If your phone supports eSIM, buy a tourist plan from one of the two Maldivian networks, Dhiraagu or Ooredoo, before you fly. Both charge $40 for 20 GB and $50 for 30 GB plus 70 GB of social data. The catch is how long each plan lasts, so check that first.
Prices checked on the operators' own sites on
Move the slider to your trip length. The yellow line marks your last day.
Prices and validity come from Dhiraagu's and Ooredoo's own sites. Bars run up to 30 days.
Every plan below is sold as an eSIM or a physical SIM. Use the sort buttons to reorder them by price, data or validity.
How we make money: some providers pay us a commission if you buy through our links. It doesn't change the price you pay, and it doesn't decide which plans we include or recommend. Details.
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price | Network | Calls | Extras | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhiraagu Traveler Lite | 20 GB | 10 days | $40checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | 150 local min150 local SMS | $6.50 calling credit included | Visit Dhiraagu |
| Ooredoo Maldives Tourist $40 | 20 GB | Not confirmed | $40checked Oct 12, 2026 | Ooredoo | 150 local min | MVR 100 credit included; calls and SMS pay as you go | Visit Ooredoo Maldives |
| Dhiraagu Traveler Premium | 30 GBPlus 70 GB social data | 30 days | $50checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | 300 local min300 local SMS | $9.50 calling credit included | Visit Dhiraagu |
| Ooredoo Maldives Tourist $50 | 30 GBPlus 70 GB social data (WhatsApp, Instagram, Viber, TikTok and similar) | Not confirmed | $50checked Oct 12, 2026 | Ooredoo | 300 local min | Calls and SMS pay as you go | Visit Ooredoo Maldives |
Which should you buy?
A local tourist eSIM from Dhiraagu or Ooredoo puts you straight on a Maldivian network and includes local call minutes, which helps when you need to ring a guesthouse, a dive center or your transfer boat. An international eSIM app is handy if the Maldives is one stop on a longer trip and you want one app for every country. Either way, the signal comes from the same two networks.
Full details: Dhiraagu tourist eSIM plans and Ooredoo Maldives tourist eSIM plans.
We're testing Airalo, Saily, Yesim and Holafly in the Maldives now.
Our suggestions, based on the plan details above. Your phone habits matter more than anything else, so adjust for how you use data at home.
You'll spend most of your time on the island, so you mainly need data for maps on arrival, messages and the odd video call. A $40 plan usually covers that. Dhiraagu's lasts 10 days, and Ooredoo doesn't publish how long its $40 plan lasts, so ask before you pay if you're staying longer.
Look at: Dhiraagu Traveler Lite or Ooredoo Tourist $40
On a local island you're out and about, booking excursions, calling your guesthouse and sharing photos. The extra social data on the $50 plans keeps WhatsApp and Instagram off your main allowance, and the larger bundle of local minutes helps with calls.
Look at: Dhiraagu Traveler Premium or Ooredoo Tourist $50
Speedboat days are when you most want a working phone: to share your location, message the next guesthouse or check the weather. Mobile signal at sea depends on how close you are to an inhabited island, so download offline maps before you leave the jetty.
Any plan works; offline maps matter more
Boats anchor near islands some nights and far from them on others, so expect gaps. Ask your boat operator how often you'll be in range, and pick a plan that lasts the whole trip rather than a bigger allowance you may not get to use.
Look at: a plan whose validity covers every night on boardDo it at home the day before you leave, and your phone connects as soon as you land.
Make sure it supports eSIM and isn't locked to your home carrier. US phones bought on contract are the ones to double-check.
Choose a plan that lasts your whole trip using the finder above, then buy it on the operator's or provider's site.
Scan the QR code or follow the in-app steps while you're still at home on a stable Wi-Fi connection. Label the line "Maldives".
Set the Maldives eSIM as your mobile data line and keep your home line on for calls and texts, with its data roaming off.
Yes. Both Maldivian mobile networks, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo, sell their tourist plans as an eSIM as well as a physical SIM, and international eSIM apps also sell Maldives plans that run on one of these two networks. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be unlocked by your home carrier.
On price they match: both charge $40 for 20 GB and $50 for 30 GB plus 70 GB of social data. The difference is in the details. Dhiraagu's $40 Traveler Lite lasts 10 days, while Ooredoo doesn't publish validity for its tourist plans. We're testing coverage on both networks and will publish the results.
Yes. Ooredoo sells tourist SIMs at Velana International Airport in Terminals 1 and 2. Dhiraagu lets you buy a physical tourist SIM online and collect it at its Airport Business Centre, where you show your passport. If your phone supports eSIM, you can skip the counter and buy online before you fly.
For a Dhiraagu physical SIM, yes: you show your passport when you collect it at the airport. Ooredoo doesn't spell out its ID check on its tourist page, so bring your passport to the counter either way. It's in your hand anyway after immigration.
Social data is a separate allowance that only counts toward specific apps. Ooredoo lists WhatsApp, Instagram, Viber and TikTok as examples. On the $50 plans from both networks you get 70 GB of it on top of the regular allowance, so your messaging and social apps don't eat into the data you need for maps, browsing and video calls in other apps.
Yes. On a dual-SIM phone you keep your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, and set the Maldives eSIM as your line for mobile data. WhatsApp stays linked to your usual number, so friends, resorts and transfer contacts can still reach you there. Turn off data roaming on your home line to avoid charges.
Yes. Ooredoo says you can recharge whenever you need to. Dhiraagu sells 100 GB add-ons for tourist plans, one lasting 7 days and one lasting 15 days, priced in Maldivian rufiyaa on its tourist SIM page. It's worth checking before you buy a second plan.
It depends on how much data you need, and we haven't verified their current Maldives prices yet, so we won't guess. We're buying and testing them, including which local network each one actually uses, and will add them to the table with checked prices. The local tourist plans above include local call minutes, which most international eSIMs don't.
This site is run by HolidayVibe Maldives, a licensed travel agency in Malé. Tell us your dates and we'll help with resorts, local islands and transfers.