eSIM for Guinea-Bissau
Land connected in Guinea-Bissau. Pick a plan below - it activates in seconds, no physical SIM, no roaming fees.
Best eSIM plans for Guinea-Bissau
Three travel data plans that suit most trips to Guinea-Bissau, or see the full list of Guinea-Bissauan eSIMs below.
Your Guinea-Bissau eSIM guide
How to install your Guinea-Bissau eSIM in 3 steps
Sorting your eSIM before you fly means you land in Bissau already connected, with no SIM shop to find in an unfamiliar city.
- Pick your Guinea-Bissau plan and get your QR code. After checkout, your Guinea-Bissau eSIM plan arrives by email as a scannable QR code, ready to install on any eSIM-compatible phone.
- Scan and install. Open your phone's settings, choose the option to add a new cellular or mobile plan, then scan the QR code. The eSIM profile downloads and installs automatically, no passport or ID needed at any counter.
- Land and switch on. When you touch down at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport or arrive by road, turn on data roaming for the new eSIM line and let your phone pick up an Orange Guinea-Bissau or MTN signal - you can be online while you're still waiting for your luggage.
Because the whole process happens digitally, you avoid the SIM-registration counter that physical cards require, and there's no risk of losing your regular number while abroad since the eSIM runs as a second line alongside it.
Coverage in Guinea-Bissau
Two operators handle mobile connectivity in Guinea-Bissau: Orange Guinea-Bissau, the larger network by market share, and MTN/Telecel. Both run 2G, 3G, and 4G services, and 5G has not launched anywhere in the country as of 2026, with no rollout date announced. Orange has been extending its footprint with new antennas reaching further into rural areas, while MTN focuses on strong coverage across urban centers.
Connectivity is strongest in Bissau, the capital, where 4G is widely available and the most dependable in the country. Other mainland towns with usable coverage include Bafatá, Cacheu, and Gabú, though signal quality tends to drop the further you travel from these hubs into surrounding rural districts, where you may fall back to 2G or lose service altogether.
The Bijagos Islands are the biggest exception to plan around. Coverage is patchy at best and often absent outside the main settlements of Bubaque and Bolama, and Orango Island - known for its marine hippos - has only minimal connectivity. Unreliable power supply in some parts of the country can also interrupt service even where signal is otherwise present. Data speeds can feel slower or less consistent than in some neighbouring coastal countries, so set expectations accordingly - fine for maps, messaging and browsing, less so for heavy streaming.
In practice, this means travelers sticking to Bissau and the main mainland towns should have a smooth experience, while anyone heading into the Bijagos archipelago or deep rural areas should expect gaps and plan offline access for parts of the trip.
Data plans for every kind of trip
How much data you need depends on what you're doing day to day. Use this as a rough guide when picking a plan for Guinea-Bissau.
| Daily usage | Typical activity | Recommended plan |
|---|---|---|
| Light (around 300 MB/day) | Messaging, maps, and checking emails between visits to Bissau's markets | 1 GB for a week-long trip |
| Moderate (around 750 MB/day) | Social media, browsing, and video calls home while touring Bafatá or Gabú | 10 GB over 30 days |
| Heavy (1.5 GB/day or more) | Streaming, heavy navigation, and uploading photos from the Bijagos Islands | 20 GB over 30 days |
If you're only passing through for a day or two, smaller 0.5 GB and 1 GB plans with short validity are also available and cost less than committing to a longer package.
eSIM vs. roaming vs. a local SIM in Guinea-Bissau
| Option | Setup | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| eSIM | Install via QR code before departure; no passport registration required, active within minutes of landing | From £4.64 for short trips, up to £231 for longer stays of up to 90 days |
| Home carrier roaming | No setup needed, but rates are among the steepest in West Africa without an add-on pass | Can run as high as £1,543 per gigabyte on standard plans; daily travel-pass add-ons typically cost £8 to £9 per day |
| Local physical SIM | Requires passport registration in person at an Orange or MTN point of sale; informal vendors may skip ID checks but can't guarantee the line activates reliably | Low cost per gigabyte once registered, but takes time to source and set up on arrival |
For a short visit, an eSIM avoids both the counter queue for a physical SIM and the high per-gigabyte roaming charges. A local SIM only starts to make more sense if you're staying long enough that the in-person registration hassle is worth the eventual savings.
Practical connectivity tips
Keep a portion of your data plan in reserve if you're heading to the Bijagos Islands or Orango Island, where coverage near Bubaque and Bolama can be sporadic and drops out completely once you're away from the main settlements. Download offline maps for these areas before you leave Bissau.
Unreliable power supply in parts of the country can affect network availability even in towns that normally have decent signal, so don't be surprised by short outages outside the capital. If you're relying on your connection for work, treat Bissau as your most dependable base and expect more variability once you head to Bafatá, Cacheu, or Gabú.
For emergencies, dial the local emergency number and confirm the correct one with your accommodation or tour operator on arrival, since reliability of these lines can vary once you're outside the Bissau area. Data costs remain a real consideration locally too - a single gigabyte can represent a meaningful share of an average local monthly income, so it's worth choosing a plan sized to what you'll actually use rather than over-buying.
Travelling beyond Guinea-Bissau?
- Senegal eSIM plans - useful if you're crossing north through Casamance en route to Dakar.
- Guinea eSIM plans - for onward travel south into Conakry and the Guinean highlands.
- Cape Verde eSIM plans - stay connected if your West Africa itinerary includes the Cape Verde islands.
All Guinea-Bissauan eSIM data plans
10 plans from £4.64. 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 Guinea-Bissau
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Frequently asked questions about eSIMs for Guinea-Bissau
Is 5G available anywhere in Guinea-Bissau?
No. As of 2026, all mobile service in Guinea-Bissau runs on 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, and there is no announced timeline for a 5G launch. A 4G eSIM plan gives you the fastest speeds currently available in the country.
Will my eSIM work on Bubaque or the other Bijagos Islands?
It should work near Bubaque and Bolama, the main settlements in the Bijagos archipelago, but coverage is patchy once you move away from these towns. Orango Island, home to the region's marine hippos, has only minimal connectivity, so download anything you need offline before heading out to the islands.
Do I need to register my passport to use an eSIM in Guinea-Bissau?
No. Physical Orange and MTN SIM cards require in-person passport registration at the point of sale, but an eSIM activates instantly from a QR code without any ID verification, which is one of the main reasons travelers prefer it over sourcing a local SIM on arrival.
How much does data roaming cost in Guinea-Bissau without a local eSIM?
Standard roaming rates in Guinea-Bissau are among the highest in the region, reaching up to £1,543 per gigabyte on some home-carrier plans without an add-on. Daily travel-pass add-ons run roughly £8 to £9 per day, both of which cost far more than a local eSIM plan starting from £4.64.
Which towns have the most reliable mobile coverage in Guinea-Bissau?
Bissau, the capital, has the widest and most reliable 4G coverage in the country. Bafatá, Cacheu, and Gabú on the mainland also have usable service, though signal generally weakens as you move into the rural districts surrounding these towns.
Will my eSIM work on the Bijagos Islands?
Expect it to be patchy. The Bijagos archipelago is far more sparsely covered than mainland Bissau, and signal fades quickly once you're away from the larger inhabited islands and out among the smaller cays. If you're island-hopping there, download maps and any bookings in advance and treat a live connection as a bonus rather than a given.
Why can internet speeds feel slower in Guinea-Bissau than neighboring countries?
Guinea-Bissau does not yet have its own undersea cable connection. A proposed subsea cable project is still in the tender phase rather than operational, so data traffic relies on other routes for now, which can affect speed and consistency compared with coastal neighbors that already have direct cable links.
What emergency number should I use in Guinea-Bissau?
Dial the local emergency number and confirm the correct one with your hotel or tour operator when you arrive, since reliability of emergency lines can vary outside the Bissau area. Don't assume the number you'd use at home will connect the same way here.
How much data do I actually need for a trip to Guinea-Bissau?
Light use such as messaging and maps runs around 300 MB a day, which a 1 GB plan comfortably covers for a week visiting Bissau. Moderate use, including social media and video calls while exploring Bafatá or Gabú, is better matched to a 10 GB plan over 30 days, while heavy streaming or photo uploads from the Bijagos Islands calls for the 20 GB option.
Is mobile data expensive for locals in Guinea-Bissau?
Yes, relatively. A single gigabyte of mobile data can represent around a fifth of an average monthly income locally, which is part of why keeping your own eSIM plan sized appropriately - rather than over-buying - matters both for your budget and for understanding the local cost of connectivity.
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.