160 other countries in one install. They suit a resort stay as well as a trip combined with Sri Lanka, Dubai or another stopover on the way. The plan cards above show the days and data on sale:
- Daily data suits steady use: messages, photos, video calls home and the odd stream by the pool. Most resort stays are steady from day to day, so this is the usual pick.
- Fixed data suits a lighter stay, where you use your resort's Wi-Fi and mobile data only on transfers and excursions.
See fixed, daily or unlimited for how each type behaves.
Landing in Malé
Every international flight arrives at Velana International on its own island beside Malé. Most resorts meet you at the airport and take you on by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight. Install the eSIM at home while you are on your own Wi-Fi, then turn on data roaming for the eSIM line once you are off the plane. You can then message your resort, check your transfer time and tell family you have landed while you wait.
Resort Wi-Fi and mobile data
Most resorts have Wi-Fi, and in the better ones it reaches the villas. It can still be slow when the resort is full, weak on an overwater villa at the end of a long jetty, and absent on excursions, sandbank picnics and boat transfers. Mobile data from an eSIM keeps you online wherever there is signal, without depending on the resort network.
Coverage across the atolls
Coverage is good in Malé, Hulhumalé and at the airport, on the inhabited local islands and on most resort islands, which usually sit within reach of a mast. It drops at sea between atolls, on seaplane flights and on remote sandbanks and dive sites. Expect a gap during the transfer and a signal again when you arrive.
Networks in Maldives
The Maldives' mobile networks are Dhiraagu and Ooredoo. A travel eSIM connects to one of them as a roaming partner, which is why data roaming must be on for the eSIM line. The partner network can differ from plan to plan, so check the plan details, or ask us at support@esimlounge.com before you buy.
How to install your eSIM
Install it at home before you fly, then switch it on when you land.
Check your phone
Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier unlocked. Most phones from the last few years do.
Scan the QR code
Scan the code from your email while you still have Wi-Fi at home. It takes about two minutes.
Switch on when you land
Turn on the eSIM line and data roaming for it. Keep your usual SIM for calls and texts if you like.
Maldives eSIM questions
Is an eSIM cheaper than my own carrier's roaming in the Maldives?
Usually, by a wide margin. UK, US and Australian carriers typically charge a daily pass for each day you use your phone in the Maldives, and some plans charge more for the Maldives than for nearby countries. Over a week those passes cost several times more than a plan here. Check your own plan's roaming terms to compare.
Do I need an eSIM if my resort has Wi-Fi?
Not always, but it helps. Resort Wi-Fi can be slow when the resort is full or weak on an overwater villa, and it does not follow you on transfers, excursions or sandbank trips. An eSIM keeps you online wherever there is signal.
Does it work on the seaplane or speedboat transfer?
Near Malé and as you approach your island, usually yes. In between, at sea and in the air, expect a gap. Message your resort before you board.
Can I use the same eSIM in Sri Lanka or Dubai?
Yes, if the countries are on the plan's list. The Maldives is sold on our global plans, so one install keeps you online across the countries the plan covers. Check the list on the plan before you buy.
Will I keep my phone number?
Yes. Your usual SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts, and the eSIM carries your mobile data. Keep data roaming off on your usual SIM to avoid roaming fees from home.
When does the plan start counting days?
On most plans the days start when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination, not when you install it. The plan details say how yours works.