eSIM for French Guiana
Land connected in French Guiana. Pick a plan below - it activates in seconds, no physical SIM, no roaming fees.
Best eSIM plans for French Guiana
Three travel data plans that suit most trips to French Guiana, or see the full list of Guianan eSIMs below.
Your French Guiana eSIM guide
How to install your French Guiana eSIM in 3 steps
Setting up works the same whether you're headed to Cayenne's museums or the Kourou space centre - no store visit or passport check required.
- Pick your French Guiana eSIM plan and get your QR code. Choose a data allowance to match your trip, from a small 0.5GB top-up to a 20GB/30-day plan, and your eSIM QR code arrives by email within minutes.
- Install it before you fly. With Wi-Fi connected, scan the QR code in your phone's eSIM settings. This takes a couple of minutes and can be done from home, so you land in French Guiana already provisioned rather than hunting for a SIM counter at Cayenne-Félix Éboué Airport.
- Touch down at Cayenne-Félix Éboué Airport and turn on data. Switch on data for the eSIM line as soon as you land and you'll pick up Orange Caraibe's coastal network for maps, messaging, and calls - already provisioned, so there's no line at an airport SIM desk and no passport to produce before you're online.
Coverage in French Guiana
Three networks operate in French Guiana: Orange Caraibe, Digicel/Bouygues Télécom, and SFR Caraibe. Orange Caraibe has the strongest footprint, covering Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni along with limited access to some interior river communities, and it's the operator behind the territory's 5G rollout. That 5G is currently limited to Cayenne and the Kourou area.
The coastal strip, where the vast majority of the population lives, has solid and reliable 4G across all three carriers. The picture changes dramatically inland: French Guiana has no road network through the interior, and telecom infrastructure follows the same logic as transport - it tracks the coast and river routes rather than reaching into the rainforest. More than 90% of the territory is roadless jungle accessible only by river pirogue or light aircraft, and mobile coverage simply doesn't extend there.
Specific spots to know before you travel: the remote village of Saül, reachable only by small plane, has zero signal. The Kaw Wetlands nature reserve, a large protected area popular for rare bird sightings, likewise has no coverage. Jungle lodges tucked into the interior are typically off-grid too. If your itinerary includes any of these, treat that leg of the trip as fully offline and plan accordingly.
How much data do you need in French Guiana?
| Usage type | Typical daily use | Suggested plan |
|---|---|---|
| Light - maps, messaging, occasional browsing around Cayenne | ~300MB/day | 1GB / 7-day plan |
| Moderate - social media, calls, browsing while touring Kourou and the coast | ~750MB/day | 3GB / 30-day plan |
| Heavy - streaming, video calls, heavy navigation across a longer stay | 1.5GB+/day | 10GB or 20GB / 30-day plan |
eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM in French Guiana
| Travel eSIM | Home network roaming | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID required | No document check | None - billed to your home account | Passport or ID required at activation |
| Where to get it | Online, installed before you fly | Already on your phone | Orange, Digicel, or SFR stores, or La Poste (airport stock is unconfirmed) |
| Typical cost | Around 50-70% cheaper than roaming, from £0.93 | EU SIMs: often included under "roam like at home" but carrier-dependent (e.g. as low as £1/day or £7/month). US SIMs: roughly £7-£9/day, or per-MB pay-as-you-go rates | Local prepaid rates, plus the hassle of finding a shop |
| Best for | Most visitors wanting instant, no-fuss data | Short EU/UK trips where your provider confirms the rate in advance | Longer stays where you're settling into daily life and want a French Guiana phone number |
Practical connectivity tips
Save French Guiana's emergency numbers before you travel: 112 works universally, or use 17 for police, 15 for ambulance, and 18 for fire. Coverage is reliable along the coast in Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, so handle bookings, uploads, and video calls while you're in those towns.
If your plans include the interior - a jungle lodge, the Kaw Wetlands, or fly-in eco-tourism spots like Saül - download offline maps, translation packs, and any tickets or itineraries beforehand, since there is no signal to fall back on once you're off the coastal strip. A visit to Îles du Salut usually keeps some signal carried over from Kourou, but it can be patchy compared to the mainland.
Since French Guiana is roadless in the interior, don't assume a rental car or river transfer will get you back into range quickly; build buffer time into plans that depend on connectivity, and keep a written copy of addresses and confirmations as backup.
Travelling beyond French Guiana?
- Crossing into Brazil - check eSIM data plans for the neighbouring giant along French Guiana's southern and eastern border.
- Heading west to Suriname - coverage and plans for the country bordering French Guiana across the Maroni river.
- Connecting onward to mainland France - see plans if your trip continues to metropolitan France.
All Guianan eSIM data plans
14 plans from £0.64. Prices include VAT, shown in GBP.
Not sure how much data you need?
Tell us your trip length and how you'll use your phone, and we'll point you to the right plan.
Local info for French Guiana
Top destinations in French Guiana
Explore the best Guianan destinations and stay connected.
Frequently asked questions about eSIMs for French Guiana
Will my eSIM get signal in French Guiana's Amazon rainforest interior?
No mobile network reaches the vast majority of French Guiana's interior. Over 90% of the territory is rainforest with no roads, reachable only by river pirogue or small aircraft, and no operator has built towers there. Any eSIM plan, including ours, covers the coastal strip and towns but goes dark once you're deep in the jungle - download offline maps before you head inland.
Does French Guiana have 5G?
Yes, but only in two places: Cayenne and Kourou. Orange Caraibe has rolled out 5G around the capital and around the Kourou space centre area, driven partly by the concentration of technical infrastructure there. Outside these two towns you'll be on 4G along the coast, and nothing at all once you leave the road network.
Is there any connectivity in Saül, the remote eco-tourism village?
None. Saül sits deep in the rainforest with no road access - you fly in on a small aircraft - and it has zero mobile signal. If you're booking a jungle or bird-watching trip there, plan on being fully offline and download any maps, translations, or itineraries before you leave Cayenne.
Can I get phone signal at the Kaw Wetlands nature reserve?
No. The vast Kaw Wetlands reserve, known for its rare bird species, has no mobile coverage. It's one of several protected or remote sites in French Guiana where the coastal network simply doesn't extend, so treat any visit there as an offline excursion.
Do I need ID to buy a local SIM card in French Guiana?
Yes - a passport or ID is required at activation for local SIMs bought from Orange, Digicel, SFR Caraibe, or La Poste outlets. It's unclear whether SIMs are reliably stocked at Cayenne-Félix Éboué Airport, so if you'd rather skip the paperwork and the search for a store, an eSIM activated before you fly gets you connected without any in-person registration.
Does EU 'roam like at home' automatically cover me in French Guiana?
French Guiana is an outermost region of the EU, so EU/UK roaming agreements generally apply, but the fine print varies by carrier - some providers charge a daily add-on (for example, one major UK carrier lists a roughly £1-a-day or £7-a-month pass) rather than including it free. Always check your specific provider's terms before you fly rather than assuming full coverage.
Which network has the best coverage in French Guiana?
Orange Caraibe has the widest reach, covering coastal towns including Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni plus limited access along interior rivers. Digicel/Bouygues Télécom and SFR Caraibe also operate along the coast. Inland, coverage from all three thins out fast once you're away from the coastal strip.
Will I have signal on Îles du Salut, home to the Devil's Island penal colony site?
The ferry-accessible Îles du Salut pick up coverage carried over from the Kourou area on the mainland, so you can generally expect a signal there, though it may be weaker than in Kourou itself. It's a good example of how French Guiana's connectivity tends to follow population centres and the coast rather than being uniform.
What's the emergency number in French Guiana?
Dial 112, the universal European emergency number, which works from any phone including one on eSIM data. Locally you can also reach police on 17, ambulance on 15, and fire services on 18.
Will my eSIM work in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, on the Suriname border?
Yes. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, the border town on the Maroni River, is one of the coastal towns Orange Caraibe covers directly alongside Cayenne and Kourou, and that same network stretches to some limited access along the river itself. Expect the same solid coastal 4G in town, but don't count on a signal once you're further upriver away from the town.
The connectivity details on this page (networks, coverage, local SIM rules, prices and any numbers) are provided for general guidance and can change. Please confirm current details, especially emergency numbers and registration requirements, with official local sources before you travel.