# eSIM for Chad Viasimo's Chad eSIM starts at $5.99 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on Airtel with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app. Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/ ## Chad eSIM prices | Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 500 MB, 1 day | 500 MB | 1 | $5.99 | $12.27 | | 2 GB, 1 day | 2 GB | 1 | $12.99 | $6.50 | | 10 GB, 1 day | 10 GB | 1 | $34.00 | $3.40 | | Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $43.99 | - | | Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $68.00 | - | | 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $6.99 | $6.99 | | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $95.99 | - | | Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $134.99 | - | | 3 GB, 15 days | 3 GB | 15 | $17.00 | $5.67 | | Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $199.99 | - | | 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $18.99 | $6.33 | | 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $27.99 | $5.60 | | 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $53.99 | $5.40 | | 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $104.99 | $5.25 | | Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $364.99 | - | | Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $724.99 | - | | Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $1,079.99 | - | | Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $2,154.99 | - | ## Which networks does the Chad eSIM use? - **Airtel**: 4G LTE Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them. The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026. ## eSIM Details - **Data**: 500 MB – 20 GB or unlimited - **Validity**: 1–180 days - **Speed**: 4G LTE - **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices - **Activation**: Starts when you first connect in your destination - **Speed management**: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced - **Top-ups**: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires - **Text messages (SMS)**: Data only: use an app for verification codes - **Connects via**: Singapore - **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed ## Chad: what to know before you land Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo Chad's mobile data is unreliable for reasons that go beyond coverage. Between 2016 and 2021 the country logged hundreds of days of state-ordered internet and social media disruption, and it banned Starlink in September 2023. Your eSIM runs on Airtel's 4G network, so for anything time-sensitive, plan for the connection dropping out. ### Chad: quick facts | Fact | Chad | | --- | --- | | Emergency number | 2020 police; 1212 fire and ambulance | | Main airports | N'Djamena International Airport (NDJ) | | Plug types | Type C, D, E, F (220V) | | Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | | Apps worth having | WhatsApp, Airtel Money, Moov Money, Google Maps | ### Airtel, Moov Africa and the state carrier SotelTchad (Chad · https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#guide-airtel-moov-africa-and-the-state-carrier-soteltchad) Chad has two main mobile operators. **Airtel Chad**, part of Airtel Africa, is the one your eSIM uses. **Moov Africa Chad**, a subsidiary of Morocco's Maroc Telecom, operates the network formerly known as Tigo. The state company **SotelTchad** handles most fixed-line and wholesale internet. Both mobile networks are still building out 4G. In June 2025 Maroc Telecom signed a €370 million loan with the International Finance Corporation to expand 4G in Chad and Mali, which shows how much of the country is still on older technology. In practice, 4G is concentrated in N'Djamena and the larger southern towns. Mobile money is how many Chadians pay each other, and both networks run their own wallets: **Airtel Money** and **Moov Money**. As a visitor with a data-only eSIM you can't open a wallet, so carry Central African CFA francs (XAF) in cash for drivers, markets and most guesthouses. Use international cards only in the larger hotels in the capital. ### Internet shutdowns from 2018 to the N'Djamena clashes of 2024 (Chad · https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#guide-internet-shutdowns-from-2018-to-the-n-djamena-clashes-of-2024) Chad has repeatedly restricted the internet during political tension. Social networks and several news sites were blocked for **more than a year in 2018–2019**. WhatsApp was restricted in 2020, and connectivity on Airtel, Tigo and some fixed lines was disrupted during an armed raid in 2021. NetBlocks, Internet Sans Frontières and Access Now together counted **911 days of disruption between 2016 and 2021**. The most recent major incident was on **29 February 2024**. After deadly clashes in N'Djamena that killed opposition politician Yaya Dillo, NetBlocks measured national internet traffic falling to about a fifth of its normal level. An outage like that affects every network, so it isn't something your choice of SIM or eSIM can fix. Around elections or unrest, assume WhatsApp and other social apps may stop working with little notice. Agree a fallback with your contacts at home, such as an ordinary phone call or SMS on your home SIM. Download maps, documents and booking confirmations to your phone before you need them, not when you need them. ### Interior Ministry permits, photo rules and emergency numbers (Chad · https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#guide-interior-ministry-permits-photo-rules-and-emergency-numbers) The UK government advises against **all travel** to Borkou, Ennedi Est, Ennedi Ouest and Tibesti, to western Kanem, to the Lake Chad region and to within 30 km of every border. It advises against all but essential travel to the rest of the country, including N'Djamena. Your travel insurance may depend on this advice, so check before you plan any trip outside the capital. To travel beyond N'Djamena you need **authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior**, which the UK government says is normally granted within a few days. It also advises getting professional security advice, telling the authorities where you are going, travelling with an escort and carrying communications equipment. Don't travel by road after dark. You need a **permit to photograph** military sites, government buildings and airports, including N'Djamena International (NDJ). Keep your phone camera away from these, and from checkpoints, unless you have permission. The UK government lists **2020** for police and **1212** for fire and ambulance. ### Chad's 2023 Starlink ban and satellite communicators (Chad · https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#guide-chad-s-2023-starlink-ban-and-satellite-communicators) In **September 2023** Chad's government banned Starlink. Using, selling or buying one without authorisation can lead to a fine or prison. Don't pack a Starlink kit for an overland trip on the assumption that it will solve the coverage gap in the north. It is illegal, and checkpoints and border posts may treat it seriously. Handheld satellite messengers and satellite phones are a separate question. Their legal status depends on local rules for imported radio equipment, so ask your tour operator, fixer or the authority issuing your travel permit whether your particular device is allowed. Within Airtel's coverage, keep messages short and send them while you have signal. Even in the towns, cellular data can lag, and a voice note uploads more reliably than a video call. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts, so ordinary calls and SMS remain an option if data apps stop working. ### Sources for the Chad guide - [Chad travel advice - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/chad) - [Chad travel advice: safety and security - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/chad/safety-and-security) - [Chad suffers internet and telecom disruptions amid deadly political clashes - The Record](https://therecord.media/chad-internet-access-disrupted-amid-deadly-political-clashes) - [Telecommunications in Chad - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_in_Chad) - [Maroc Telecom - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroc_Telecom) ## Essential travel to Chad: arriving in N'Djamena and staying in touch Essential-travel plan (not a holiday itinerary; UK travel advice warns against travel) · 3 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/chad/#itinerary Not a holiday plan. The UK government advises against all but essential travel to all of Chad, including N'Djamena, and against all travel to the north, Lake Chad and border areas. This is a three-day outline for people who must go. **When to go:** If your trip is flexible, November to February is the coolest and driest period; avoid election periods and public holidays, when the UK government says the risk of unrest and attacks is higher. ### Day 1 in Chad: Arrival at N'Djamena airport - **Base:** N'Djamena - **Getting there:** International flights land at N'Djamena (NDJ); the airport sits close to the city centre. - **Plan:** Arrange a pre-booked, secure car with your employer, host organisation or hotel before you fly, and have the driver's name and number saved offline. Keep your phone camera away inside Hassan Djamous International Airport, since photographing airports without a permit is illegal. Go straight to your accommodation, keep car doors locked and windows closed, and send your contacts at home a message confirming you have arrived. - **Mobile signal:** Airtel 4G is available at the airport and across most of central N'Djamena, but speeds vary and data can be restricted nationally during unrest, whatever SIM you use. ### Day 2 in Chad: Working days in the capital - **Base:** N'Djamena - **Getting there:** Pre-arranged car only; do not use street taxis. - **Plan:** Keep movements to planned journeys by car between your accommodation and meetings, avoiding walking, going out alone and road travel after dark. Stay away from the Presidential Palace area at night and leave immediately if a crowd or demonstration forms. Carry a certified copy of your passport for checkpoints. If any onward travel is unavoidable, it needs Ministry of the Interior authorisation in advance and an escort, and the north, Lake Chad and the 30 km border strips remain off limits. - **Mobile signal:** 4G is usable in the city centre and government districts for messaging and email; expect slow uploads, and keep calls short in case the connection drops. ### Day 3 in Chad: Keeping in touch and leaving - **Base:** N'Djamena - **Getting there:** Pre-booked car to N'Djamena airport, in daylight. - **Plan:** Check in with your contacts at an agreed time each day, and set a rule for what they should do if they do not hear from you. Before leaving for the airport, confirm your flight through the airline's own channels rather than social media, which may be blocked, and allow plenty of time for security checks. Travel to the airport in daylight in your pre-arranged car and message home once you are through security. - **Mobile signal:** Coverage at the airport is reliable when the network is running normally; if WhatsApp or other apps are blocked, fall back on ordinary calls and SMS from your home SIM. ### Staying connected on this Chad route - Agree a fallback with home before you go: if WhatsApp stops working, switch to SMS or a voice call on your home SIM at the agreed check-in time. - Do not bring a satellite phone, which is illegal in Chad, or a Starlink kit unless your organisation confirms it is licensed; the regulator has declared unauthorised Starlink terminals illegal. - Save your driver's, accommodation's and embassy's numbers offline, and download an offline map of N'Djamena on arrival. - Keep your phone camera away from airports, government buildings and military sites, which need a permit to photograph. ### Sources for the Chad itinerary - [GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Chad](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/chad) - [US Department of State – Chad travel advisory and country information](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Chad.html) - [Smartraveller – Chad](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/chad) ## About this eSIM Chad splits neatly in two for connectivity purposes, and the split runs roughly where the Sahel gives way to the Sahara. Airtel carries the plan on 3G and 4G/LTE, one operator across the whole country, and its network follows the population: N'Djamena and the southern belt have usable data, the north has effectively none. If your trip is the Ennedi, the Tibesti or the Ounianga lakes, plan the connectivity part of it as though you will have no phone signal at all, because for most of those days you will not. ### Getting online when you land Install and test the profile at home; there is no useful place to fix an install problem after arrival. Land at N'Djamena, clear the formalities, then enable the line, allow data roaming for it and make it your default data connection. Allow a little patience for the first attach. Once it takes, you should have data in the terminal and on the drive into town. Keep your original SIM in the phone with its data switched off so calls and bank codes still arrive; a data-only travel line will not receive those, and discovering that at the wrong moment is a genuinely bad afternoon. ### The networks you'll be on Airtel and nothing else. In N'Djamena, 4G/LTE is normal and good enough for calls over WhatsApp, maps and photo uploads. In the southern towns you will move between LTE and 3G depending on where you stand; 3G here is a messaging connection, not a browsing one. There is no second network to try when the first is weak, so build habits around that. Send the important message when you have bars rather than when you get round to it. Do large downloads at your hotel. Assume that a plan requiring you to be reachable at a specific time outside the capital may simply fail. ### Where coverage holds, and where it thins Working service: N'Djamena across its districts, Moundou, Sarh, Doba, Kélo and Abéché, plus the main southern road corridors linking them. This band, where most Chadians live, is where a data plan behaves like a data plan. Silent: essentially everything north and east of it. The Ennedi Massif and the Guelta d'Archei have no service, and neither does the route in. The Tibesti Mountains are far beyond any network. The Ounianga lakes, the Djourab and the desert crossings between them are offline for days at a stretch. Zakouma National Park has limited service at the camps at best and none in the field. The villages ringing Lake Chad and the shallow water channels between them are patchy to absent. Anyone running an expedition in the north carries a satellite communicator, and that is the tool that matters up there; the eSIM is for the beginning and the end of the trip. ### What you'll actually use data for here In N'Djamena it is the ordinary things: WhatsApp to arrange a driver or confirm a meeting, maps to make sense of a city where addresses are approximate, email, and looking up whether an office keeps morning hours. French and Arabic are the working languages, so translation is worth having. For anything beyond the capital, data becomes a planning tool rather than a live one. You use it before you leave to confirm permits, fuel stops, a guide and a fixer, and you use it again when you get back to say you made it. In between, your phone is a camera, a GPS with offline maps and a notebook. Treat any expectation of live navigation or a check-in from the desert as optimism rather than a plan. ### Before you fly Download offline maps covering the whole route, not just the destinations, and load them onto the phone at home where the connection is fast. Add offline translation and any documents, permits or letters you might be asked to produce. Carry a power bank with real capacity, plus a way to charge it from a vehicle, because desert days are long and mains power is scarce once you leave the towns. Screenshot your accommodation, your fixer's number and your flight details. Agree with people at home that silence for several days is expected rather than alarming, and if you are going deep, arrange satellite communications separately; no travel eSIM substitutes for that. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does an eSIM work in Chad? Yes. Your Chad eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Airtel. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Chad yet. ### Do I get 5G in Chad? No. Airtel do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Chad, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get. ### Does Chad block WhatsApp or social media? It has done so several times. Social networks were blocked for over a year in 2018–2019, and WhatsApp was restricted in 2020. In February 2024, during deadly clashes in N'Djamena, NetBlocks measured internet traffic falling to about 20% of normal. No block was in force when we checked, but disruptions tend to come with political unrest, so have a fallback such as ordinary phone calls on your home SIM. ### Is Starlink legal in Chad? No. The government banned Starlink in September 2023, and using, selling or buying it without authorisation can be punished with a fine or prison. Don't bring one for a desert trip. For remote travel, ask your licensed tour operator or the authority issuing your Interior Ministry permit which satellite equipment is allowed. ### Can I take photos with my phone at N'Djamena airport? Not without a permit. The UK government says photographing military sites, government buildings and airports in Chad without permission is illegal. Keep your phone away while you are in the terminal, on the apron and at checkpoints. Take photos only in clearly civilian settings, and ask people before you photograph them. ### Which mobile networks operate in Chad? Two main ones: Airtel Chad, which your eSIM connects to, and Moov Africa Chad, owned by Maroc Telecom and formerly Tigo. SotelTchad, the state company, handles fixed-line and wholesale internet. 4G is mostly found in N'Djamena and the larger southern towns, and both mobile operators are still expanding it. ### How much data do I need for 7 days in Chad? For 7 days in Chad, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $6.99 and unlimited data for $95.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone. ## Information and verification - **Prices and plans**: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in. Verified October 30, 2026. - **Host networks**: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.