eSIM for Mauritania 
Viasimo's Mauritania eSIM starts at $13.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, running on Mattel with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 3 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.
Works everywhere in Mauritania
- Adrar
- Assaba
- Brakna
- Dakhlet Nouadhibou
- Gorgol
- Guidimaka
- Hodh Ech Chargi
Duration
Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1
$79.99
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 compatibilityWhich networks does the Mauritania eSIM use?
Host networks: Mattel
Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.
- Data
- 1 GB – 20 GB or unlimited
- Validity
- 3–180 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
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.
| You are | Plan for | Cheapest plan that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup | About 1 GB a week | $13.991 GB, 7 days |
| TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing | About 3 to 7 GB a week | $58.005 GB, 30 days |
| HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads | 10 GB a week or more | $109.9910 GB, 30 days |
| Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync | 20 GB a week or more | $179.99Unlimited, 7 days |
eSIM, local SIM or roaming?
Charged per day
Your carrier roaming
Queue and plastic
A SIM at the airport
$13.99
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.
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
Frequently asked questions
Does an eSIM work in Mauritania?
Yes. Your Mauritania 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 Mattel. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Mauritania yet.
Do I get 5G in Mauritania?
No. Mattel do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Mauritania, 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 Mauritania shut down the internet?
It has done so. After protests over the presidential election in July 2024, the authorities blocked mobile internet nationwide, and Freedom House reports the blackout lasted 22 days. Your eSIM uses Mattel, a local network, so it would be affected in the same way. Keep important documents offline and agree a check-in plan with people at home.
Can I use a card or ATM in Mauritania?
Rarely. Mauritania is largely a cash economy. Cards are accepted mainly in large hotels in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, often with a high fee, and ATMs that take foreign cards are few and often out of order. Bring US dollars or euros and change them locally, as you can't bring ouguiya into the country.
Is there mobile signal in Chinguetti and the Adrar desert?
Only around towns. The US State Department describes mobile service as limited in many parts of Mauritania, and outside towns such as Atar and Chinguetti you should expect long stretches with no signal. For desert trips it recommends a convoy of 4WD vehicles, a local guide, a GPS device and a satellite phone.
How far is Nouakchott airport from the city?
Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport (NKC) is about 25 km north of Nouakchott. It opened in 2016 and replaced the old city airport. Arrange a driver through your hotel or guide in advance, and switch your eSIM on as you land so you can message them from arrivals.
How much data do I need for 7 days in Mauritania?
For 7 days in Mauritania, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $13.99 and unlimited data for $179.99. 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 →
Mauritania: what to know before you land
In Mauritania your eSIM connects to Mattel's 4G/LTE network, which works best in Nouakchott and the larger towns and fades quickly in the desert. The authorities shut mobile internet down for 22 days after the July 2024 election, the economy runs almost entirely on cash, and the UK advises against travel to much of the east and the borders.
- Emergency
-
- 117 police
- 101 ambulance
- 118 fire
- Plugs
- CE 230V
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU)
Main airports
- NKC Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport
The 22-day mobile internet blackout of July 2024
Mauritania's authorities have shown they will switch off mobile data during unrest. On 2 July 2024, after protests over the presidential election result turned deadly in Kaédi, mobile internet was blocked nationwide. Freedom House reports that the mobile blackout lasted 22 days.
Your eSIM connects through Mattel, a Mauritanian network, so a government order to cut mobile data would affect you exactly as it affects local users. Plan as if it could happen again, especially around elections or major protests:
- Keep key documents offline: your passport and visa, return ticket, hotel bookings and insurance details.
- Agree a fallback with people at home. If you go silent, they should know that a shutdown is a likely reason, and when to escalate.
- Find out whether your hotel has fixed-line internet. During the 2024 blackout, reports focused on mobile data, so a hotel's wired connection may still work.
- Watch local news and avoid demonstrations, which the UK Foreign Office says can start with little warning.
Cash only: ouguiya, dollars and euros
Mauritania's currency is the ouguiya (MRU), and according to the US State Department the country runs mostly on cash. Only a few places accept cards, mainly the large hotels in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, and card payments often come with a large fee.
ATMs that accept foreign cards are limited, even in Nouakchott, and the State Department says they are often out of order and may not be secure. Don't count on finding one outside the capital.
Two unusual rules to keep in mind:
- You can't bring ouguiya into the country or take it out. Bring US dollars or euros and exchange them after you arrive.
- The visa fee is paid on arrival in dollars or euros, so keep enough cash for it separate from your spending money.
Work out a rough budget for the whole trip before you fly, and change money in Nouakchott before heading inland. Keep small notes for drivers, markets and tips, as change can be hard to come by.
Desert travel to Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane
The historic towns of the Adrar region, including Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane, are the main draw for visitors. They are also where mobile coverage runs out. Before you plan a route, check the UK Foreign Office map. It advises against all travel to the east of the country and to within 25 km of the Mali border, and against all but essential travel to much of the north and south-east. Parts of Adrar west of Choum and Ouadane, and the town of Ouadane itself, are excluded from the stricter warnings.
For desert journeys, the US State Department recommends:
- Travelling in a convoy of at least two 4WD vehicles, with a local guide, extra water, food and fuel.
- Carrying a GPS device and a satellite phone, because mobile signal can't be relied on away from towns.
- Never driving at night or going into the desert alone.
- Carrying an International Driving Permit as well as your licence.
Use the eSIM to send your route and timings to someone before you leave town, then treat the time between towns as offline.
Researched October 2026 · 6 sources
- gov.uk Mauritania travel advice (GOV.UK)
- travel.state.gov Mauritania International Travel Information (US State Department)
- freedomhouse.org Mauritania: Freedom in the World 2025 (Freedom House)
- en.wikipedia.org 2024 Mauritanian presidential election (Wikipedia)
- en.wikipedia.org Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport (Wikipedia)
- en.wikipedia.org Telecommunications in Mauritania (Wikipedia)
Seven days in Mauritania: Nouakchott and the Adrar's oases, dunes and caravan towns
A guided desert road trip for travellers comfortable with long drives and little signal: Nouakchott's fishing beach, then the Adrar plateau for Terjit's oasis, Chinguetti's libraries and dunes, and the ruined caravan town of Ouadane, staying inside areas the FCDO does not restrict.
When to go November to March is the only sensible season for the Adrar, with warm days and cold desert nights; from April to October temperatures inland are extreme and sandstorms more frequent.
-
Day 1 Nouakchott
Nouakchott: the fish market beach
Nouakchott–Oumtounsy airport (NKC) is about 25 km north of the city; arrange a driver in advance, and complete the e-visa pre-registration before you fly and keep cash for the visa fee on arrival.
Change dollars or euros into ouguiya and meet your guide, who should arrange a convoy of two 4WD vehicles for the desert. In the late afternoon, go to the fishing beach at the Port de Pêche, where hundreds of painted wooden pirogues land their catch through the surf and teams haul the fish ashore. Visit the National Museum earlier in the day if it is open.
Signal Mattel 4G works in Nouakchott and is the best you will get all week; download offline maps of Adrar and save documents offline tonight.
-
Day 2 Atar
The long road north to Atar
About 450 km and 6 to 7 hours by road; leave at first light.
Drive north-east across the desert via the mining town of Akjoujt, watching the landscape turn from flat scrub to dunes and then to the dark escarpments of the Adrar plateau. Stop for tea and fuel in Akjoujt. Arrive in Atar, the regional capital, in time for a walk around its market and old quarter before dark, as you should never drive at night.
Signal Coverage drops away soon after leaving Nouakchott, returns briefly around Akjoujt, and is back in Atar town; tell someone at home when you expect to arrive.
-
Day 3 Chinguetti
Terjit oasis and the Amogjar pass to Chinguetti
About an hour from Atar to Terjit, then 2 to 3 hours on to Chinguetti by 4WD.
Drive to Terjit, a narrow gorge where warm and cool springs feed a stream under date palms, and rest in the shade. Then cross the Adrar plateau to Chinguetti via the Amogjar pass, a steep climb with views back over the plains; look out for the rock paintings near the pass and the fort built as a set for the 1984 film Fort Saganne. Arrive in Chinguetti for sunset over the dunes.
Signal Expect no signal at Terjit or on the Amogjar pass; Chinguetti has basic mobile coverage, often 3G or 2G rather than 4G.
-
Day 4 Chinguetti
Chinguetti's old town, libraries and dunes
Walk the old town across the dry riverbed, part of the UNESCO-listed Ancient Ksour, with its stone houses and the square minaret of the Friday mosque, which non-Muslims may view only from outside. Visit one of the family libraries that still keep medieval Islamic manuscripts. In the late afternoon, walk out into the dunes with a guide and camel, and spend the night in a desert camp or guesthouse.
Signal Weak coverage in the new town, enough for a text or a short WhatsApp message on a good day; in the dunes there is nothing, so a satellite phone is worth carrying.
-
Day 5 Ouadane
Ouadane, the ruined caravan town
About 3 hours by 4WD on desert piste from Chinguetti; travel in a convoy with a local guide.
Drive across the plateau to Ouadane, another of the four UNESCO-listed ksour, founded as a stop on the trans-Saharan trade routes. Climb through the ruined stone lanes of the old town on the hillside, past the old mosque, to the top for views over the palm grove and the desert. Stay overnight in a simple guesthouse; the FCDO excludes the town of Ouadane from its wider Adrar warning.
Signal No mobile signal on the piste and only patchy coverage, if any, in Ouadane; agree a check-in time with home for when you are back in Atar.
-
Day 6 Atar
Back across the Adrar to Atar
About 5 to 6 hours by 4WD from Ouadane to Atar via Chinguetti.
Drive back west across the plateau, stopping in Chinguetti for a last look at the dunes and for tea. Descend to Atar in the afternoon and rest. If you have time, visit Atar's date palm groves and buy dates and crafts in the market. Use the evening to recharge every device and send news home while you have signal again.
Signal Little or no signal until Chinguetti, then nothing again until Atar, where Mattel's network returns.
-
Day 7 Nouakchott
Return to Nouakchott
About 6 to 7 hours by road from Atar; airport transfers take around 40 minutes.
Make the long drive back to Nouakchott, leaving at first light. Stop at Akjoujt for fuel. In the evening, if you are not flying straight out, take a final walk along the beach or visit the Marché Capitale for fabrics and silver jewellery. Allow plenty of time for the airport, which is well outside the city.
Signal Gaps for most of the drive, then reliable 4G again in Nouakchott and at the airport.
Staying connected on this route
- Carry a satellite phone and GPS for the desert days, as the US State Department recommends; Mattel has nothing between towns.
- Mauritania cut mobile internet for 22 days in 2024, so keep tickets, visas and insurance documents offline and agree a fallback with home.
- Do not go east of Ouadane or near the Western Sahara or Mali borders: check the FCDO map before agreeing any change of route with your guide.
- Bring enough cash in dollars or euros for the whole trip; ATMs and card payments are rare.
Itinerary sources · 4
- gov.uk FCDO travel advice: Mauritania – terrorism and regional advice
- en.wikivoyage.org Chinguetti (Wikivoyage)
- travel.state.gov Mauritania International Travel Information (US State Department)
- freedomhouse.org Mauritania: Freedom in the World 2025 (Freedom House)
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.
- Host networks
- The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.
Mauritania eSIM prices
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $79.99 | $26.66/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $134.99 | $27.00/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $244.99 | $24.50/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 3 GBBest value | $37.99 | $1.27/day |
| 5 GB | $58.00 | $1.93/day |
| 10 GB | $109.99 | $3.67/day |
| 20 GB | $219.99 | $7.33/day |
| Unlimited | $679.99 | $22.67/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $1,339.99 | $22.33/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $2,009.99 | $22.33/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $4,019.99 | $22.33/day |
Destinations
