Suriname: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

Suriname – known for being the smallest country in South America, one of the two South American nations where they drive on the left & for having only one cinema.

Anguilla can learn from Suriname – those in Anguilla have to go to Sint Maarten if they wish to go to a cinema.

Back to Suriname – it is a popular travel destination for the Dutch due to historical links.

But why do the Dutch, and other travelers, go to Suriname?

First, the temperature is always pleasant – especially for those from the Northern Hemisphere having to endure a cold winter.

But the country also has a lot of attractions.

As the majority of the country consists of rainforests, the nature in Suriname is stunning.

You also have plenty of hiking trails to explore.

The historic inner city of Paramaribo is exciting to see compared to modern Paramaribo.

If you like to see sea turtles, head to Braamspunt or Marapica Beach.

See, there is no reason to be bored in Suriname.

But before you share your colorful Suriname experiences online, be aware that international roaming can be expensive.

Travel eSIMs can be a much more affordable way to stay connected, even in Suriname.

How much will a travel eSIM for Suriname cost?

You can get an eSIM for Suriname for 9.50 USD from Airalo offering 1 GB for 7 days to be used locally, in the Americas, or globally.

While this may sound a bit pricey but international roaming will be even more expensive.

So yeah, these travel eSIMs can be worth it – especially if you favor convenience

In this guide, I will go over the travel eSIM option offered by Airalo. Let's go.

Original publication: 2^nd of September 2022. Last updated: 8^th of March 2024.

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Table of Contents

In a Hurry? A Quick Introduction

I will write about three eSIM options in Suriname (and explain why they are included).

But if you want to quickly check out what the best eSIMs are for Suriname without my analysis and explanations, here is an overview of the eSIMs covered in this guide:

• Airalo Pondocom eSIM (best value for money)
• Nomad Global eSIM with six choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (extensive global coverage (109 or 139 countries) at high(er) prices – use code ADU123 for 3 USD off)

Note: the promo codes mentioned above can also be used for regional and global eSIMs (they are not restricted to country-specific eSIMs only). In other news, the eSIM providers are in alphabetical order per grouping (Suriname-only, regional & global) – not in order of preference (you would have to read the complete guide to find out which eSIMs I love the most for Suriname 😜).

Let's truly get started, shall we?

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eSIMs offered by Surinamese Mobile Operators

Suppose you want to get the best service and reception available in Suriname.

In that case, it is better to get a SIM card or travel eSIM from the local mobile operators, which in this case would be the Surinamese ones.

Not only will you not have to deal with latency, but you also get a higher priority on the network because you are a direct customer of the mobile operator instead of a roamer.

And with most travel eSIMs, you are roaming on the network(s) of the local mobile operator(s).

But that is not always the case – the slow speeds part, that is.

Some mobile operators throttle the speeds of prepaid customers because they want more people to get a postpaid plan.

Unfortunately, travelers cannot get postpaid plans – so one way to avoid throttling is by using a travel eSIM.

Yes – travel eSIMs sometimes have faster speeds than native prepaid customers because of throttling.

So, which Surinamese mobile operators offer eSIMs to prepaid customers?

At the moment, no Surinamese mobile operator offers eSIMs to prepaid customers.

However, you have this one option for getting an eSIM for your trip to Suriname: Airalo (with Pondocom).

One of the main advantages of getting a travel eSIM for Suriname is that (1) you do not have to try to speak (broken) Dutch to get a local eSIM, (2) you can set up the eSIM before arriving in Suriname and activate it upon landing (with most eSIMs listed in this guide) & (3) you do not have to deal with Suriname's SIM card registration laws.

(Why does this matter? Because hackers can steal your (critical) personal data if the mobile operator does not secure your data properly, like what happened in Australia (10 million Optus customers were affected, where info, like passport numbers, were stolen (including mine – luckily not my passport number but my boyfriend was not as lucky) or Indonesia (1.3 billion SIM card-related data was hacked)).

I have to mention that travel eSIMs will be more expensive than local eSIMs and SIM cards, but they are more convenient.

Moreover, I have plenty of experience with the eSIMs from Airalo & Nomad so I can vouch for them – so can many Phone Travel Wiz readers!

So let's go over what the travel eSIMs offer for Suriname!

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Airalo eSIMs for Suriname (Pondocom)

If you have read any of my eSIM or SIM card buying guides before, then you know I am a big fan of Airalo.

Not only does Airalo have eSIMs for most countries (200+) of any eSIM platform, but they are also often one of the cheapest while offering fantastic service in terms of speeds and reception.

That is because Airalo usually partners up with the mobile operator with the best coverage, the fastest speeds, both, or even multiple operators.

That way, you get the best bang for your buck 🤑.

Wait… you have no idea who or what Airalo is? I have an in-depth review explaining how Airalo works and all its options, based on four years of using Airalo eSIMs – you can read it now or later (I will briefly introduce Airalo anyway in this guide).

Back to Suriname, the Airalo Pondocom uses the Digicel Suriname network.

Tip: I recommend manually selecting the Digicel Suriname network instead of Digicel Suriname for the best network performance (best coverage and fastest speed).

You only have one Airalo Pondocom eSIM option:

1. Suriname/Pondocom 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9.50 USD

I can already tell you that Airalo has the cheapest eSIM option for Suriname in this guide.

Moreover, you will have one of the, if not the best, best network experience with the Airalo Pondocom eSIM compared to some/most other travel eSIMs because of the network the eSIM uses.

What makes things even more pleasant is that you can top up your eSIM when it is expiring or when you are out of data without the need to purchase a new eSIM.

But you may think that a local SIM card or eSIM will (still) be cheaper than Airalo or any other travel eSIM.

And you are right – that is true in most cases.

But with some countries making getting a prepaid SIM card a hassle, involving long queues, excessive registration requirements, and long activation periods, the (slightly) higher prices for an Airalo eSIM can be worth it.

• Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)

So while you technically could get cheaper plans, the question is whether you can actually get them or not.

Most mobile operators will only sell you (overpriced) tourist SIM cards or the most expensive plans because of “mandatory top-up requirements” (which are often lies to take more of your money anyway).

Anyway, you should be aware that while you can get up to 3G connection with the Airalo Pondocom eSIM, your speeds will most likely not be faster than someone using a local SIM card.

That is because you are roaming on the Digicel Suriname network instead of being a native customer.

But that does not mean you will have (extremely) slow speeds – just slower than native customers.

In the Americas, mobile data speeds are not that fast as other regions (East Asia and Europe) anyway, so the difference is small.

Anyway, the Airalo Pondocom eSIM is an eSIM LOVED by many Phone Travel Wiz readers, and the complaints about it are minimal.

The eSIMs are affordable, the data allowances can be tailored to your needs (1 GB + top-ups are available) & you will have a smooth network experience (in most cases).

I test and use Airalo's eSIMs in every country I go to, so you better check out my Airalo eSIM reviews and see if I have written a review for the eSIM you are interested in.

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Best eSIMs for the Americas & the World (including Suriname)

So what if you plan to visit a neighboring country of Suriname?

Unfortunately, you cannot use your Airalo, Alosim, Holafly, or Nomad eSIMs in any country than Suriname

Luckily, some of the eSIM providers mentioned so far do have eSIMs that can be used throughout most or all of the Americas.

And there are also some global eSIMs with attractive prices that can be useful if you visit the Americas and another continent or region.

I highly recommend these Americas or global eSIMs if you plan to visit multiple American countries to save money!

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Nomad Global eSIM

Besides Nomad's eSIM for Suriname, it also has a global eSIM that can be used in Suriname and a total of 109/139 countries (including most European ones).

While Nomad's Global eSIM covers a few more countries than Airalo's Discover(+) eSIMs (109/139 vs. 130 (previously 85+)), it is significantly more expensive than Airalo (but not the most costly global eSIM in this guide).

Even so, Phone Travel Wiz readers have shown interest in this eSIM and have had positive experiences with it, especially after Nomad improved it (with its 139 Country Plan powered by eSIM Go (has 5G NR access in 50+ countries) instead of the 109 Country Plan by Truphone (4G/LTE only).

Anyway, you have these six Nomad Global eSIMs:

1. Global (109 Countries Plan) 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 25 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Global (139 Countries Plan) 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 19 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Global (109 Countries Plan) 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Global (139 Countries Plan) 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Global (109 Countries Plan) 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 45 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
6. Global (139 Countries Plan) 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 57 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only).

The Nomad Global eSIM can be used in the following 109 (Truphone)/139 (eSIM Go) countries:

¹ 109 Countries Plan (Truphone) only
² 139 Countries Plan (eSIM Go) only
³ 5G NR access (if you have the 139 Countries Plan (eSIM GO) – does not apply to the 109 Countries Plan (Truphone)

Remember to use code ADU123 for 3 USD/2.75 EUR/2.35 GBP/4 CAD off your first Nomad purchase!

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for Suriname

So, we reviewed some eSIMs that can be used in Suriname.

I will give you a quick recap of each and link to their product pages in case you need more info or want to purchase an eSIM already (just remember the activation policies of Nomad – do not buy their eSIMs too early):

• Airalo Pondocom eSIM (best value for money)
• Nomad Global eSIM (extensive global coverage (109/139 countries) at high(er) prices)

Remember to use code the relevant discount codes for (ADU123 (Nomad), PTW (Alosim), or PHONETRAVELWIZ (others)).

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Buying a SIM Card in Suriname

Want to just use a SIM card but not your current one because roaming will be criminally expensive?

Consider getting a Surinamese SIM card instead – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected abroad.