eSIM for Maldives

Viasimo's Maldives eSIM starts at $10.99 for 1 GB over 1 day, running on Dhiraagu 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 Maldives

Baa Atholhu
Dhaalu Atholhu
Faadhippolhu Atoll
Faafu Atholhu
Gaafu Alif Atoll
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll
Gnyaviyani Atoll

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$28.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$28.99

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.

Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibility

Network

Which networks does the Maldives eSIM use?

Host networks: Dhiraagu

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

Data: 1 GB – 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: Poland
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	$12.991 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$53.995 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$63.99Unlimited, 7 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$63.99Unlimited, 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

Queue and plastic

A SIM at the airport

$10.99

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

Think of the Maldives as land, water, and the hours in between. Male and the airport island are properly connected, resorts run their own wifi for guests, and the stretches spent on speedboats, seaplanes and ferries crossing open water are where a travel eSIM actually earns its place. Those transit hours are also when things go wrong: a delayed transfer, a missed pickup, a resort that needs to know you have landed.

Getting online when you land

Velana International sits on its own island beside the capital, and the first thing most arrivals do is find a transfer desk. Having data at that moment is worth a lot, because seaplane departures are grouped by weather and daylight rather than by your itinerary, and waits can stretch.

Install and activate the eSIM before you fly. Once you are through the arrivals hall, switch data roaming on for the travel line and message your resort or guesthouse to confirm the pickup. Keep your home number live for calls and codes; airlines and banks still like SMS.

If you are connecting straight onto a domestic flight, get anything you need saved locally first. The regional airports are small and the transfer boats at the other end are not places to be loading a booking confirmation.

The networks you'll be on

Dhiraagu is the operator listed for the Maldives, with 4G LTE. Around the capital region the connection is solid, and it holds up well on the inhabited islands that see regular visitors. Further out it varies with how populated the atoll is, and 3G becomes more common than LTE.

Something worth understanding about this country specifically: the network exists on islands, and the islands are separated by sea. A mast serves the island it stands on and some distance around it, which means your connection is not a blanket over the map but a series of circles with water in between. This is why coverage feels excellent one minute and absent the next, without anything having broken.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Male, Hulhumale and the airport island are the strongest area by a distance, and Villingili nearby is fine. Maafushi and the other busy local islands with guesthouse scenes are well served. Addu in the far south and the larger atoll hub islands generally work.

Then the water. Crossings between atolls will drop you, sometimes for long stretches on a slow ferry. Uninhabited sandbanks and picnic islands, the ones that make the photographs, mostly have nothing. Dive sites and liveaboard boats sitting out over a reef are effectively offline, and seaplanes are airplane mode by definition. Even inside a resort the signal can differ between the reception building and a water villa at the end of a long jetty, though the wifi usually reaches further than the mobile network does.

None of this is a defect. It is a country made of small islands scattered across a lot of ocean, and the honest version is that you will be offline for parts of every travel day.

What you'll actually use data for here

Transfers dominate. Seaplane and speedboat schedules shift with weather and with the flights they are meeting, and being reachable is what keeps a delay from becoming a missed connection. The public ferry network between local islands runs on limited schedules, so anyone travelling independently needs to check the days rather than assume a daily service.

Beyond that: booking excursions, checking tides and conditions before a dive or a snorkel trip, messaging home when the resort wifi is congested in the evening, and uploading photographs, which in this country is a genuinely large amount of data. If you are working remotely from a guesthouse island, a mobile connection is often steadier than the shared house wifi.

Local islands are ordinary inhabited communities rather than resorts, with their own customs around swimwear away from the designated beaches, and looking that up before you arrive is a courtesy that takes thirty seconds.

Before you fly

Get the eSIM installed and tested at home, and screenshot the activation details along with your transfer confirmation, resort name and contact number, so all of it is readable with no signal at all.

Download an offline map covering the capital region and your atoll, and save your ferry or transfer times as images rather than as links. Bring a power bank, because transfer days involve long waits in places without convenient sockets, and pack a waterproof pouch if you are on boats every day. Salt water and phones are a bad combination, and no data plan fixes a drowned handset.

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 Maldives?

Yes. Your Maldives 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 Dhiraagu. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Maldives yet.

Do I get 5G in Maldives?

No. Dhiraagu do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Maldives, 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.

When do I need to complete the IMUGA form for the Maldives?

The Traveller Declaration on the IMUGA portal is mandatory within 96 hours of your arrival in the Maldives, and again within 96 hours of departure. Fill in the arrival form at home before you fly. Set a reminder to submit the departure form a few days before you leave; with data on your phone you can do it from your resort or guesthouse.

Which mobile network does the Maldives use?

There are two operators, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives. Dhiraagu, majority-owned by Bahrain's Batelco, was the first in South Asia to launch LTE-Advanced. Our eSIM connects to Dhiraagu over 4G/LTE. Coverage is strongest around Malé, Hulhumalé and the airport, and on inhabited islands, while open sea and uninhabited islands have little or no signal.

Is Velana International Airport's new terminal open?

Yes. Velana's new passenger terminal was officially opened in July 2025. The airport also has a new runway and a dedicated seaplane terminal, both in use since October 2022. If you are transferring by seaplane, your resort's team will usually meet you in arrivals; message them as soon as you land, especially if your international flight is delayed.

Can I take photos on local islands in the Maldives?

Yes, but be respectful. The Maldives is a conservative Muslim country, and public observance of other religions is illegal. Ask before photographing people, take care around mosques and religious events, and dress modestly away from resorts. Avoid posting images that could be considered offensive, particularly during Ramadan.

How much data do I need for 7 days in Maldives?

For 7 days in Maldives, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $12.99 and unlimited data for $63.99. 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

Maldives: what to know before you land

Arriving in the Maldives now starts with your phone: the IMUGA traveller declaration must be filed within 96 hours of arrival, and again before you leave. Velana International opened a new passenger terminal in July 2025 next to its 2022 seaplane terminal, and our eSIM connects to Dhiraagu, the Batelco-controlled operator, over 4G/LTE.

Emergency: 119 police
102 ambulance
118 fire
Plugs: DG 230V
Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR); US dollars widely accepted at resorts

Main airports

MLE Velana International Airport (Malé)

Apps worth having WhatsAppViberIMUGAWindy

IMUGA traveller declaration, arriving and departing

The Maldives requires every traveller to submit a Traveller Declaration through IMUGA, the Maldives Immigration online portal. It is mandatory within 96 hours of arrival, and the same window applies again before departure, which is the step most people forget at the end of a resort holiday.

The form asks for passport, flight and accommodation details. Complete it at home on wifi before you fly out, and set a reminder for a few days before your return flight. On the way home, having data on your eSIM means you can complete the departure form from a sunlounger or on the boat back to Malé rather than chasing resort wifi.

Tourists receive a 30-day visa on arrival. The UK Foreign Office also notes strict import rules: bringing in anything considered contrary to Islam is illegal, including idols for worship, bibles, pork products and alcohol. Customs can inspect bags at the airport, so make sure what you pack, and any duty-free purchases on a connecting flight, will not cause trouble on arrival.

Velana's new terminal and the seaplane terminal on Hulhulé

Velana International Airport (MLE) occupies the whole of Hulhulé island next to Malé. Recent upgrades have changed how arrivals work. A new runway came into use in October 2022, the same day the new seaplane terminal opened, replacing the old Trans Maldivian Airways terminal. A new international passenger terminal was officially opened in July 2025.

If your resort is reached by seaplane, you will usually be met in the arrivals hall and taken to the seaplane terminal for your flight. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so a late international arrival may mean a night near the airport or a wait in a lounge. Data helps here:

Message your resort's transfer team as soon as you land, especially if your flight is late.
Check your seaplane slot and any changes, which are often sent via WhatsApp.
Keep your booking and transfer details offline, as both terminals are busy at peak arrival times.

If you are taking a domestic flight to a regional airport, check whether your transfer is booked from the main terminal, and allow time to move between check-in areas.

Dhiraagu, Ooredoo and connectivity across the atolls

The Maldives has two mobile operators: Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives. Dhiraagu began in 1988 as a joint venture between the Maldives government and Cable & Wireless. Today Bahrain's Batelco holds 52%, the government 41.8% and the public the rest. It launched LTE-Advanced in the mid-2010s and was the first operator in South Asia to do so.

Our eSIM connects to Dhiraagu over 4G/LTE. Dhiraagu's international links include an 837 km submarine cable to Sri Lanka, landing at Hulhumalé, which went live in 2006. That backbone means connections in the Malé area are fast, while resort and local islands rely on local masts and microwave links.

Two safety points from the UK Foreign Office are worth keeping in mind. First, strong tidal currents have caused drownings, so swim only in supervised or designated areas and ask resort staff about conditions. Second, many resort islands are more than an hour from a hyperbaric chamber, so divers should check how their operator would reach one. Save your resort's front desk number and your dive centre's contacts on your phone before heading out.

Local islands, Malé and what to post from them

Life on the inhabited islands is very different from resort life, and that affects how you use your phone. The Foreign Office notes that outside resorts you should cover shoulders and upper legs, avoid tight or short clothing and cover up when bathing. Nudity and topless sunbathing are banned everywhere, including resorts. Alcohol is sold only on resort islands; drinking or being intoxicated elsewhere can lead to arrest and deportation.

Public observance of any religion other than Islam is illegal, and during Ramadan you should avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight outside resorts. Be thoughtful about photos and posts from local islands, particularly of people, mosques or religious events, and ask before photographing anyone.

Crime is low on resort islands, but the Foreign Office reports gang-related violence, including knife crime, in Malé and Hulhumalé. Avoid quiet streets on foot after dark and keep your phone out of sight. Political protests occasionally take place in Malé and are best avoided. For emergencies, the police number is 119, ambulance 102 and fire 118.

Researched October 2026 · 6 sources

gov.uk Maldives travel advice: entry requirements (GOV.UK)
gov.uk Maldives travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)
gov.uk Maldives travel advice: getting help (GOV.UK)
imuga.immigration.gov.mv IMUGA (Maldives Immigration)
en.wikipedia.org Velana International Airport (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org Dhiraagu (Wikipedia)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in the Maldives: Malé, a local island and Baa Atoll

A week that mixes real Maldivian life with reef time: a day in Malé, three nights on the local island of Maafushi in South Malé Atoll, then a seaplane to a resort in Baa Atoll, home to Hanifaru Bay and its seasonal manta gatherings.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 3

When to go December to April is the dry north-east monsoon with calm seas and the best visibility; May to November is wetter and windier but brings manta and whale shark season to Hanifaru Bay, roughly from June to November.

Day 1 Malé

Malé: Old Friday Mosque and fish market

From Velana International Airport on Hulhulé, take a taxi over the Sinamalé Bridge to Malé, about 15 minutes.

Cross from the airport to Malé, one of the world's most densely built capitals. See the Hukuru Miskiy, the Old Friday Mosque, built in 1658 from carved coral stone, and the blue-domed Islamic Centre nearby, dressing modestly. Walk through Sultan Park and the National Museum, then visit the fish market in the late afternoon as the catch comes in, and the produce market beside it.

Signal Dhiraagu 4G is fast across Malé and Hulhulé. Stay alert in the city at night; the FCDO reports gang-related violence in Malé and Hulhumalé.
Day 2 Maafushi

Speedboat to Maafushi

Shared or private speedboat from Malé to Maafushi, about 30 to 45 minutes; the cheaper public ferry is much slower and runs less often, so check the timetable.

Take a morning speedboat south to Maafushi, a local island in South Malé Atoll with guesthouses run by residents. Settle in, then walk around the small village, its school, mosque and harbour. Swim and snorkel at the designated tourist beach, where swimwear is allowed; elsewhere on the island cover shoulders and knees. Watch the sunset from the harbour wall.

Signal Coverage holds for much of the crossing. Maafushi has reliable Dhiraagu 4G across the island, including on the beach.
Day 3 Maafushi

Reef snorkelling and a sandbank

Join a half-day boat trip from Maafushi to nearby reefs to snorkel among turtles, reef sharks and schools of fish, then stop at an uninhabited sandbank for a swim in shallow water. Ask the operator about current conditions before you get in, as tidal currents can be strong. In the afternoon rest on the tourist beach or rent a kayak.

Signal There is often no usable signal on the sandbank and at outer reef sites; signal returns as you approach Maafushi.
Day 4 Maafushi

Dolphins and a picnic island

In the early morning or late afternoon take a dolphin-watching cruise, as spinner dolphins are often seen in the channels around South Malé Atoll. In between, visit a neighbouring local island such as Guraidhoo for a walk around its village, or take a day trip to a picnic island. Remember that alcohol is only available on resort islands and safari boats.

Signal Good 4G on Maafushi and Guraidhoo; patchy out in the channels during the dolphin cruise.
Day 5 Baa Atoll resort

Seaplane to Baa Atoll

Speedboat from Maafushi to the airport, then a seaplane to Baa Atoll, roughly 30 to 45 minutes in the air. Seaplanes fly only in daylight.

Return to Malé by speedboat and transfer to the seaplane terminal for a flight north to Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. From the air you will see atoll rings and reef patterns below. Spend the afternoon on your resort's house reef with a snorkel, and ask the dive centre about conditions at Hanifaru Bay for tomorrow.

Signal No signal on the seaplane flight; save your resort contact and booking offline beforehand. Most Baa Atoll resorts have Dhiraagu 4G on the island, though it can be weaker at the far end of overwater jetties.
Day 6 Baa Atoll resort

Hanifaru Bay and the house reef

In season, join a licensed guided trip to Hanifaru Bay, where manta rays and occasionally whale sharks gather to feed when the tides push plankton into the small inlet; visits are snorkel-only and numbers are controlled. Outside the season, the resort dive centre can take you to other Baa Atoll reefs instead. Spend the afternoon swimming or on a sunset dhoni cruise.

Signal Expect no signal out on the boat at Hanifaru Bay. Back at the resort, 4G and wifi are usually fine for sharing photos.
Day 7 Malé

Back to Velana and departure

Seaplane from Baa Atoll to Velana International Airport, about 30 to 45 minutes; allow plenty of time for your international flight.

Have a final swim on the house reef, then take a seaplane back to Velana International Airport for your departure. Before leaving the resort, complete the IMUGA departure traveller declaration, which must be submitted within 96 hours of departure. If you have time to spare at the airport, sit by the seaplane lagoon and watch the planes take off.

Signal Reliable 4G at the resort and at Velana; none on the seaplane itself.

Staying connected on this route

Complete the IMUGA traveller declaration for arrival and set a reminder for the departure one, which is easy to forget at the end of the trip.
Save seaplane times and resort transfer contacts offline, as seaplanes run only in daylight and there is no signal in the air.
Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch for boat trips; sandbanks and outer reefs are usually out of range.

Itinerary sources · 5

en.wikipedia.org Hanifaru (Wikipedia)
gov.uk GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Maldives
en.wikipedia.org Maafushi (Kaafu Atoll) (Wikipedia)
gov.uk FCDO Maldives travel advice: safety and security
imuga.immigration.gov.mv IMUGA traveller declaration – Maldives Immigration

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