eSIM for South Sudan 
Viasimo's South Sudan eSIM starts at $18.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, running on MTN 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 South Sudan
- Central Equatoria
- Eastern Equatoria
- Jonglei
- Lakes
- Northern Bahr al Ghazal
- Unity
- Upper Nile
Duration
Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1
$109.99
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 South Sudan eSIM use?
Host networks: MTN
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 States
- 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 | $18.991 GB, 7 days |
| TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing | About 3 to 7 GB a week | $77.995 GB, 30 days |
| HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads | 10 GB a week or more | $144.9910 GB, 30 days |
| Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync | 20 GB a week or more | $239.99Unlimited, 7 days |
eSIM, local SIM or roaming?
Charged per day
Your carrier roaming
Queue and plastic
A SIM at the airport
$18.99
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 South Sudan?
Yes. Your South Sudan 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 MTN. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in South Sudan yet.
Do I get 5G in South Sudan?
No. MTN do not yet offer 5G to visitors in South Sudan, 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.
Do I need a permit to take photos in South Sudan?
Yes. The US State Department says all photography, including with a phone, needs a permit from the Ministry of Interior, which costs US$50. Even with one, don't photograph government buildings or vehicles, uniformed people, bridges or airports, and always ask before photographing people. Keep your phone out of sight at checkpoints.
Which mobile network is best in South Sudan?
MTN is the largest operator, with about 1.7 million subscribers, ahead of Zain with around 1.05 million. Digitel is the third network, licensed in 2021. Your eSIM uses MTN. Coverage is concentrated in Juba and the main towns, and most of the country, including many roads between towns, has little or no signal.
Can I use ATMs in South Sudan with a foreign card?
Generally not. The US State Department says ATMs in South Sudan draw only on local banks, are often out of order and can charge high fees, and only some take foreign cards. Bring enough US dollars for your whole stay, in clean notes printed after 2006, because damaged or older bills are refused.
Do I need to register my satellite phone in South Sudan?
Yes. According to the US State Department, Thuraya and Iridium satellite phones must be registered with the South Sudanese government. Arrange it through your organisation or the authorities before you need it. Drones and other dual-use equipment are also subject to strict import checks.
How much data do I need for 7 days in South Sudan?
For 7 days in South Sudan, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $18.99 and unlimited data for $239.99. 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 →
South Sudan: what to know before you land
Your eSIM in South Sudan connects to MTN, the country's largest mobile operator, on 4G/LTE where it is available. Coverage is concentrated in Juba and the larger towns, and most South Sudanese are still offline. Before you go, know that taking photos needs a permit, satellite phones must be registered, and the economy runs on cash in clean, recent US dollars.
- Emergency
-
- 777 police
- Plugs
- CD 230V
- Currency
- South Sudanese pound (SSP); US dollars widely used
Main airports
- JUB Juba International Airport
Photography permits from the Ministry of Interior
In South Sudan, taking pictures is regulated more tightly than in most countries, and your phone camera counts. According to the US State Department, all photography, amateur as well as professional, needs a permit from the Ministry of Interior, which costs US$50.
Even with a permit, some subjects are off-limits:
- government buildings and vehicles
- anyone in uniform, including police and soldiers
- bridges
- airports, including Juba International
Always ask before photographing people.
In practice this means:
- Keep your phone away at checkpoints, around official buildings and at the airport, even if you're only checking a message. Raising a phone can look like taking pictures.
- Carry a copy of your permit on your phone and on paper if you plan to take photos.
- Be careful with video calls in public, which can show surroundings that count as sensitive.
If you're unsure whether something is allowed, don't take the picture. Problems with security officials are far harder to sort out than a missed photo.
Satellite phones, drones and evening curfews in Juba
Because mobile coverage is so thin outside Juba and the main towns, many organisations issue staff with satellite phones. The US State Department says Thuraya and Iridium satellite phones must be registered with the government. Sort out that registration through your organisation or the authorities before you need to rely on the phone.
Commercial drones and other dual-use equipment face strict import checks, so don't bring one without clear permission in advance.
Movement after dark is the other big constraint. US government staff are under a strict curfew and don't travel after 7pm, even within Juba. That isn't a law for all visitors, but it shows how security professionals treat the city at night. Many organisations set similar rules for their staff.
A sensible communications set-up for South Sudan:
- your eSIM on MTN for WhatsApp, email and maps in town
- your home SIM for calls and texts
- a registered satellite phone or your organisation's radio network for travel outside town
- an agreed check-in time with someone who will act if you miss it
Cash-only South Sudan: pounds, dollars and unreliable ATMs
The official currency is the South Sudanese pound (SSP), but the US State Department describes the country as primarily cash-only, and US dollars are widely used for bigger payments such as hotels and transport.
Cash machines are not a reliable fallback. ATMs draw on local banks, are often out of order and may charge high fees. A few take some foreign cards, but don't count on getting money out once you're there.
Plan your money before you leave home:
- Bring enough US dollars for your whole stay, in a range of denominations.
- Only bring clean notes printed after 2006. Damaged or older bills are refused.
- There's no limit on how much foreign currency you can bring in or take out, but you can only carry up to 5,000 pounds in local currency across the border.
- Keep cash split between bags and pockets rather than all in one place.
Mobile data won't help with payments here in the way it does in Kenya or Rwanda, but it does let you keep an eye on your home bank account and freeze a card quickly if something goes missing.
Researched October 2026 · 3 sources
- travel.state.gov South Sudan International Travel Information (US State Department)
- en.wikipedia.org Telecommunications in South Sudan (Wikipedia)
- freedomhouse.org South Sudan: Freedom in the World 2025 (Freedom House)
If you must travel to South Sudan: arrival in Juba, staying connected and keeping in touch
The UK advises against all travel to South Sudan and the US says do not travel for any reason. This three-day plan is for aid, business or family travellers who must go: entry paperwork, getting online in Juba and a communications set-up beyond it.
Not a holiday plan. Official UK travel advice warns against travel here, so this covers arriving, staying in touch and staying reachable. Check the latest advice before you go.
When to go No season is safe for leisure travel; the rains from roughly May to October also make many roads outside Juba impassable, which is when air links and satellite communications matter most.
-
Day 1 Home
Before you fly: visa, yellow fever and clean dollars
Get your visa before departure, since you will be refused entry without one, and pack your yellow fever certificate. Bring all the US dollars you need in clean notes printed after 2006, because older or damaged bills are refused and ATMs are unreliable. Install the eSIM, save emergency numbers as contacts, and register any Thuraya or Iridium satellite phone through your organisation. Agree a check-in routine with family or your employer, including a no-contact plan.
Signal Use your home connection to download offline maps of Juba and save documents offline, since data in South Sudan is slow and confined to towns.
-
Day 2 Juba
Juba International Airport and the first hours
Fly into Juba International Airport (JUB); flights can be cancelled at short notice and the airport may close if security worsens.
Keep your phone in your pocket in the terminal: photographing airports, bridges, government buildings or anyone in uniform is banned, even with a photography permit. Use transport arranged by your hosts rather than finding a car outside. If you are staying more than three days, plan to register with the Department of Immigration and Aliens Control at the Ministry of Interior. Check in with home once you reach your accommodation, and plan to be indoors before dark.
Signal Turn the eSIM on after you leave the terminal and let it attach to MTN, which has 4G in parts of Juba. Expect slower speeds at busy times and occasional drops.
-
Day 3 Juba
Working in Juba and planning any trip beyond it
Keep movements short, by vehicle and in daylight; US embassy staff do not travel after 7pm, even within the city. Apply for a photography permit (around fifty dollars, from the Ministry of Interior) if your work needs pictures, and carry a copy. For any journey outside Juba, go only with your organisation's security arrangements, share your route, avoid unofficial checkpoints, and carry a registered satellite phone.
Signal MTN data in Juba handles WhatsApp, email and maps; outside the larger towns, including on most roads between them, there is little or no mobile signal, so the satellite phone becomes your link.
Staying connected on this route
- Avoid public wifi in Juba and use your eSIM data for anything sensitive.
- Save embassy and emergency numbers as phone contacts so they work by voice call when data fails; police in South Sudan is 777.
- Register satellite phones before you rely on them, and bring a power bank because mains power is unreliable.
Itinerary sources · 3
- gov.uk South Sudan travel advice (GOV.UK)
- travel.state.gov South Sudan International Travel Information (US State Department)
- en.wikipedia.org Telecommunications in South Sudan (Wikipedia)
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.
South Sudan eSIM prices
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $109.99 | $36.66/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $174.99 | $35.00/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $334.99 | $33.50/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 3 GBBest value | $50.99 | $1.70/day |
| 5 GB | $77.99 | $2.60/day |
| 10 GB | $144.99 | $4.83/day |
| 20 GB | $294.99 | $9.83/day |
| Unlimited | $904.99 | $30.17/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $1,794.99 | $29.92/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $2,699.99 | $30.00/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $5,384.99 | $29.92/day |
Destinations
