Best eSIM for Jamaica in 2024: Tourist Guide

Having a Canadian passport means you can visit many unique places around the world quite easily. Jamaica is one of those places. You don’t need a visa to visit Jamaica as a Canadian passport holder, but you need an eSIM for Jamaica. 

In this article, you’ll discover the best eSIM options for Jamaica, their pros and cons, as well as how to purchase and activate your eSIM. Let’s start with the basics.

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$36,90

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$61,90

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Does eSIM Work in Jamaica?

Yes, eSIMs work in Jamaica. Despite some blogs and reviews left online, Digicel and Flow customer support confirmed that their eSIMs are available to tourists.

However, be prepared to pay a higher price for mobile data than you are used to. Jamaica’s position and morphology make infrastructure development challenging. Installing and maintaining mobile networks is costly and inconvenient. Add limited competition to that equation, and you’ll get quite hefty prices for eSIMs.

Also, be aware that most of the carriers and eSIM providers will use Digicel or Flow infrastructure to deliver their services. 

Here’s the Digicel coverage map:

And this is the Flow coverage map.

You have several options if you don’t want to use a physical SIM and want to get an eSIM data plan. You can try to find a good eSIM from a local network provider or choose one of the prominent international eSIM providers to stay connected. Either way, you will need a provider that can offer a stable internet connection to stay connected while visiting Jamaica.

Requirements to Use an eSIM for Jamaica 

If you want to ditch physical SIM cards for an eSIM plan on your Jamaican vacation, make sure that you prepare well in advance. Here are the things you need to know beforehand:

• Make sure that your phone can support an eSIM. Most modern smartphones support eSIM technology. If you have an iPhone XR or later, Google Pixel 3 or later, or any Samsung phone after Galaxy S20, you most likely have an eSIM-compatible device.
  
• Your device needs to be unlocked. This means that your phone is not restricted to be used only with a specific carrier. Only an unlocked device can use eSIM service from different providers.
  
• You will be allowed to buy a prepaid eSIM card, whether you want a virtual or physical SIM card. As a tourist, you will be eligible for a prepaid plan.
  
• You will need an internet connection to activate your eSIM data plan. Your eSIM is an embedded SIM card usually activated by scanning a QR code or via an app. You need the internet for that. eSIM providers usually recommend installing your eSIM at home using your Internet connection. That way, you will avoid data roaming charges if you do it abroad.

Which Is the Best eSIM for Jamaica?

Now that you know all about the eSIM requirements, let’s get into the weeds of choosing the best eSIM plan available. 

1. Holafly eSIM for Jamaica 

👉Outstanding feature – Option for covering the entire Caribbean

Holafly offers two options for those who want to enjoy their time in Jamaica and stay connected using an eSIM. If you plan on staying in Jamaica only, you can choose a data plan of 3 GB, 7 GB, or 10 GB. 

If you don’t plan on staying put and want to explore more destinations in that area, your best option is the Holafly Carribean plan. 

This plan helps you connect and avoid roaming charges in 16 countries:

Aruba, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, British Virgin Island, Cayman Island, Dominica, French Guiana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucias, St. Vicent e Grenadine.

Holafly Jamaica eSIM Advantages and Disadvantages

2. Digicel eSIM Jamaica Vacation Plans  

👉Outstanding feature – Minutes available in the tourist eSIM plans

Digicel is one of the two largest mobile providers in Jamaica. They offer tourists four different versions of Jamaica eSIM. Three Digicel eSIMs cover Jamaica only, while one is a Diaspora Yard Plan covering Jamaica and the US. Note that the prices here are in USD. All prices on the Digicel website are USD or Jamaican dollars (JMD).

• 12 USD – 3 days – 7 GB – 60 local minutes
• 15 USD – 7 days – 10 GB – 90 minutes
• 50 USD – 30 days – 25 GB – 180 minutes
• Diaspora Yard Plan – 35 USD – 30 days – 8 GB

Digicel Advantages and Disadvantages 

3. AirHub Jamaica eSIM

👉Outstanding feature – Includes international number with some plans

Airhub offers a diverse range of services that cater to different needs and wants. They feature six different eSIM packages: four for Jamaica only, four for the Caribbean, and two global options. Three of these packages offer voice minutes.

Here are the Jamaica-only packages

Advantages and Disadvantages 

4. Maya Mobile eSIM for Jamaica

👉Outstanding feature – The biggest variety of offers

Maya Mobile is one of the global eSIM providers. You can only get a virtual eSIM card from them with data. So, you won’t get a physical SIM card and will get no option for phone calls or SMS. Still, Maya Mobile makes it up with a quite extensive eSIM offer. Maya Mobile uses the infrastructure of Flow. Besides Digicel, this is the other mobile carrier that covers Jamaica.

Advantages and Disadvantages

5. Flow Jamaica eSIM

👉Outstanding feature – Unlimited local phone calls, texts, and free data plan for social media

Besides Digicel, Flow is another Jamaican mobile carrier. They have excellent and extensive coverage, and you can get both eSIM and a SIM card. With their digital SIM card, you will get unlimited local phone calls, texts, and access to selected social media.

Keep in mind that the prices listed above are in Jamaican dollars. Also, +GCT means that these service prices are before VAT. 

This being said, there are two major downsides to Flow. The first is that the customer support on their website is a chatbot with minimal answers. It will spew out links to FAQs that you can easily find yourself.

The other one is that Flow’s website does not indicate whether their eSIM Jamaica is available to tourists. When you click on one of the offers, you are taken to the registration page, which requests an email and phone number to continue.

Even if you give an incomplete number, you will be taken to the next page, which requires a TRN. This is a Jamaican tax number – meaning – it is improbable that you can get one of these eSIMs online as a tourist.

There are other prepaid options from Flow, but whether you can get an eSIM or only a SIM card is not listed. When asked via their contact form, their support team replied that it is possible to get an eSIM from their store, but you will need your passport and a Government-issued ID.

Advantages and Disadvantages

How to Purchase an eSIM for Jamaica?

First of all, consider that installing and activating Holafly eSIM Jamaica are two different things. You can purchase your Jamaica eSIM whenever you want, keep it on your phone, and activate it once you are in Jamaica to avoid data roaming.

Here are easy, step-by-step instructions for installing an eSIM for Jamainca on your device. The process is slightly different for iPhone and Android devices.

1. Pick Your Destination – In this case – Jamaica or the Caribbean.

2. Select the plan and the number of eSIMs you want to purchase and Add to cart.

3. Continue to Checkout.

You will be required to fill in some personal data before payment. However, you can continue with your PayPal or Google Account instead.

Once you complete the purchase, you will be sent a QR code to the email address you provided on checkout.

How to Set Up Jamaica eSIM Data?

Holafly is a data-only eSIM, so you can set up your data as soon as you install it and activate your eSIM profile. Here’s how.

How to Install your eSIM 

Step 1: Open the QR code you received in your email on a different device than the one you’re planning on using with your new eSIM.

Step 2: Scan the QR code with the camera of the device you want your eSIM to be installed on.

Step 3: Follow the installation instructions on your device

Wait to activate your eSIM until you reach your destination. If you are unable to scan the QR code, you can activate your eSIM line manually.

How to Activate Your eSIM

Only activate the eSIM on your device when you’re ready to start using it immediately. Here’s what to you if you’re using your eSIM on an iPhone.

This is a quick guide for those who want to use their eSIM line on an Andriod device.

You can find a more detailed installation and activation guide on Holafly’s website, which provides a step-by-step guide for activating this service.

Conclusion

So, in a nutshell, if you’re heading to Jamaica and want to stay connected without the hassle of physical SIM cards, grabbing an eSIM is the way to go. You’ve got plenty of options: local providers like Digicel and Flow or international ones like Holafly, AirHub, and Maya Mobile. Holafly offers great regional coverage and is super easy to set up.

They also have unmatched customer experience and thousands of satisfied customers. Just make sure your phone supports eSIMs, it’s unlocked, and you set it all up before you go.

This way, you’ll have reliable internet throughout your trip. It’ll make your Jamaican adventure so much smoother. So, get the best eSIM for your trip and enjoy every moment without worrying about connectivity!

FAQ About eSIM Jamaica

Plans that may interest you

Jamaica

From

$36,90

USD

Caribbean

From

$61,90

USD

Katarina Mirkovic Arsic

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