eSIM for Panama

Viasimo's Panama eSIM starts at $1.59 for 100 MB over 7 days, running on Tigo 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 Panama

Bocas del Toro Province
Chiriquí Province
Coclé
Colón
Darién
Embera
Guna Yala

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$36.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$36.99

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

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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 Panama eSIM use?

Host networks: Tigo

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

Data: 100 MB – 20 GB or unlimited
Validity: 1–180 days
Speed: 4G LTE
Hotspot / tethering: Supported on most devices
Activation: Automatic on arrival
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: Israel
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	$6.991 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$27.995 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$48.9910 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$80.99Unlimited, 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

$1.59

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

Panama is narrow enough to drive across in an afternoon and lopsided enough that its connectivity follows the same shape as its population: the canal corridor and the Pacific side hold most of the people, most of the towers and most of the traffic. Stay near that spine and mobile data behaves roughly the way it does at home. Point yourself at the Caribbean islands or the Darién and it does not, so it pays to know which side of that line you are on.

Getting online when you land

Do the install before departure, over wifi, and leave the line switched off until you arrive. Tocumen is a big airport with a long walk to immigration, which is convenient: enable the line as you disembark and it will normally be registered by the time you are through passport control.

That matters here more than in some places, because getting from Tocumen into the city is a decision. Airport taxis quote by zone, ride hailing works from the terminal, and the difference between the two is easier to judge when your phone is online. Have a map open before you leave the building, and message your accommodation so someone is expecting you. If the line has not attached after a few minutes, restart the phone once; a cold boot forces a clean registration.

The networks you'll be on

Service runs over movistar, on 4G LTE. There is no 5G tier to look for, and you will not miss it. LTE in Panama City is comfortable for everything a traveller does: navigation, ride apps, video calls home, streaming music, uploading a day of photos. Out in the provinces the phone drops to 3G often enough that you should assume it. On 3G, messaging and maps stay usable, but anything that wants to upload a video will crawl, so save the big uploads for wifi at night.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Panama City is the strong point. Casco Viejo, the banking district, Amador Causeway, the Cinta Costera and the metro line are all well covered, including the underground stations for most of their length. The Pan American Highway west toward Coronado, Santiago and David is reliable, and the towns along it are fine. So are Boquete and the coffee farms in the highlands above it, at least in the valley where the town sits.

The Caribbean side is where it changes. Bocas del Toro town on Isla Colón has service; the outer islands, the mangrove channels and the boat rides between them do not consistently. Guna Yala, the island chain often sold as San Blas, is thinly covered and the crossing there goes through jungle road with long dead stretches. The Darién, east of Yaviza, should be treated as having no service outside a handful of settlements. Isla Coiba is offline. Santa Catalina and Pedasí have coverage in the village and lose it on the beaches and headlands around them.

There is one more gap worth naming: the ferries. Crossings to Taboga, Contadora and around Bocas lose signal partway out and pick it up on the far side, so buy tickets and screenshot schedules before you board.

What you'll actually use data for here

Ride hailing in the capital, constantly, because the city is spread out and walking between districts in the heat is not the plan you think it is. Boat and shuttle schedules, which change and are often published on operator social media rather than a website. Weather and swell forecasts, especially on the Pacific beaches and during the rainy months when an afternoon downpour reorganises the day.

There is a specifically Panamanian use too: ship tracking. If you are going to Miraflores or Agua Clara to watch a transit, the live vessel schedules tell you when there will actually be something in the lock chamber rather than an empty basin. Beyond that it is the usual: translating a menu, splitting a bill, calling home across time zones, and keeping bank alerts flowing while you spend abroad.

Before you fly

Install the profile at home and check that the eSIM is set as your data line while your usual SIM keeps handling calls and verification codes. Turn data roaming on for the travel line; that switch controls the eSIM independently of your home number.

Download offline maps of Panama City and of any province you plan to drive through, because rural signage is sparse and the road that looks like a shortcut on a satellite view is often gravel. Save your Bocas or Guna Yala transport bookings as screenshots, since that is exactly where you will need them and exactly where you will not have data. And if the Darién or a remote island stay is on your itinerary, tell someone your route before you go dark; no eSIM changes the fact that there is nothing to connect to out there.

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 Panama?

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

Do I get 5G in Panama?

No. Tigo do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Panama, 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.

Why does my phone show Tigo instead of Movistar in Panama?

Because they are the same network. Millicom, owner of the Tigo brand, bought Telefónica's Panama business, previously branded Movistar, in a deal completed in August 2019, and planned to replace the Movistar name with Tigo. Depending on your phone, you may see Tigo, Movistar or a numeric code. Our eSIM connects to this network as listed by our supplier.

Can I take the metro from Tocumen Airport?

Yes. Metro Line 2 opened a branch to an Aeropuerto station on 16 March 2023. Trains on the branch run from Corredor Sur station, so you change there for the main line into the city. If you have heavy luggage or are heading somewhere off the metro, the UK Foreign Office recommends ride-hailing apps or hotel transport rather than street taxis.

Is it safe to use taxis in Panama City?

The UK Foreign Office says taxis can be in poor condition and that accidents are common, and recommends using only ride-hailing apps or hotel-arranged transport. Have mobile data running so you can book a car, check the driver and vehicle match the app, and share your trip details with a friend.

Where should I use ATMs in Panama?

Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres. The UK Foreign Office reports that people have been attacked after withdrawing cash elsewhere. Panama uses the US dollar, so cash is easy to understand, but avoid carrying large amounts. Keep your banking app ready so you can freeze a card from your phone if it is lost or stolen.

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

For 7 days in Panama, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.59, 500 MB for $3.79, 1 GB for $6.99, and unlimited data for $80.99. 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

Panama: what to know before you land

Our eSIM in Panama connects to the network our supplier lists as Movistar, which Millicom bought from Telefónica in 2019 and has since moved to its Tigo brand, so you may see either name. From Tocumen airport (PTY), Metro Line 2 now has an Aeropuerto station, and the UK government advises ride-hailing apps or hotel transport over street taxis.

Emergency: 911
Plugs: AB 120V
Currency: Panamanian balboa (PAB) and US dollar (USD)

Main airports

PTY Tocumen International Airport (Panama City)

Apps worth having WhatsAppUberinDriveWaze

From Tocumen (PTY) by Metro Line 2 or ride-hailing

Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is Panama's main gateway and Copa Airlines' hub, so many visitors pass through on connections around the Americas. If you are staying in Panama City, you now have a rail option: Metro Line 2 opened a short branch to an Aeropuerto station on 16 March 2023. Trains on this branch run from the Corredor Sur station rather than through from the main line, so expect to change there for the city.

For door-to-door journeys, the UK Foreign Office advice is direct: taxis can be in poor condition and accidents are common, so it recommends using ride-hailing apps or hotel-arranged transport only. That makes mobile data on arrival useful. Switch the eSIM on as you leave the aircraft so you can book a car from the terminal, check the fare and share your trip with someone.

If you are connecting to a domestic flight to Bocas del Toro, David or the Pearl Islands, check which airport it leaves from. Many domestic services use Albrook's Marcos A. Gelabert airport in the city rather than Tocumen, so allow time to cross town.

Movistar Panamá is now Tigo: what you will see on screen

Our supplier lists the network our eSIM uses in Panama as Movistar. That network has changed hands. In February 2019 Millicom, the company behind the Tigo brand, agreed to buy Telefónica's operations in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, paying about US$650 million for the Panamanian business. The deal completed in August 2019, and Millicom planned to phase out the Movistar name in Panama in favour of Tigo.

In practice, the network name in your status bar may show Tigo, Movistar or a numeric code depending on your phone. They all refer to the same network, so there is no need to change settings or choose a different operator manually. The other main mobile brand you will see is +Móvil, run by Cable & Wireless Panama, which is controlled by Liberty Latin America, but our eSIM does not use it.

Our eSIM connects over 4G/LTE. Use it for maps, ride-hailing and messaging in Panama City and along the main highways, and download offline maps before heading to the Caribbean islands, Guna Yala or Darién, where roads and coverage are both sparse.

ATMs, buses and protests in Panama City and Colón

Panama uses the US dollar alongside its own balboa coins, so you will not need to convert prices, but you will often use cash. The Foreign Office reports that people have been attacked after withdrawing money, and advises using ATMs inside banks or shopping centres. Avoid carrying large sums and keep your phone out of sight on buses and at bus stations, where pickpocketing is a risk.

Other points from the same advice:

Be wary of strangers asking to enter your accommodation; gangs have used this to commit burglaries.
Protests can be large, particularly in Colón City. Avoid them and check local news before travelling there.
Take care against mugging in Colón.
In Darién Province and other remote rural areas, there may be very few surfaced roads.

Having mobile data makes it easier to follow local news, check routes and stay in contact if plans change. In an emergency, dial 911. Because our eSIM is data only, make that call on your home SIM, and keep your hotel and embassy numbers saved on your phone.

Researched October 2026 · 4 sources

en.wikipedia.org Millicom (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org Telecommunications in Panama (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org Panama Metro (Wikipedia)
gov.uk Panama travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in Panama: Panama City, the Canal, Guna Yala and Bocas del Toro

A first week mixing city, canal and islands: Casco Viejo and the Miraflores Locks, rainforest along the canal at Gamboa, two nights on a Guna Yala island off the Caribbean coast, then a flight to Bocas del Toro for beaches and reefs.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 3

When to go The dry season from mid-December to April is best for the islands and the canal rainforest; May to November brings heavy afternoon rain, and after the magnitude 7.6 earthquake off the Azuero Peninsula on 9 October 2026, check current FCDO advice and local road and ferry status before travelling.

Day 1 Panama City

Panama City: Casco Viejo

From Tocumen International Airport (PTY) take a ride-hailing car or hotel transport, or Metro Line 2 from the Aeropuerto station, changing at Corredor Sur.

Spend the afternoon in Casco Viejo, the old quarter founded in 1673 and now UNESCO-listed with the ruins of Panamá Viejo. Walk from Plaza de la Independencia and the cathedral to the Church of San José and its golden altar, then along the Paseo Esteban Huertas on the old sea wall for views of the modern skyline across the bay. Finish at Plaza de Francia as the evening cools.

Signal 4G on the network shown as Tigo or Movistar is strong across Casco Viejo and the city centre; keep your phone out of sight on quieter side streets at night.
Day 2 Panama City

Miraflores Locks, Amador Causeway and the Biomuseo

Miraflores is about 20 to 30 minutes from the centre by car; the Amador Causeway is a similar distance on the Pacific side.

Go to the Miraflores Locks visitor centre in the morning, when ships are often moving through, to watch vessels rise and fall in the chambers from the viewing terraces. In the afternoon head to the Amador Causeway and the Biomuseo, the colourful Frank Gehry-designed museum on how the isthmus shaped life across the Americas. Walk or cycle along the causeway for sunset views of ships waiting to enter the canal.

Signal Reliable 4G at the Miraflores visitor centre and along the Amador Causeway.
Day 3 Panama City

Gamboa and Soberanía National Park

Panama City to Gamboa is about 45 minutes to 1 hour by car.

Drive north along the canal to Gamboa, on the edge of Soberanía National Park. Walk part of the Pipeline Road early in the morning, one of the region's best birding trails, looking for toucans, trogons and motmots. Later take a boat trip on Gatún Lake, the artificial lake that forms part of the canal, passing large ships and islands where monkeys are often seen. Return to the city in the evening.

Signal 4G is reasonable in Gamboa village but drops out along much of the Pipeline Road and in places on Gatún Lake; download maps before leaving the city.
Day 4 Guna Yala (San Blas)

Road and boat to Guna Yala

Panama City to Cartí by 4x4, about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours on a steep, winding road, then a boat of 20 to 60 minutes to the islands. Book through an operator authorised by the Guna Congress.

Leave before dawn in a 4x4 for the road over the mountains to Cartí on the Caribbean coast, the gateway to Guna Yala, the semi-autonomous territory of the Guna people. Take a boat out to a small island guesthouse run by a Guna family. Spend the afternoon swimming and snorkelling, and respect local rules on photography, often asking permission or paying a small fee to photograph people.

Signal Coverage is weak to non-existent on the mountain road and on many islands; some islands near Cartí get a weak signal. Treat these two days as mostly offline.
Day 5 Guna Yala (San Blas)

Island hopping in Guna Yala

Spend the day island hopping by boat to small cays and sandbars, such as the natural pool where starfish gather in shallow water. Snorkel over the reefs and, if your hosts offer it, visit a larger inhabited island to see Guna village life and the colourful mola textiles that women sew. Stay away from the far east of Guna Yala near Colombia, where the FCDO advises travelling only in organised groups.

Signal Little or no signal on most of the outer cays; send messages if you find a weak signal near the inhabited islands.
Day 6 Bocas del Toro

Back to the city and fly to Bocas del Toro

Boat and 4x4 back to Panama City, then a domestic flight from Albrook (PAC) to Bocas del Toro of about 1 hour.

Return by boat and road to Panama City in the morning, then take an afternoon flight from Albrook airport to Bocas del Toro in the far north-west. Settle into Bocas Town on Isla Colón, with its clapboard buildings over the water, and watch the sunset from the waterfront.

Signal Signal returns on the approach to Panama City. Bocas Town has workable 4G, though it can slow in the evening.
Day 7 Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro by water taxi

Water taxis and tour boats leave from Bocas Town; flights back to Albrook take about 1 hour.

Take a boat tour through the archipelago: watch for dolphins in Dolphin Bay, snorkel over the coral at Cayo Coral, then spend the afternoon on Zapatilla or Bastimentos island's Red Frog Beach, part of Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. Return to Bocas Town by water taxi in the late afternoon, ready for a flight back to Panama City and your onward departure.

Signal Good 4G in Bocas Town; patchy on Bastimentos and absent on the outer cays and between islands.

Staying connected on this route

Download offline maps of Guna Yala and the Bocas archipelago, and tell family you will be largely offline for two days.
Your phone may show the network as Tigo, Movistar or a code; they are the same network, so no settings change is needed.
Use ride-hailing apps or hotel transport in Panama City, as the FCDO recommends, and book from indoors.

Itinerary sources · 3

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