eSIM for Guinea-Bissau

Viasimo's Guinea-Bissau eSIM starts at $6.99 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on Orange 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 Guinea-Bissau

Bafatá
Biombo
Bissau
Bolama
Cacheu
Gabú
Oio

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$42.00

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$42.00

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now

Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.

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Network

Which networks does the Guinea-Bissau eSIM use?

Host networks: Orange

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 States
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	$63.9910 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$92.00Unlimited, 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

$6.99

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

Be realistic about this one. Guinea-Bissau has a small mobile network built around Bissau and a handful of regional towns, and beyond that, particularly out in the Bijagós islands, connectivity is thin to absent. A data plan here is genuinely useful for the parts of the trip that happen on the mainland and in town, and it is not a substitute for planning a journey that works when you are offline for days. Travellers who understand that in advance have a much better time than the ones who assume otherwise.

Getting online when you land

Install the profile before departure while you have reliable wifi and unhurried time. Osvaldo Vieira International in Bissau is a small airport and arrival can be slow, and you do not want to be fighting your phone in that queue.

After landing, activate the travel line and let it hunt for a network for a few minutes. Verify data roaming is enabled on that line specifically, because on most handsets it defaults to off and produces the familiar illusion of a connected phone that will not load a page.

Your first useful task online is confirming your transfer into the city and telling your host you have arrived. After that, before you go anywhere else, grab anything you will need offline: directions, contacts, boat schedules if you have them, and any documents.

The networks you'll be on

The phone attaches automatically to whatever local network is available and stays on it. Treat that connection as a town service rather than a national one. In Bissau you can expect messaging, browsing and, at good moments, a video call. In the regional centres you can expect messaging and slower browsing. Outside those places you should expect nothing and be pleased when you get something.

Congestion and power supply both affect what you get. When service degrades, drop back to text rather than trying to force a call through, and let anything large wait for a better moment.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Bissau is where it works: the city centre, the port area, the main avenues and the road to the airport. Bafatá and Gabú in the east, Canchungo and Cacheu in the northwest, and the larger settlements along the main roads generally have service in and immediately around town.

Everything else is a gap. The country is low, flat, riverine and cut through by tidal creeks, so the road network is limited and villages between towns are small and scattered. Travel out toward Varela near the Senegalese border and expect the last stretch to be entirely offline.

The Bijagós are the clearest case. This is an archipelago of dozens of low islands, most of them uninhabited, with a small hub at Bubaque and a scatter of lodges elsewhere on Orango, Rubane and the outer islands. Some places pick up an intermittent signal, many pick up nothing, and the crossings between them certainly do not. Lodges out there often coordinate by radio or satellite rather than mobile. Plan every island trip as an offline trip: agree pickup times and dates before you leave the mainland, and leave contingency in them.

Rains, which fall in the middle months of the year, make all of this harder. Roads deteriorate, boat departures move around the weather, and power interruptions become more frequent.

What you'll actually use data for here

Arranging boats and vehicles, first. There is very little that runs to a fixed published timetable, so trips are negotiated by phone and message, and a working connection while you are in Bissau is what turns a vague plan into an actual departure.

Language help is the next one. Portuguese is official and Kriol is what you will mostly hear, and translation tools cover the gap when your Portuguese runs out.

The rest is logistics and money: checking exchange rates, finding a functioning bank machine in the capital, confirming that a lodge received your booking, and pulling up health and safety guidance from official sources. Nature travel is the main reason people come, so you will also be looking up tide times and seasonal information about turtle nesting and birdlife, and it is worth saving that reading offline before you head out to the islands.

Before you fly

Confirm your handset takes an eSIM and is unlocked, then install the profile at home. Download offline maps covering the whole country including the archipelago, and download them properly, because the islands are exactly where the map will not load itself.

Save every address, contact number, booking and document to the device as files and screenshots. Assume you will need to show someone something while offline.

Bring at least one large power bank and a solar charger if you are heading to the islands for several days; mains power is intermittent even in Bissau and many lodges run generators for limited hours. Carry cash, in small notes, and enough of it: cards are barely usable outside a couple of places in the capital and there is effectively nothing on the islands. Finally, agree a check-in rhythm with people at home that allows for several silent days, so nobody panics while you are simply out of range.

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 Guinea-Bissau?

Yes. Your Guinea-Bissau 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 Orange. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Guinea-Bissau yet.

Do I get 5G in Guinea-Bissau?

No. Orange do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Guinea-Bissau, 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.

Is it safe to travel to Guinea-Bissau after the 2025 coup?

Check current advice before you book. The military took power on 26 November 2025, imposed an overnight curfew and briefly closed borders, and a transitional government has set elections for 6 December 2026. The UK Foreign Office describes the country as politically unstable and advises avoiding demonstrations, military sites and government buildings. Expect tighter security and possible disruption around the vote.

Can I use a credit card in Guinea-Bissau?

Rarely. The UK Foreign Office describes Guinea-Bissau as a cash-based economy where credit cards are seldom used and ATMs are few. Bring enough euros or West African CFA francs for your trip and exchange money at an official bureau de change. Mobile money needs a registered local number, which a data-only eSIM cannot provide.

What are the emergency numbers in Guinea-Bissau?

The UK government lists 117 for police and 1313 for both ambulance and fire. Our eSIM is data only, so call from your home SIM on roaming or a local phone. The UK has no embassy in Bissau; British nationals are directed to consular help from the region, with the FCDO's 24-hour line in London on +44 20 7008 5000.

Could the internet be cut in Guinea-Bissau around the 2026 election?

It is possible. During the November 2025 coup there were reports that the army was trying to cut internet access. Any nationally ordered restriction would affect all networks and SIMs, including eSIMs. If you travel around the 6 December 2026 elections, save documents, maps and contacts offline and agree a backup way to reach family, such as SMS from your home SIM.

How much data do I need for 7 days in Guinea-Bissau?

For 7 days in Guinea-Bissau, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $8.00 and unlimited data for $92.00. 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

Guinea-Bissau: what to know before you land

Guinea-Bissau's mobile market is served by Orange and MTN, and our eSIM connects through Orange on 4G. What matters more for a 2026 trip is the political picture: a military government has run the country since the November 2025 coup, with elections set for December 2026. Bissau is a cash economy with few ATMs, and phone snatching is common in the capital.

Emergency: 117 police
1313 ambulance and fire
Plugs: C 220V
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)

Main airports

OXB Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (Bissau)

Apps worth having WhatsAppGoogle Maps (offline)Google Translate (Portuguese)

Bissau after the November 2025 coup

On 26 November 2025, a day before presidential election results were due, gunfire broke out near the presidential palace in Bissau and army officers announced they had taken control. They suspended political institutions, the media and the electoral process, imposed an indefinite overnight curfew and ordered the international borders closed. Reports at the time said the army was also trying to restrict internet access.

A military-led transitional government followed, and in January 2026 it set legislative and presidential elections for 6 December 2026. ECOWAS and the African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau's membership.

For a visitor, this shapes how you use your phone:

Check your government's travel advice and local news before you fly and daily while you are there; the UK Foreign Office describes the country as politically unstable and advises following the instructions of local authorities.
Avoid demonstrations, large gatherings, military sites and government buildings, and do not photograph them.
Around the December 2026 vote, expect possible curfews, roadblocks and network disruption. Keep flight details, your accommodation address and embassy contacts saved offline, as any internet restriction would affect every network, including ours.

If in doubt about the security of an area, the FCDO's advice is to stay in your hotel.

Cash, CFA francs and phone snatching in Bissau

Guinea-Bissau uses the West African CFA franc (XOF), shared with Senegal and its other neighbours. The UK Foreign Office describes it as a cash-based economy: credit cards are rarely accepted and ATMs are few. Bring enough euros or CFA francs for your whole stay and change money at an official bureau de change rather than on the street.

That limits what your phone can do for payments. Mobile money services exist, but they are tied to a local registered number, which a data-only eSIM does not give you. Your data is more useful for checking exchange rates, keeping in touch with lodges and drivers on WhatsApp, and holding copies of your passport, visa and insurance.

The FCDO notes that pickpocketing and bag and phone snatching are relatively common in Bissau. Practical habits:

Look up directions before you step outside rather than walking with your phone in hand.
Keep the phone in a front or zipped pocket in markets and around the port.
Back up your photos to the cloud whenever you have signal, so losing the handset does not mean losing the trip.
Note your phone's IMEI number before you travel, as police reports and insurers may ask for it.

Driving out of Bissau: landmines, night roads and the June–October rains

Outside the capital, road travel is where you will rely most on offline tools. The UK Foreign Office advises staying on paved roads outside Bissau because of the risk of landmines left over from past conflict, so do not follow a map app down an unmarked track as a shortcut.

Driving standards and road conditions are poor, including in Bissau itself, and the FCDO advises against travelling at night. The rainy season runs from June to October, when roads deteriorate and journeys take longer. If you hire a car, you will need the vehicle's registration card, and local insurance recognised under the ECOWAS Brown Card scheme is recommended. Hire firms often ask for an International Driving Permit and a year or more of driving experience.

Before a road day, download offline maps for the whole route, message your next lodge with an estimated arrival time while you still have signal in town, and carry a power bank.

Save the emergency numbers: 117 for police and 1313 for ambulance and fire. Our eSIM is data only, so these calls need your home SIM on roaming or a local phone. The UK has no embassy in Bissau; consular help is handled from Dakar in Senegal.

Researched October 2026 · 6 sources

gov.uk Guinea-Bissau travel advice - GOV.UK
gov.uk Guinea-Bissau travel advice: safety and security - GOV.UK
gov.uk Guinea-Bissau travel advice: getting help - GOV.UK
en.wikipedia.org 2025 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org MTN Group - Wikipedia
royalbrinkman.com Voltage, frequency and plug type per country - Royal Brinkman

7-day itinerary

Seven days in Guinea-Bissau: Bissau, Cacheu and the Bijagós islands

A week for experienced, flexible travellers: the old quarter of Bissau, the slave-trade memorial and fort at Cacheu, then the Bijagós archipelago by ferry, with Bubaque as a base and a boat day to Orango for its saltwater hippos.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 3

When to go November to May is the dry season and the only sensible time for the islands; from June to October heavy rain makes roads slow and crossings unreliable, and many island lodges close. Check political news before booking, as the country is under a military-led transition after the November 2025 coup, with elections set for 6 December 2026.

Day 1 Bissau

Bissau: Bissau Velho and the port

The airport is roughly 20–30 minutes from central Bissau by taxi.

Arrive at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport and head into the city. In the late afternoon walk around Bissau Velho, the faded Portuguese-era quarter near the port, and see the Pidjiguiti memorial to the 1959 dock workers' strike. Do not photograph the Amura fortress, government buildings or anything military, and keep your phone out of sight on the street.

Signal Orange 4G works across central Bissau. Connectivity can be restricted at tense political moments, so keep bookings and contacts saved offline.
Day 2 Cacheu

Bandim market, then north to Cacheu

Bissau to Cacheu, roughly 2.5 hours by road; travel in daylight and stay on paved roads.

Spend the morning at the Bandim market, the city's largest, for cloth, produce and daily life. Then drive north via Canchungo to Cacheu, one of the oldest Portuguese trading posts in West Africa. In the afternoon visit the small fort on the river and the Memorial of Slavery and the Slave Trade, which tells the story of the town's role in the Atlantic trade.

Signal Coverage thins between towns on the road north. Orange signal is available in Cacheu town, but slower than in Bissau.
Day 3 Bissau

Cacheu mangroves and back to Bissau

Cacheu to Bissau, roughly 2.5 hours by road.

Ask locally about a short pirogue trip on the Cacheu River, whose mangroves are protected as a natural park and are good for birds. Return to Bissau by early afternoon, buy your Bijagós ferry ticket at the Consulmar office beside the port, and stock up on cash in CFA francs, as there are no ATMs to rely on in the islands.

Signal Expect little or no signal on the river among the mangroves. Use the evening in Bissau, where Orange 4G is reliable, to message your island lodge.
Day 4 Bubaque

Ferry to Bubaque

Consulmar ferry from Bissau, about 4 hours depending on weather and tides; a weekend speedboat is faster.

Take the Consulmar ferry from Bissau's port out into the Bijagós, a UNESCO biosphere reserve of islands, channels and mangroves. Arrive on Bubaque, the archipelago's main island and transport hub, and spend the late afternoon walking around the small town and the waterfront. Check timings: departures change weekly, so build this day around the posted schedule.

Signal Expect no signal for much of the crossing. Orange data works in Bubaque town, but expect it to be slower and less reliable than in Bissau.
Day 5 Bubaque

Bubaque: cycling to Bruce Beach

Hire a bicycle and ride the bush track south across the island to Bruce Beach, around 18 km from town, through palm groves and small villages. Time your swim for high tide, when the beach is at its best, and bring water and food as there are few supplies on the way. Return to town in the late afternoon.

Signal Signal is patchy on the track across the island and weak at Bruce Beach. Download an offline map of Bubaque before you set off.
Day 6 Bubaque

Boat day to Orango National Park

Chartered boat between Bubaque and Orango, typically 1.5–2 hours each way depending on tides.

Take a boat, arranged through your lodge, to Orango, the island at the heart of Orango National Park. With a local guide, walk out to the lagoons where hippos live in a brackish, coastal habitat, one of very few places in the world they do so. Pay the park fee, respect village rules, and keep your distance: hippos are dangerous on land and in water.

Signal Assume no reliable signal on Orango or on the boat. Tell your lodge your expected return time before you leave.
Day 7 Bissau

Back to Bissau

Ferry from Bubaque, about 4 hours; Quinhamel is roughly 45 minutes from Bissau by road.

Return to Bissau by ferry or speedboat, depending on the week's schedule. If you arrive early enough, visit the Quinhamel area west of the city, known for its handwoven cloth, or spend a quiet evening near the port before your flight. If the ferry timing does not fit, leave a spare night in Bissau rather than risking a missed flight.

Signal No signal for most of the crossing. Orange 4G returns as you approach Bissau, so check flight times once you land.

Staying connected on this route

Check Consulmar's weekly ferry schedule online while in Bissau and screenshot it; departure days change.
Download offline maps of Bissau, the road to Cacheu and Bubaque, and stay on paved roads outside the capital because of landmine risk.
Save lodge and boatman numbers offline and confirm transfers by WhatsApp while you still have signal.
Keep passport, visa and insurance copies on your phone in case of a nationally ordered internet restriction.

Itinerary sources · 5

gov.uk GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Guinea-Bissau, safety and security
scootwestafrica.com Scoot West Africa: Visiting the Bijagós Islands
transafrica.biz Transafrica: The Sacred Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
en.wikipedia.org Bissagos Islands – Wikipedia
aljazeera.com Al Jazeera: Guinea-Bissau sets election date following last year’s coup

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