Tunisia SIM card: where to buy one and how much it costs

Where can you buy a SIM card in Tunisia? To buy a local SIM card in Tunisia, you have three options: a carrier store in town, an online pre-order, or the airport counter. In every case, a SIM card in Tunisia is sold through an authorized point of sale: since August 2024, the Ministry of Communication Technologies has banned selling SIM cards on the street and at markets, and a line is only activated after an ID check.

Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom stores are easy to find in the center of major cities and tourist areas (Tunis, Sousse, Hammamet, Djerba, Monastir). Orange Tunisie publishes its store list on its website. That's usually where you'll find the widest choice of plans, and a sales rep can set up your Tunisian SIM card on the spot.

Online, Ooredoo lets you pre-order the Holiday SIM from its website: you fill in a form with your passport number and arrival date, then choose a pickup point. Orange Tunisie also sells its SIM Data 4G online, with home delivery in under 72 hours, which is more practical for a resident than for a tourist passing through.

At the airport, you can leave with a SIM card for Tunisia right after baggage claim. We explain how it works further down.

The plans available in Tunisia are split between three carriers. All of them offer rechargeable prepaid SIM cards with no contract, with weekly or monthly data add-ons. 5G arrived at all three in 2025, starting with dense urban areas.

Ooredoo Tunisie: the Holiday SIM for tourists

Ooredoo Tunisie is the only carrier with an offer designed for travelers: the Holiday SIM, also available as an eSIM according to its booking page. Each pack combines data, local minutes, international minutes and texts:

Once you have the card, you activate a pack with the code *153#, check your balance with *100#, and customer service answers at 1111. National calls outside the pack are billed at 0.225 DT per minute.

Orange Tunisie: the SIM Data 4G and prepaid add-ons

Orange Tunisie has no dedicated tourist offer, but sells a prepaid SIM Data 4G, handy if you mostly want mobile data:

• 400 MB for 7 days: 3.8 DT
• 6 GB for 30 days: 16.15 DT
• 25 GB for 30 days: 30.4 DT

With a regular Orange SIM card, you can also add prepaid internet options, activated with the code *124#: 4 GB for 30 days at 10 DT, 25 GB at 30 DT, or 60 GB for 60 days at 60 DT. Orange Tunisie doesn't publish the price of the SIM alone on its website: ask in store.

Tunisie Telecom: the incumbent carrier

Tunisie Telecom is the country's incumbent carrier and the third player on the mobile network. It sells prepaid SIM cards and data add-ons, but its website doesn't publish a price list you can check online: ask for current rates in store or at the counter, and compare them with the Ooredoo and Orange prices above.

To choose the carrier in Tunisia that suits you, look at three things: the offer for travelers, network quality where you're going, and price. Ooredoo is the country's leading carrier: in the second quarter of 2026, it had 6.58 million mobile subscribers, ahead of Tunisie Telecom (4.47 million) and Orange Tunisie (3.91 million), according to the dashboard of Tunisia's National Telecommunications Authority (INT).

For a vacation, Ooredoo is the simplest choice: it's the only carrier with an offer designed for travelers, available for pickup at the airport, and its network tops Opensignal's latest report. Orange Tunisie works well if you mostly want data at the best price. Tunisie Telecom, the incumbent, remains a solid alternative, especially for 5G availability. Good to know: voilà eSIM's Tunisia eSIM also runs on the Ooredoo network.

Network coverage is good in populated areas. According to nPerf measurements taken from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026, 4G covers about 97% of the population with all three carriers. 5G, launched on February 14, 2025, already covers 73 to 74% of the population, but only 34 to 41% of the territory: in the Saharan south and rural areas, your SIM card in Tunisia will often drop back to 4G.

Speeds come from Opensignal's September 2026 report (measurements from April 1 to June 29, 2026), coverage from nPerf measurements. Opensignal named Ooredoo the best mobile network in Tunisia, winning 12 of 14 categories. Rankings vary by method: nPerf's 2025 barometer put Tunisie Telecom and Orange on top. In practice, you'll barely notice the difference in cities and along the coast; it matters mostly if you head to the desert or sparsely populated regions. For stable connectivity everywhere, download offline maps before long drives.

The price of a SIM card in Tunisia mostly depends on the plan you add to it: carriers sell the SIM with a pack, and the listed price is the pack price. Here are the main plans recorded on October 15, 2026 on the official websites, converted at the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) average rate of October 13, 2026 (€1 = 3.3637 DT):

On paper, a local SIM card is still the cheapest option per GB. But factor in the time spent finding a store or standing in line, and the fact that you switch numbers during your stay. Payment is in dinars: plan to withdraw or exchange a little cash when you arrive, or ask whether the point of sale accepts cards.

To get a SIM card at the airport in Tunisia, the easiest way is Ooredoo's pre-order: the Holiday SIM form offers pickup at Tunis-Carthage International Airport or at Djerba-Zarzis. You land, show your passport, and leave with your SIM card activated.

Landing somewhere else, at Monastir Habib Bourguiba or Enfidha-Hammamet airport? Travelers report carrier counters there, but no carrier publishes an official list of airport points of sale or their opening hours. Keep in mind that a counter may be closed when a night flight arrives or in the low season: in that case, you'll have to wait for a store in town to open.

How much does a SIM card cost at the airport in Tunisia?

The price of a SIM card at the airport in Tunisia depends on the pack you choose. At Ooredoo, the Holiday SIM pre-ordered online and picked up at Tunis-Carthage or Djerba-Zarzis airport is listed at the same price as the pack: from 15 DT (about €4.46) for 3.5 GB to 60 DT (about €17.84) for 40 GB. The offer page doesn't mention any surcharge for airport pickup. For other counters, no carrier publishes an airport-specific price list: ask for the exact price before paying and compare it with the official rates above.

A few things to remember on arrival:

• Keep your passport handy: it's used to register the line.
• Bring dinars or check that the counter accepts card payment.
• Make sure your phone is unlocked before you leave, or the Tunisian SIM card won't work.
• Write down the PIN code and your new line's number before leaving the counter.

To activate a SIM card in Tunisia, ID verification comes first: since the measures announced in August 2024, a line is only activated after a valid ID is checked, and unregistered SIM cards are deactivated. For a tourist, your passport is what counts.

The steps, once you've bought the card:

1. Turn off your phone, remove your usual SIM card and keep it somewhere safe (you'll need it when you get home).
2. Insert the Tunisian SIM card, turn the phone back on and enter the PIN code provided.
3. Activate your data pack with the code given by the carrier, for example *153# at Ooredoo or *124# at Orange.
4. If the internet doesn't work, check that mobile data is on and roaming is off, switch to airplane mode for a few seconds, then restart.
5. Keep the customer service number handy: 1111 at Ooredoo.

To top up your credit during your stay, you can buy a recharge in a store or at a point of sale, or use the carrier's app. A network setup (APN) issue? A sales rep fixes it in a few minutes in store, with a bit of help activating your add-ons too.

The advantages of a prepaid SIM card in Tunisia are mostly financial, but there are also limits you should know about.

A local SIM card and an eSIM aren't the only ways to get internet in Tunisia. Three other options exist: your usual mobile plan, a pocket Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi. Each has its limits: better to know them before you go.

Does your mobile plan work in Tunisia?

Tunisia is only included in some carriers' plans: in most cases, using your mobile plan there triggers roaming, billed per MB or through a travel pass. Before you leave, check three things in your carrier's price list: whether Tunisia is among the included destinations, how many GB you can use there, and the price per MB outside your plan.

If your plan already includes GB in Tunisia, you may not need anything else. Otherwise, a travel pass can help out: compare its price per GB, its duration and its terms with a local SIM card or a travel eSIM before activating it. One rule to remember: only turn on roaming if you have an active pass, otherwise switch it off in your phone's settings.

Pocket Wi-Fi in Tunisia

A pocket Wi-Fi is a small portable router that picks up the mobile network and shares it over Wi-Fi with several devices. You rent or buy it, and it works with a SIM card or a data plan. It's handy for a family or a group that wants to share a single connection, but you have to charge it, carry it with you and, if rented, return it at the end of your stay. A smartphone with an eSIM does the same thing with hotspot sharing. To compare the two options in detail, we wrote an article on pocket Wi-Fi in Morocco, and the tips apply to Tunisia too.

Public Wi-Fi in Tunisia

Hotels, cafés, restaurants and some airports offer Wi-Fi, often free. It helps for sending a message or downloading a map, but quality varies a lot from place to place, and you're cut off as soon as you step out: in the street, in a taxi or on an excursion. On a public network, the connection isn't always secure: avoid logging in to your bank or typing passwords without protection. Public Wi-Fi complements a SIM card or an eSIM; it doesn't replace them.

An eSIM, sometimes called an eSIM card, is a digital SIM card built into your device: unlike a physical SIM card, you install it by scanning a QR code or from an app, without inserting anything. To choose the best eSIM for Tunisia and find the right provider, compare four things: the price per GB for the length of your stay, the coverage of the network used locally, how easy it is to install, and the quality of support.

SIM card or eSIM: what changes day to day.

Before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM: most iPhone models since the XS, recent Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixel phones are compatible, and our article explains how to check if your phone is eSIM compatible.

Pros and cons of an eSIM in Tunisia

Tunisia eSIM comparison 2026

For Tunisia, on October 15, 2026 we recorded the price lists of five eSIM providers: the competitors' prices in euros, as listed on their French pages, and voilà eSIM's in US dollars. For equivalent volumes, voilà eSIM is the cheapest of the eSIM plans compared:

On the 20 GB plan, a GB costs $1.35 with voilà eSIM, compared with €1.42 at Saily, €1.45 at Airalo and €1.52 at Ubigi (on 25 GB), competitor prices recorded in euros. Holafly's unlimited plans target a different use, with a much higher total cost over a long stay. The best eSIM for Tunisia is still the one whose data volume matches your usage.

How much does voilà eSIM's Tunisia eSIM cost?

With voilà eSIM, the Tunisia eSIM uses the Ooredoo Tunisie 5G network. Here's the price list recorded on October 15, 2026 on our Tunisia eSIM page:

It's a no-contract plan: the price shown is the final price, with no subscription or auto-renewal, and hotspot sharing is included. You can track your data usage in the app. voilà eSIM offers excellent value for money, an easy-to-install eSIM set up from an easy-to-use app, and 24/7 human customer support if you get stuck during activation. You have 180 days to start using your plan: buy it calmly before you leave, then follow our tutorial to install your eSIM in two minutes.

How to buy an eSIM for Tunisia?

Buying an eSIM for Tunisia takes a few minutes, from home:

1. Check that your phone is eSIM compatible and unlocked.
2. Choose your plan based on the length of your stay and your usage: 3 GB for 15 days for a short trip, 10 to 20 GB for 30 days if you use your phone a lot.
3. Buy online or in the app, then install the eSIM before you leave, with the QR code or directly from the app, while connected to Wi-Fi.
4. When you arrive in Tunisia, turn on the eSIM line for mobile data and allow roaming on that line: you're connected.

Visiting several countries on the continent? Take a look at the Africa eSIM, which covers several destinations with a single plan.

The right volume depends on what you do with your phone. For a one-week stay with Google Maps, WhatsApp and a bit of social media, a 3 to 5 GB plan is usually enough. If you post stories every day, watch videos or share your connection with a laptop, aim for 10 to 20 GB for two weeks.

If you spend a lot of your days at the hotel, Wi-Fi cuts your usage considerably: remember to download offline maps and playlists before you go. To estimate what you need based on your habits, our how many GB for my trip calculator gives you a volume in a few clicks.

SIM card or eSIM in Tunisia: there's no single answer, it all depends on how you travel. Here's how to decide.

A week at a resort or hotel in Djerba or Hammamet

You spend a lot of time on the hotel Wi-Fi and just want to be reachable on WhatsApp and use a ride-hailing app or Google Maps: a 3 to 5 GB eSIM installed before you leave does the job, with no stop at the counter on arrival.

A road trip across the country

You're driving from Tunis to Tozeur via Sousse and Kairouan: you need data and good connectivity everywhere, from the moment you arrive. A 10 to 20 GB eSIM gets you online right from the airport. If you also want a Tunisian number to book your nights, add a local SIM card.

A long stay or a family visit

You're staying a month or more and often make local calls: the Tunisian SIM card has the edge, with a 25 or 40 GB Holiday SIM pack and local minutes. Keep your phone unlocked and your passport ready for the purchase.

You need a local number

To call a rental agency, a doctor or a shop without going through the internet, only a Tunisian SIM card gives you a +216 number. voilà eSIM's Tunisia eSIM is data-only: your calls go through WhatsApp, Telegram or FaceTime.