Best eSIM Jamaica: compare, buy online and travel connected

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Known as the birthplace of Reggae, Jamaica is home to a unique natural treasure, with golden beaches, emerald mountains, crystal clear waters, and many other natural gems to be found along your journey. Surely, you’ll want to share some of these gems you visit during your vacations online and social media. For this, we recommend that you forget about your operator’s roaming or Pockets WiFi costs and give the eSIM with data for Jamaica a try. Indeed, this new technology promises you to connect to the international internet at a much more reasonable price. 

If this is the first time you hear about this eSIM with data for Jamaica and you still don’t know very well what it is, don’t worry. In this post, we’re going to show you everything you need to know to buy, activate and use this product. Without further ado, say goodbye to the connection lagging and say hello to an unforgettable vacation!

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What you should know about eSIM card for Jamaica

So, if you’re interested in buying one of these international eSIMs with data for Jamaica, it’s important that you know that, as a new development in the cellular industry. There are some requirements that you have to meet to activate or use this alternative to roaming without wasting your time or money. Some of these requirements are quite easy to meet, like having an active email account, while others are a bit more complicated, such as having a smartphone compatible with eSIM technology. To explain, the requirements are:

  • First, you must have a smartphone that supports eSIM technology.
  • You need an active email account to receive your eSIM card.
  • During the activation process you must have internet.
  • Remember to activate your eSIM when you arrive in Jamaica and not before.
  • Finally, it’s important that you know that some providers will ask you to install their official app to download the eSIM.

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Mobile eSIM card providers to travel to Jamaica

Now that you know the requirements that you have to meet to buy your eSIM card for Jamaica, it’s time for you to learn how you can purchase this product. So, for this, we have compiled the main providers of eSIM cards to travel to Jamaica. However, before showing you what they are, it’s important that you know that they only sell eSIM cards for vacations or business trips, that is, eSIMs with an average duration of one month or short-term use.

If, on the other hand, you want to connect to the internet for a longer period in Jamaica, we recommend that you take a look at the local eSIMs for Jamaica, which we will show you later.

On the other hand, these providers are:

Rates and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to Jamaica

Likely, one of the aspects that you’re most interested in knowing about these eSIM card providers is the price or the data rate that these providers offer you to have internet during your vacations or business trip to this country. Therefore, we have compiled in a short list the prices and data plans of each of the providers that we mentioned above, to save you some time.

In addition to this, you’ll also find a comparative chart where you can compare the prices and data plans of each of these providers. However, we recommend that you take a look at the coverage offered by your provider before making any decision. This aspect, as well as the price, is one of the most important when deciding which eSIM to buy. 

Data and prices of the Holafly eSIM for Jamaica

  • 3 GB for 7 days at $34 USD
  • 7 GB for 15 days at $47
  • 15 GB for 30 days at $59

TravelSIM plans and prices for Jamaica 

  • 1 GB for 30 days at $70

Au By KKDI plans and prices for Jamaica 

  • 5 GB for 30 days at $54.63   
  • 8 GB for 30 days at $83.83    

Comparison of eSIM providers for Jamaica

ProviderDataDaysPrice (USD)LanguageSales channels
Holafly6 GB15$44Spanish, English, German and FrenchWeb
TravelSIM1 GB30$70SpanishWeb
Au by KDDI5 GB30$54.63EnglishWeb
Table 1. Comparison of eSIM providers to connect to the internet in Jamaica.

Features of the eSIM to travel to Jamaica

If, after showing you the rates of this new alternative to international roaming, you were interested in learning more, here is a short list of the most important features of this new eSIM for Jamaica. This way you’ll know exactly what you’re buying and all the advantages that you can enjoy.

  • Most eSIMs only offer data for your trips, so if you want to make calls you’ll have to pay extra for that service or use apps such as WhatsApp or Skype.
  • eSIMs can only be installed once on your smartphone after purchase. Therefore, avoid uninstalling them at all costs. And, if you experience any problem, don’t hesitate to contact your provider. Some carriers, like Holafly, have 24-hour customer service. 
  • Your Android or iOS device will become fully a Dual SIM device when you activate your eSIM. In other words, you can use your domestic SIM card simultaneously with your eSIM for Jamaica.
  • Some eSIMs configure the APN automatically.
  • With your eSIM, you can add multiple data plans on your cellphone, although it’s only possible to use one at a time.

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Coverage of the eSIM to travel to Jamaica

As we mentioned before, another of the most important aspects to consider, in addition to the data rates offered by these providers, is the coverage that the eSIMs offer you when you arrive in Jamaica. This is crucial because it doesn’t matter how much data you have, if you don’t have good coverage, you won’t be able to get the most out of it. You may experience some problems, such as having a slow internet connection when browsing or even ending up without a signal in some areas of this country.

So that this doesn’t happen to you, we recommend that, before buying an eSIM, you check which cellular network you’re going to use when you arrive in Jamaica. If the cellular network you used belongs to operators such as Digicel or Flow, you will surely be able to enjoy a good internet connection during your trip. Among the eSIMs that offer to connect to a cellular network of these operators is the Holafly eSIM, which uses Digicel networks, one of the best operators in this country.

If you want to learn more about the coverage provided by these operators, then we present the coverage map of each of them.

Digicel 4G coverage map in Jamaica

digicel 4G coverage map in jamaica
Digicel 4G coverage map in Jamaica. Source: GSMA

Flow 4G coverage map in Jamaica

flow 4G coverage map in jamaica
Flow 4G coverage map in Jamaica. Source: GSMA

Local mobile eSIM card providers for Jamaica

If you’re interested in buying an eSIM to connect to the internet in Jamaica for a period of more than 2 months, either because you want to live in Jamaica or for a student or work exchange, the best option is the local eSIMs offered by the domestic providers of your destination. In the case of Jamaica, the only cellular operator that offers this product is Flow.

To buy an eSIM with them, you’ll have to visit their official website or go to one of their physical branches. Once there you’ll have to request a prepaid or postpaid data plan that includes the eSIM and that’s it. Remember to bring your passport.

FAQ about eSIM for Jamaica

On the whole, we hope that the information you have found in this post has been useful to you. If you have any questions, below we will answer the most frequent questions that travelers usually have about the eSIM for Jamaica.

What’s the difference between an international data eSIM and the local eSIM for Jamaica?

The local eSIM from Tigo or Claro are mainly intended for people who live in Jamaica. The Holafly or GigSky international eSIMs for Jamaica are used to connect to the internet during your trips to Jamaica.

Do I need a passport to buy the eSIM for Jamaica?

It’s not necessary to present a passport if you want to buy an eSIM for travel, although some providers do require your address. Yet, this does apply to the local eSIM offered by the Flow cellular operator.

Can I share data or tether with the eSIM for Jamaica?

Yes, eSIMs for Jamaica will allow you to share your data with other devices. However, we recommend checking with the provider’s customer service first.

How to activate the eSIM for Jamaica?

After installing the virtual SIM profile, you must choose it as the default means of cellular data, activate data, and roaming and your virtual SIM should now work.

Do international prepaid eSIM cards expire?

Yes, like physical cards, virtual SIMs also have an expiration date.

When does the eSIM data plan start?

From the moment you activate your eSIM, by scanning the QR code on your phone.

What is an eSIM or digital SIM?

The eSIM is the evolution of traditional SIM cards. The eSIM works due to a chip preinstalled in your cellphone, which allows the profile to be stored and configured. To learn more, we invite you to read: what is eSIM and how it works.

eSIM for other destinations

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