United Arab Emirates eSIM
Unlimited Packages
Up to 7 days
Up to 15 days
Up to 30 days
Middle East Packages
- 4G & 5G
- Hotspot included
- Taxes included
- QR code sent to your email
eSIM UAE Plans and Prices
A UAE eSIM gives your phone mobile data the moment it clears the jet bridge in Dubai, with no airport kiosk queue and no daily roaming pass from your carrier at home. You install it before the flight, and your own number stays in the phone for calls and texts. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah share one set of plans, since no supplier here prices the country by emirate. A search for eSIM Dubai therefore lands on the same list as one for Abu Dhabi. Before you pay, read the part below on internet calling, because the rules there apply to every connection in the country, including yours.
Internet in the UAE With an eSIM
Internet in the UAE reaches a visiting phone through one of the two national networks, Etisalat and du. No plan on this page states which of them it uses, so neither network is something you can pick in advance. The more important point concerns calling apps rather than coverage. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, known as TDRA, states that using internet voice and video calling from a third party is illegal unless that service is licensed or approved by TDRA. It keeps a published list of approved applications, and the permission attaches to the app, not to the data plan carrying it. Buying any plan, here or elsewhere, does not change that, so check the current list before counting on voice calls. Agree on text messages or voice notes as a fallback with the people at home before you fly. Data roaming in the UAE should be on for the travel line and off for your home line, which your own carrier would otherwise bill under its roaming terms. Cell phone service in the UAE on your normal number continues for calls and SMS, charged under your carrier's own terms. A trip that also takes in Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Oman is the case for the Middle East plans listed alongside.
Buy an eSIM for the UAE
To buy an eSIM for the UAE, check first that your handset is unlocked and built for eSIM. Dial star hash 06 hash, and an EID beside the IMEI confirms the hardware. The QR code arrives at checkout, and scanning it over home wifi means nothing has to be collected at the airport. Installing needs internet while activating does not, so do the download before the long-haul flight rather than in the arrivals hall. Most plans start counting days once they first connect to an Emirati network, and each product page names its own trigger. After landing, switch on the new line and allow data roaming for it, and it should attach within a minute or two. An eSIM card for the UAE belongs to the handset it was installed on, so it cannot be moved to a borrowed phone. None of these plans comes with a local number, so apps that text a code to an Emirati number will not reach you. A UAE SIM card from the kiosks in the Dubai arrivals hall is the way to get one if you need it. That UAE prepaid SIM card is sold in person and sits outside what this page offers. For everyone else, an eSIM in the UAE is the quicker route from gate to taxi rank.
Best eSIM for the UAE
The best eSIM for the UAE depends on whether you are passing through or staying, because trips here tend to fall into those two shapes. A two day stopover with maps, a taxi app and messaging stays well under a gigabyte, so a small capped plan covers it. Roamify runs from a single day to a month, with capped plans up to 20 GB and a wide set of unlimited versions. Airalo spans a week to a month and reaches 50 GB on its capped plans, alongside its own unlimited choices. Esimaccess stretches from seven days to six months with capped sizes up to 50 GB, the only brand here built for a stay measured in months. Yesim sells a month-long 20 GB plan and Esimfly a fifteen day 2 GB plan, neither of them unlimited. Nothing on this page reaches a full year, so a stay beyond six months needs a local line or repeat purchases. If you would rather not track usage, a UAE eSIM unlimited data plan from Roamify or Airalo removes the calculation. A UAE travel eSIM for a layover can be as short as one day on Roamify, the only brand here selling that length. Should you guess too small, an e-SIM for the UAE can be followed by a second plan from this list.
Frequently Asked Questions · United Arab Emirates eSIM
Where to after United Arab Emirates?
Middle East eSIM One eSIM for 22 countries · from £2.48
Not sure if your phone supports eSIM? Check our Compatible Phones List → iPhone XS and newer, Pixel 3 and newer, most Samsung Galaxy S20+ models all work.