Almost ready for your trip to Maldives but looking for the best tourist sim card? This is a complete guide with everything you need to know before buying a prepaid sim card in Maldives in 2025.
Make sure you stay connected to the internet and avoid high roaming charges and slow overseas data roaming plans when traveling to Maldives. Get yourself a prepaid sim card for Maldives or an eSIM.
Find out where to buy a prepaid sim card for tourists, the best 4G/5G network, why you need a sim card in Maldives, up to date prices as per February 2025 and more info about eSIMs for Maldives.
In the past when traveling to Maldives I was always struggling with weak and slow WiFi, even in high end resorts. So back then I asked the staff and locals how they were connected and they pointed me in the direction of prepaid sim cards.
However, on my last trips to Maldives I mostly just order an eSIM on the internet and that works like a breeze too! Just a little more expensive. See my complete guide with the best eSIMs for traveling to Maldives in 2025.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card for Maldives?
- Mobile internet providers in Maldives
- Free sim cards for tourists
- Where to buy a sim card for Maldives
- Maldives tourist sim card prices in 2025
- Best tourist sim card for Maldives in 2025
- Best eSIMs for Maldives
- What is the expected data speed in Maldives?
- Maldives tourism for every budget
The time that visiting Maldives was exclusively for the rich and famous or honeymooners is long gone and many adventure travelers are discovering the Maldives, even on a budget.
I have also visited multiple local islands and LOVED it. Read here more about visiting Fulidhoo for example.
Some links in this article about the best tourist sim cards for Maldives are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate I will earn a small commission. Don't worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an Ooredoo eSIM for visiting Maldives. Via Airalo you can get a $50 USD eSIM with 30 GB data including local calls and sms.
Is your phone not eSIM compatible than I recommend you to buy a Dhiraagu prepaid sim card at Male Airport on arrival for $40 USD with 20 GB data.
Even if you stay in a luxury resort I recommend getting a tourist sim card. Most of the times you will use the WiFi of the resort obviously, which in 2025 is pretty good, but don't forget that if you walk out to the beach there is no WiFi signal anymore.
If you have a sim card for Maldives you stay connected at all times without wasting money on high roaming charges.
Buying a prepaid sim card in Maldives on arrival is very easy. You can buy a tourist sim card at Velana International Airport in Male but also in the stores in Hulhumale (the airport island) and in the capital Male at the official Ooredoo or Dhiraagu stores.
Another great way of staying connected is an international sim card. In my article about the best international sim cards for world travelers in 2025 I compared and reviewed all the travel sim cards deals for this year.
PLEASE USE REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN WHEN VISITING MALDIVES
Help protect our pristine coral reefs! Standard sunscreen contains chemicals that harm the fragile ecosystems of the Maldives islands.
Why buying a sim card for Maldives?
Logistics in Maldives are challenging and with so many tiny islands spread around the country finding good and reliable internet is not easy. Many coffee shops, restaurants and even guesthouses in Maldives do NOT offer complimentary WiFi.
Even if there is Wi-Fi don't expect it to work like at home. You are on a tiny island far away from mainland Asia. So trust me, you are going to LOVE having a 4G/LTE connection on your phone when traveling to Maldives. It simply makes traveling in Maldives easier and more fun.
Especially if you travel to Maldives on a budget and not staying in one of the fancy resorts it is highly recommended to buy a prepaid or an eSIM for traveling in Maldives.
That said, even some of the best resorts in Maldives used to have spotty WiFi. Read some of my luxury hotels reviews from the Maldives: Kanuhura Maldives, Soneva Fushi Maldives, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, Westin Maldives or about my honeymoon at Anantara Kihavah.
I have visited Maldives almost 10 times and no I am not married. Even solo travelers can easily visit Maldives nowadays and there is a lot to do.
Limited WiFi on local islands
There is in general not much WiFi available on a local island, so are you a budget traveler visiting local islands in Maldives then definitely buy a local prepaid sim card for tourists on arrival. Most local islands have a 4G tower or you are able to connect to a tower from a nearby island. Pretty much all tourist destinations in Maldives have a 4G/LTE signal.
Weak and slow WiFi on resort islands
You must ask yourself why do I need a sim card in when staying at a luxury resorts island? Wi-Fi in Maldives is different! Some resorts sincerely have slow Wi-Fi even in 2025.
Imagine going to breakfast in a luxury resort in Maldives and sitting somewhere on a pristine beach, but there is no WiFi signal. If you pay $3,000 USD per night you may expect good Wi-Fi everywhere, but unfortunately that is not always the reality and I speak from experience!
Some resorts are located on big islands, like Shangri La Villingili, Kuramathi Resort or Kandima. Big parts of the island are NOT covered with a Wi-Fi signal so if you want to do a Live video while playing golf at Shangri La Maldives you wont be able to unless you buy a Maldives prepaid sim card.
I know this sounds very spoiled, but some people need to stay connected at all times for various reasons.
Mobile internet providers in Maldives
Figuring out the best prepaid sim card for tourists was a fairly easy task as there are only two mobile internet operators in Maldives: Ooredoo and Dhiraagu. Both providers offer prepaid sim card plans for tourists.
Free sim cards for tourists
When arriving at Male Airport you see signs of 'free tourist sim card' everywhere. In fact there are sim card vending machines handing out free sim cards for Maldives.
Both Dhiraagu and Ooredoo offer physical prepaid sim cards and eSIMs for tourists. These free tourist sim cards for Maldives do not come with any credit. You will have to activate a (rather expensive) data plan before you can use them.
Nothing is free in this world!
Where to buy a sim card for Maldives
Velana International Airport in Male
Most travelers will travel onwards from the airport island straight after they land, but no need to panic. As soon as you walk out of arrivals at Male International Airport there is an Ooredoo and Dhiraagu store on your right hand side and can NOT be missed.
Here you can buy a physical prepaid sim card as well as a tourist eSIM for Maldives and it gets activated instantly. Both shops are open from 08.00 till 23.00, even on Fridays (holy day in Maldives).
The free sim card vending machines will hand out physical prepaid sim cards as well as tourist eSIMs without any credit. To use them you first have to purchase an additional data packages via the website or hop into a Dhiraagu or Ooredoo phone store.
Sound all pretty cool and easy, but then you can also simply order your eSIM for Maldives on the internet before your trip and you arrive prepared.
Male and Hulhumale
For the budget traveler who does not go straight to one of the private islands you can also buy a Maldives prepaid sim card in one of the stores in Male or Hulhumale.
Foreigners used to be able to buy a local prepaid sim card just like the locals, but as per 2025 without a Maldives residence permit you can only get an overpriced tourist sim card with a foreign passport.
Always bring your passport, it is strictly enforced and without a copy of your passport you don't get a Maldives sim card. A driver's license or any other photo ID will NOT be accepted for foreigners.
Online
Nowadays, there is no easier place to buy a sim card for Maldives than on the internet. No need to visit a phone shop anymore. You can order a sim card for Maldives, right here, right now.
Traveltomtom recommends an Airalo eSIM for Maldives with 30 GB data for $50 USD, it is the best-buy Maldives tourist eSIM. Check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Maldives.
Maldives tourist sim card prices in 2025
Prices for Maldives tourist sim cards are stated in USD, this should already be a sign that it won't be cheap to buy a prepaid sim card in Maldives.
As per February 2025 Ooredoo and Dhiraagu offer the exact same tourist sim cards, which makes this comparison pretty straight forward.
Ooredoo Maldives prepaid sim card
- 20 GB data + 100 local minutes + 150 local sms + $6.5 USD credit for 10 days = $40 USD
- 50 GB data + 150 local minutes + 200 local sms + $9.5 USD credit for 30 days = $50 USD
- 125 GB data + 150 local minutes + 200 local sms + $9.5 USD credit for 30 days = $100 USD
These are the up to date tourist sim card prices for Ooreedoo as of February 2025 at Male International Airport.
You can choose to get a physical prepaid sim card as well as an eSIM for tourists. For more info check the Ooredoo website.
Dhiraagu Maldives prepaid sim card
- 20 GB data + 100 local minutes + 150 local sms + $6.5 USD credit for 10 days = $40 USD
- 50 GB data + 150 local minutes + 200 local sms + $9.5 USD credit for 30 days = $50 USD
- 125 GB data + 150 local minutes + 200 local sms + $9.5 USD credit for 30 days = $100 USD
These are the up to date tourist sim card prices for Dhiraagu as of February 2025 at Male International Airport.
You can choose to get a physical prepaid sim card as well as an eSIM for tourists. Check the Dhiraagu website for more info.
Best tourist sim card for Maldives in 2025
There is not much to say or compare. The Ooredoo and Dhiraagu tourist sim cards are the exact same and there is little to no difference.
You can pick up a free sim card at the airport, but you will need to activate a data package before you can use your 'free' tourist sim card. The cheapest Maldives data plan for tourists is $40 USD.
Traveltomtom simply recommends getting an eSIM for Maldives on the internet. Price-wise there is not much difference and in fact ordering an eSIM for Maldives on the internet is even easier.
Best eSIMs for Maldives
There is no easier way to stay connected when traveling to Maldives in 2025 than ordering an eSIM on the internet. No more swapping sim cards and no more visiting a phone shop in Maldives.
You order an eSIM for Maldives on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Maldives it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For more info check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Maldives.
Airalo
Airalo is a very reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo uncountable times in more than 50 countries around the world. I can totally recommend using Airalo for ordering an eSIM.
Airalo only offers 1 eSIM plans for Maldives in 2025:
- 30 GB data + 300 local minutes + 300 local sms for 30 days = $50 USD
Click here to order an Airalo eSIM for Maldives.
Get an extra discount of $3 USD on your first Airalo eSIM with the code: TOMTOM3.
The Airalo eSIM from Ooredoo comes with 150 MVR ($10 USD) calling credit for international calls.
Airhub
A very good contender to the best eSIMs for traveling in Maldives is Airhub. They have also partnered with Ooredoo to get you the best eSIM plans for tourists available on the internet. Read here our honest and extensive review about Airhub.
Airhub offers 5 eSIM plans for tourists in Maldives:
- 20 GB data + 150 local minutes + 150 local sms for 10 days = $39.50 USD
- 35 GB data + 150 local minutes + 150 local sms for 10 days = $51.37 USD
- 40 GB data + 150 local minutes + 150 local sms for 10 days = $53.46 USD
- 50 GB data + 300 local minutes + 300 local sms for 10 days = $58.77 USD
- 55 GB data + 300 local minutes + 300 local sms for 10 days = $60.98 USD
Click here to order an Airhub eSIM for Maldives.
All the Airhub tourist eSIMs for Maldives are from Ooredoo, one of the mobile internet providers in Maldives.
In comparison with Airalo, the Airhub eSIMs are relatively more expensive and they are also only valid for 10 days. However, Airhub has many more eSIM plans available and they start from $39.50 USD. Airalo only has 1 eSIM for Maldives and is priced at $50 USD.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Maldives.
For many more eSIM plans check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Maldives in 2025.
What is the expected data speed in Maldives?
Considering how difficult this country is in terms of logistics I must say they are doing a pretty good job delivering high speed internet to your mobile. Pretty much every local island and luxury resort now has a 4G signal. Resorts near Male International Airport obviously have faster internet because of their proximity to the capital city.
Other resorts away from Male invested heavily in high speed Wi-Fi. At Lux South Ari Atoll I was able to watch Netflix and go Live on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Update for 2025: almost all luxury resorts in Maldives now offer fast WiFi and streaming Netflix on the WiFi of a luxury resorts is totally fine these days. However, if you walk away from your room for example out on the beach, the WiFi signal gets weak or even gets lost most of the times.
Expected data speed on a prepaid or eSIM for Maldives is around: 70 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload.
Is there 5G in Maldives?
Yes, there is now also 5G in Maldives as of 2025. However, it is limited to the capital city Male and Hulhumale (airport island). Most outer islands only offer 4G/LTE.
Where I took this picture? Lux Maldives South Ari Atoll is where I set up this hotel breakfast just for the photo, because it was actually too hot to eat in the sun.
Maldives tourism for every budget
In September 2017 I was one of the speakers at the World Travel Writers Conference in Maldives where we discussed how storytelling could contribute to successful destination marketing for Maldives and how to attract all kind of travelers. A trip to Maldives is HOT!
Tourism in the Maldives is picking up quickly again and with so many developments and investments going on Maldives will soon be a tourist hotspot in South Asia. Cheap flights are reaching Male already from South East Asia, India, Sri Lanka and Dubai. Or even on your way from Europe to Asia you can find stopover flights here with many airliners.
Maldives is working hard to also please the budget traveler and a trip to Maldives is now within reach for everyone. Check out my travel guide for Hulhumale Island, the man-made island attached to the airport island with stunning beaches as well.
Hulhumale is not the only local island I traveled to, I also visited Rasdhoo and Fulidhoo. Did you know that Fulidhoo has one of the best scuba diving in Maldives and is only about an hour by speedboat from Male? This beautiful island is also perfect for beach lovers, people who like snorkling and a great way to get a slice of local Maldivian culture.
I hope the above tips for buying a sim card for Maldives were helpful for your upcoming Maldives holiday. In case you have any questions don't hesitate to leave me a comment below. Im more than happy to help you out!
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of February 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Maldives!