Dream holiday planned in Mauritius and you don’t want to rely solely on the hotel Wi-Fi? Then a digital SIM card that you can install before your trip, known as an eSIM, is the perfect solution to continue surfing with your smartphone right after landing.
What is an eSIM, and is my smartphone compatible?
An eSIM is a digital SIM card that can be loaded directly onto a compatible device without the need for a physical SIM card. This type of SIM card is particularly convenient for travellers because it is easy and quick to buy and activate online without having to worry about a physical SIM card.
You will find numerous providers of eSIM plans on the Internet. With most of them, you buy a one-off prepaid plan for a certain number of days and data volume. After expiry, there are no further costs and you do not need a subscription.
Unfortunately, not all smartphones support an eSIM. You have good odds with an iPhone 11 / 12 / 13, but also with an Android smartphone, e.g. Google Pixel 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 or Samsung Galaxy S20, S21, or Note 20. You can find a list of smartphones that support eSIM here: Which devices support an eSIM?
If your Android smartphone does not support eSIM profiles, eSIM.me is a physical SIM card that you can use with eSIM profiles.
Most eSIM providers only offer data volume and no free minutes. Since these are also prepaid plans, outgoing calls are generally not supported. With some smartphones, e.g. iPhones, you can still be reached via your normal SIM card and make calls.
Plans Compared
Simply choose your travel duration as the validity period and estimate the required data volume. Afterwards, the cheapest plans will be displayed:
Cheapest Providers
The cheapest provider for eSIM plans in Mauritius is, as often, Airalo. However, there is currently only one package available: 1 GB for 7 days. If you stay longer than 7 days or need more data volume, you can purchase the plan multiple times.
However, a much more attractive option is the offer directly from the mobile network operator my.t mobile: The Tourist eSIM offers 100 GB of data for 30 days at a price of €15. Additionally, calling is included for up to MUR 87 (~€2) and unlimited messaging.
| Providers | 1GB for 7 days | 2GB for 14 days | 3GB for 30 days | 5GB for 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manet.travel | €6 | €12 15 days | €17 | €29 |
| Saily | 3GB 30 days | |||
| Airhub | 2GB | 3GB 30 days | ||
| Airalo | 15 days | |||
| Mobimatter | 15 days | |||
| Nomad | 3GB 30 days | |||
| Gigsky | 5GB 30 days | 5GB | ||
| eSIM4Travel | 3GB 15 days | 5GB | ||
| RedteaGO | 6GB 15 days | 6GB 15 days | - | - |
| Maya Mobile | 30 days | 3GB 30 days | ||
| BNESIM | €55 | €161 3GB | €161 | €259 |
| Holafly | - | - | - |
Pay as You Go
Also, price-wise, the Pay as You Go plan from MTX Connect is attractive. You pay a one-time fee of €10 for the eSIM, but immediately receive €10 credit. Afterwards, you pay 1.2 euro cents per MB, which equals €12 per GB. This way, you don’t have to worry about the validity period or how much data you have left.
The Best Network in Mauritius
There are two major mobile network operators in Mauritius: Telecom Mauritius (my.t mobile) and Emtel. According to nperf, Telecom offers the best network coverage, but Emtel has the larger 5G network. In general, both are good choices. It is advisable to avoid the third operator, Chili Mobile.