eSIM for Congo - Brazzaville

Viasimo's Congo - Brazzaville 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.

Works everywhere in Congo - Brazzaville

Bouenza
Brazzaville
Cuvette
Cuvette-Ouest
Kouilou
Lékoumou
Likouala

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Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$43.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$43.99

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

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Network

Which networks does the Congo - Brazzaville eSIM use?

Host networks: Airtel

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

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: United Kingdom
Unused validity: 180 days before it must be installed

Setting up Buy, scan the QR code we email you, and switch on the travel line when you land. How it works

Choosing a plan

How much data do you need?

The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.

Recommended data allowances matched to the plans sold for this destination
You are	Plan for	Cheapest plan that covers it
LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup	About 1 GB a week	$8.001 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$33.005 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$61.9910 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$94.99Unlimited, 7 days

Work it out from your own habits

What a week abroad costs

eSIM, local SIM or roaming?

Charged per day

Your carrier roaming

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A SIM at the airport

$5.99

Viasimo, one bundle

Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.

About this eSIM

The Republic of the Congo is a small-population country wrapped around a very large forest, and mobile data follows the people rather than the map. Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire are workable; the rainforest north of them is not. Set expectations accordingly and this eSIM does a useful job.

Note the name confusion before anything else. This is Congo-Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo, on the western bank of the Congo River. Its much larger neighbour across the water is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a separate country with its own networks. Buying the wrong one is an easy mistake and an expensive one, because a plan for one will not attach in the other.

Getting online when you land

Do the install while you still have reliable wifi at home. That means scanning the QR code and letting the profile provision itself, then leaving it disabled until you arrive. Provisioning is the only step that needs internet, and it is the step you cannot repeat at Maya-Maya airport in Brazzaville or at Agostinho Neto in Pointe-Noire without begging for a hotspot.

On arrival, enable the profile, switch on data roaming for it, and wait. Attachment here can take longer than you are used to in Europe or North America. If nothing appears after a few minutes, toggle flight mode once, which forces a fresh network scan. If it still refuses, select the network manually in your phone's carrier settings rather than assuming the profile is broken.

Leave your home SIM installed for voice. Arrangements in Congo tend to be made by phone call as much as by message, and you want a number people can reach.

The networks you'll be on

Airtel carries the traffic, on 3G and 4G/LTE. There is no 5G to look for, and you should not expect one to appear.

A single-operator picture has a practical consequence worth understanding: there is no second network to fall back on. In countries with three or four operators, a weak spot for one is often covered by another, and your device hops across. Here, where Airtel's footprint ends, your data ends. That is not a limitation of the eSIM; it is the shape of the market.

Where 4G is present, it handles maps, messaging and photo uploads without complaint. Where the network drops to 3G, treat it as a text-and-voice-note connection and stop asking it for video.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Brazzaville is the strong point. The city centre, the Poto-Poto and Bacongo districts, the riverfront looking across to Kinshasa, and the road out to the airport are all served.

Pointe-Noire, the oil and port city on the Atlantic, is the second reliable zone, along with the beaches immediately around it and the coastal strip nearby.

The corridor between the two, whether you take the Congo-Ocean railway or the highway through the Mayombe hills, is patchy by nature. Expect long silent stretches through forest and gorge, with signal returning as you pass towns like Dolisie and Nkayi.

Everything north and east thins out sharply. The Sangha and Likouala regions, Odzala-Kokoua national park, the gorilla-tracking camps and the river routes toward Impfondo and Ouesso should be planned as offline travel. Lodges in those areas typically arrange their own satellite communications, and that, not your phone, is your link to the outside world. Ask your operator what they have before you commit to a remote itinerary.

What you'll actually use data for here

Practical logistics, mainly. Confirming a driver, messaging a lodge, checking whether a domestic flight to Ouesso is actually operating, and keeping in contact with whoever holds your onward booking.

Messaging apps carry most of it, since they cost a fraction of what international voice does and work over a weak connection. Voice notes travel better than video calls on a marginal signal.

Maps deserve a word of caution. Street-level mapping in Congolese cities is thinner than you will be used to, and addresses are often given by landmark rather than by number. Data helps, but a local driver who knows the quartier helps more.

If you are here for work, which many visitors are, assume you will do email in bursts from the hotel rather than continuously through the day.

Before you fly

Download offline maps of both cities and the route between them, plus a translation tool for French, which is the working language and not optional outside the international hotels.

Save copies of your visa, vaccination certificate and invitation letter to your phone's local storage, not just to a cloud folder that needs a connection to open. You may be asked for them somewhere with no signal.

Carry a power bank and a plug adapter. Grid power is not continuous everywhere, and a phone that is hunting for a distant tower burns through a charge quickly.

Finally, tell someone at home what your itinerary is and when you expect to be unreachable. Going quiet for two days in the forest is normal here; unexplained silence is not.

Unlimited runs at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continues slower.

Before you buy

Important to know

This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy

Looking for more information?

Frequently asked questions

Does an eSIM work in Congo - Brazzaville?

Yes. Your Congo - Brazzaville 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 Congo - Brazzaville yet.

Do I get 5G in Congo - Brazzaville?

No. Airtel do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Congo - Brazzaville, 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 the internet get shut down in the Republic of the Congo?

It has during elections. Telecommunications were cut nationwide on election day in 2016 and on 21 March 2021, and there was a nationwide internet blackout on 15 March 2026. No eSIM or SIM can bypass a government shutdown. If you travel around an election, download maps and documents in advance and agree plans with people before polling day.

What is the emergency number in the Republic of the Congo?

There isn't one. The UK Foreign Office says the country has no central emergency number. It lists a local police number, 06 665 4804, and warns that few officers speak English. Save your embassy, insurer and a recommended clinic before you travel, and keep your home SIM active for calls, since our eSIM is data only.

Can I cross from Brazzaville to Kinshasa by ferry?

Yes, but check first. The UK Foreign Office says the river crossing can close without warning, the ferry stops in late afternoon, there is no service on Sundays and sailings may be cancelled in bad weather. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a separate country with its own networks, so our Congo-Brazzaville eSIM will not work in Kinshasa.

What documents do I need on my phone for Congo-Brazzaville?

You need a visa before travel and certificates for yellow fever and polio vaccinations to pass border control. Keep the originals with you, and save scans on your phone. The UK Foreign Office also recommends carrying a colour copy of your passport, showing the visa and entry stamp, because police may ask for ID.

How much data do I need for 7 days in Congo - Brazzaville?

For 7 days in Congo - Brazzaville, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $8.00 and unlimited data for $94.99. 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.

Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →

Know before you go

Congo - Brazzaville: what to know before you land

Our eSIM in the Republic of the Congo connects to Airtel over 4G/LTE. Two local facts shape how you should use your phone: the internet has been shut down nationwide on recent election days, most recently on 15 March 2026, and the UK government says there is no central emergency number, so the contacts you save before you land really matter.

Emergency: No central emergency number; police 06 665 4804
Plugs: CE 230V
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)

Main airports

BZV Maya-Maya Airport (Brazzaville)
PNR Agostinho-Neto International Airport (Pointe-Noire)

Apps worth having WhatsAppAirtel MoneyMTN MoMoGoogle Maps

Election-day internet blackouts in 2016, 2021 and 2026

The Republic of the Congo has a clear pattern of switching off communications during presidential elections. On election day in March 2016, and again on 21 March 2021, telecommunications were cut nationwide; the African Union condemned the 2021 disruption. On 15 March 2026, when President Denis Sassou Nguesso won a fifth term, there was a nationwide internet blackout on election day.

No mobile plan can work around a government-ordered shutdown, including ours. If your trip overlaps with an election, a referendum or major protests, plan for a day or more without data:

Tell family, colleagues and your insurer in advance that you may be unreachable.
Download maps, documents and travel bookings so they are available offline.
Agree meeting points and times in person rather than relying on messaging.
Keep some cash, as mobile payments can stop working too.

At other times, the internet is generally available. Our eSIM connects to Airtel, one of the country's two main mobile operators alongside MTN, so in areas where Airtel is weak there is no fallback to the other network.

No central emergency number: contacts to save in Brazzaville

The UK Foreign Office states that there is no central number for emergency services in the Republic of the Congo. It lists a local police number for reporting crimes, 06 665 4804, and warns that few police officers speak English.

Before you fly, save these in your phone and on paper:

Your embassy's emergency contact details. The British Embassy in Kinshasa, across the river, covers the Republic of the Congo.
Your travel insurer's 24-hour medical assistance line, including evacuation cover.
A private clinic recommended by your employer, hotel or embassy.
Your host, driver and accommodation.

Our eSIM is data only, so you cannot make ordinary phone calls on it. Keep your home SIM active for voice calls, and check whether your insurer and hosts can be reached on WhatsApp, which works over data. The Foreign Office also advises carrying a colour copy of your passport, showing the visa and entry stamp, since police may ask for ID. At checkpoints, stay in your vehicle and show documents through a closed window.

Maya-Maya airport, the Kinshasa ferry and road safety

Most visitors arrive at Maya-Maya Airport (BZV) in Brazzaville, whose current terminal, with three airbridges, opened in 2010. Air France flies from Paris, while Ethiopian Airlines and Royal Air Maroc connect via Addis Ababa and Casablanca. Pointe-Noire, on the coast, has its own international airport. You need a visa before you travel, plus certificates for yellow fever and polio to pass border control, so keep scans of all three on your phone as well as the originals.

If you plan to cross to Kinshasa, note that the Brazzaville–Kinshasa river crossing can close without warning. The ferry stops in the late afternoon, does not run on Sundays and may be cancelled in bad weather. Check it the same day before setting out.

The Foreign Office warns of carjacking and vehicle break-ins, especially outside the cities and in the Pool Region and Mouyondzi District. Keep doors locked, stick to main routes and travel by daylight in rural areas. In Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, pickpocketing is common, so keep your phone out of sight and avoid walking after dark.

Researched October 2026 · 6 sources

gov.uk Republic of the Congo travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)
gov.uk Republic of the Congo travel advice: entry requirements (GOV.UK)
gov.uk Republic of the Congo travel advice: getting help (GOV.UK)
en.wikipedia.org 2021 Republic of the Congo presidential election (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org 2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org Maya-Maya Airport (Wikipedia)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in the Republic of the Congo: Brazzaville, Lésio-Louna and Pointe-Noire

A week for travellers on an organised trip with a local guide: Brazzaville's river, memorials and sapeur culture, a day with reintroduced gorillas at Lésio-Louna, then a flight to Pointe-Noire for the Diosso gorges, the Loango slave-trade sites and the Atlantic coast.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 2

When to go The long dry season from June to September is the easiest time for roads and wildlife trips; the heavy rains peak from about October to May, and you should avoid travelling around elections, when the internet has been shut down nationwide.

Day 1 Brazzaville

Brazzaville: Basilica and Poto-Poto

Maya-Maya Airport (BZV) is in the north of the city, a short drive from the centre; arrange your transfer before you fly.

After a pre-arranged pickup at Maya-Maya airport, visit the Basilique Sainte-Anne du Congo, with its green-tiled roof and pointed arches, built from the 1940s. Then walk through the Poto-Poto district, known for its market and the painting school founded in the 1950s, where artists still work and sell canvases. Keep the evening near your hotel and avoid being out after dark.

Signal Airtel 4G works across central Brazzaville and at the airport. Keep your phone out of sight on the street and do not photograph government or military buildings.
Day 2 Brazzaville

Congo River, Brazza memorial and Bacongo

Visit the Mémorial Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the marble mausoleum and museum dedicated to the city's French founder, on the riverbank. Take a boat trip on the Congo River, looking across to Kinshasa, and see the rapids just downstream of the city at Les Rapides, where the river churns over rocks. In the afternoon, with your guide, meet the sapeurs of Bacongo, the elegantly dressed members of the city's famous fashion culture.

Signal Good 4G along the river front and in Bacongo; on the water your phone may pick up a DR Congo network, so check you are still on Airtel.
Day 3 Brazzaville

Day trip to Lésio-Louna gorillas

Organised day trip from Brazzaville by 4x4, several hours each way on mixed roads; book through a reputable operator.

Leave early with your guide for the Lésio-Louna reserve in the Batéké plateaux north of Brazzaville, where orphaned western lowland gorillas have been reintroduced to the wild. Watch the gorillas from a boat along the river, keeping a safe distance, and visit the 'blue lake' (Lac Bleu) in the reserve. Return to Brazzaville in daylight, as the FCDO warns of carjacking outside the cities.

Signal Expect no signal for long stretches on the plateau and in the reserve. Tell your hotel your return time and save offline maps before leaving.
Day 4 Pointe-Noire

Fly to Pointe-Noire and the Côte Sauvage

Domestic flight from Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire, roughly 1 hour; check schedules, as services are limited.

Take a domestic flight to Pointe-Noire, the country's oil and port city on the Atlantic. In the afternoon see the colonial-era railway station at the end of the Congo–Océan line, then walk along the Côte Sauvage beach north of the centre, watching the fishing boats come in. Swim only where locals do, as currents can be strong.

Signal Airtel 4G is reliable around Pointe-Noire's centre and airport; it weakens along the quieter stretches of the beach.
Day 5 Pointe-Noire

Diosso gorges and Loango

Diosso and Loango are within about an hour's drive north of Pointe-Noire.

Drive north to the Diosso gorges, a natural amphitheatre of red and white eroded cliffs above green forest, often compared to a canyon. Continue to the Musée Ma-Loango at Diosso, in the former royal palace of the Loango kingdom, then to the Loango slave-trade memorial by the coast, where enslaved people were shipped across the Atlantic. Return to Pointe-Noire in the late afternoon.

Signal Coverage is patchy at the Diosso viewpoint and along the coast near Loango; signal returns as you approach Pointe-Noire.
Day 6 Pointe-Noire

Pointe-Indienne and the city markets

Spend a gentler day on the coast with your guide. Drive north to the long beach at Pointe-Indienne, where fishing villages sit behind the sand and you can walk for hours with few other people around. Swim only where local people do, as the Atlantic surf is strong. Back in Pointe-Noire, browse the market for wax-print fabrics and crafts in the afternoon, keeping valuables out of sight, and return to your hotel before dark.

Signal Weak to no signal on the lagoon and the more remote beaches; good 4G in town.
Day 7 Pointe-Noire

Pointe-Noire and departure

Pointe-Noire's airport is close to the city centre.

Use the morning for a last walk along the seafront and a visit to the city's cathedral, then pack and head to Agostinho-Neto International Airport, which has international departures as well as flights back to Brazzaville. Check your flight status and airport transfer before leaving the hotel.

Signal Reliable Airtel 4G in central Pointe-Noire and at the airport.

Staying connected on this route

Before travelling, check whether any election or referendum is planned; the internet was shut down nationwide on election day in 2016, 2021 and March 2026.
There is no central emergency number, so save your embassy, insurer, clinic and driver contacts offline and on paper.
Carry digital and paper copies of your visa and yellow fever and polio certificates, as police may ask for them.

Itinerary sources · 4

gov.uk GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Republic of the Congo
kanaga-at.com Kanaga Africa Tours: Gorillas, chimpanzees and the Congo River
gov.uk FCDO travel advice: Republic of Congo – safety and security
en.wikipedia.org 2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election – Wikipedia

Where this comes from

Information and verification

Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.

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