Vanuatu: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

Vanuatu – known for being a diving hotspot, stunning beaches & a shipwreck.

Yes – that is true. A luxury liner sank near Espiritu Santo.

The country is always in the top five happiest countries on the Happy Planet Index.

So, what can you do in Vanuatu? Honestly, just chill.

You can just spend your time at the beach taking in the sun.

If you are into volcanoes, Mount Yasur can be an interesting hike.

And you can also stay in your resort – the country has plenty of them.

As you can see, there is no reason to be bored in Vanuatu.

But you should know that Vanuatu is not cheap. Far from it.

What you also should not do, in many cases, is roam internationally in Vanuatu.

International roaming can be expensive, which is why using local and travel eSIMs is recommended to save money.

And if you get a travel eSIM, you do not have to deal with the SIM card registration bureaucracy and skip the queues in Vanuatu.

How much will a local or travel eSIM for Vanuatu cost you?

You can get an eSIM for Vanuatu for as little as 20 USD, with 1 GB of data for 7 days, and up to 79 USD, with 15 GB of data for 30 days, from Holafly and Nomad.

Those are some generous data allowances, right?

In this guide, I will go over the eSIM options offered by the Vanuatuan mobile operators, Holafly & Nomad. Let's do this.

Original publication: 26^th of December 2022. Last updated: 17^th of January 2024.

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Table of Contents

In a Hurry? A Quick Introduction

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

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

• Holafly Vanuatu eSIM with one 6 GB option (most generous data plan – use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for 5% off)
• Nomad Vanuatu eSIM with three choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (most eSIM options – use code ADU123 for 3 USD off)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global) with 12 choices between 1 GB and 20 GB (extensive global coverage (130+ countries) at attractive prices) + ability to make and receive calls & send and receive SMS (new) – read my ongoing Airalo Discover(+) (Global) eSIM review too!

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 (Vanuatu-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 Vanuatu 😜).

Let's truly get started, shall we?

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eSIMs offered by the Vanuatuan Mobile Operators

To get the best service available, in terms of reception and speeds, you want to go with the local mobile operators directly instead of with a travel eSIM.

That is because you will have a higher priority on the network in case of network congestion.

However, that does not mean travel eSIMs will always be slow.

In fact, some mobile operators throttle (prepaid) on select plans or all plans for “optimization” reasons (read: we cannot be bothered to invest in our network).

You have two options for getting an eSIM for your trip to Vanuatu: Holafly & Nomad.

You can set up these eSIMs before arriving in Vanuatu and skip the queues.

While mobile data is already affordable in Vanuatu, getting a travel eSIM will not break the bank – not at all.

Plus, I have plenty of experience with Holafly & Nomad, and I can assure you they work well – and other Phone Travel Wiz readers also had pleasant experiences with them.

So let's see what these travel eSIM providers have to offer in Vanuatu, right?

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Holafly eSIMs for Vanuatu

My relationship with Holafly is quite funny.

I knew they existed when they offered travel SIM cards for the Spanish market only.

Then they pivoted to the global market, still offering travel SIM cards.

Eventually, they started offering travel eSIMs for the Spanish market only again before going global.

There are many travel eSIM providers nowadays – new ones pop up every week like mushrooms, so I did not bat an eye.

Until they did something revolutionary.

In 2022, Holafly started offering unlimited data plans for its eSIMs.

And these unlimited data eSIMs can be used in various Asian countries, almost all European Union member states (except for Liechtenstein) & a few other countries, like Canada and the United States.

Unfortunately, unlimited data eSIMs are not available in Vanuatu… yet.

I say yet because Holafly's goal is to offer unlimited data plans for every country it covers: 100+ countries.

And I can tell you that I get positive emails multiple times a week from Phone Travel Wiz readers that have used the unlimited data plans in East- and Southeast Asia, Europe & North America; they love these eSIMs.

For now, you have only six Holafly Vanuatu eSIM (which uses the Digicel Vanuatu network, by the way):

1. Vanuatu 2.50 GB eSIM for 5 days, costing 29 USD
2. Vanuatu 3.50 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 37 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Vanuatu 5 GB eSIM for 10 days, costing 44 USD
4. Vanuatu 7.50 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 47 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Vanuatu 10 GB eSIM for 20 days, costing 59 USD
6. Vanuatu 15 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 79 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).

Even better, you can get 5% off each and any Holafly purchase (so it does not have to be the Vanuatu eSIM) when you use code PHONETRAVELWIZ – fantastic, right?

Holafly Vanuatu eSIM Pros

So, why should you get the Holafly eSIMs? Well, because of the following:

• You can purchase and set up your Holafly Vanuatu eSIM before arriving in Vanuatu (and activate it upon landing)
• You get full (up to 4G/LTE) access on the Digicel Vanuatu network
• You do not have to deal with data caps because you get unlimited data (85 GB – here I come!)
• You can avoid expensive international roaming fees

But it is not all good news with Holafly though – there are some disadvantages.

Holafly Vanuatu eSIM Cons

So, why should you not get a Holafly Vanuatu eSIM?

• While the Vanuatuan mobile operators do not offer unlimited data plans (yet), their plans are much cheaper than Holafly
• While you get access to the Digicel Vanuatu network, your speeds will not be as fast as going with Digicel Vanuatu itself because you will be roaming on their networks (and not be a native customer)
• There is no 5G NR access with the Holafly eSIM
• You cannot call or text with the Holafly eSIM (nor can you receive them – you get no (local) phone number)

Holafly Vanuatu eSIM Overall Thoughts

While you have only two options for the Holafly Vanuatu eSIM, it is the most generous eSIM (in terms of data) in this guide.

And the price for the Holafly Vanuatu eSIM is low compared to expensive Pay As You Go roaming rates for Vanuatu.

But it still is not cheap.

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Nomad eSIMs for Vanuatu

Nomad is one of the eSIM players on the market that managed to grow quickly.

That is because it is one of the few premium eSIM players out there, often using multiple partners to bring you the best coverage and speeds out there.

As a result, Nomad is often (slightly) more expensive than Holafly.

But good people run the company.

For example, upon my recommendation, it started offering the Nordics regional eSIM – an eSIM that can be used in Denmark, Finland, Sweden & Norway.

And many more regional eSIMs are coming – I can promise you that!

In Vanuatu, Nomad uses the Truphone network.

You have the following three options with Nomad for Vanuatu:

1. Vanuatu 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 25 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Vanuatu 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD
3. Vanuatu 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 45 USD

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

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps) and get 3 USD/2.75 EUR/2.35 GBP/4 CAD off (even on top of (some) ongoing promotions)!

But during certain promotions where you are required to enter a code for a discount (let's say Tuesdays (web sales only) or public holidays), the discount you get for these special promotions will be more than the 3 USD off with codes ADU123. I suggest using those codes instead for extra savings – I will not blame you for it 😏.

• Check out my Nomad reviews

Nomad Vanuatu eSIM Pros

Are there any (more) reasons why you should get the Nomad Vanuatu? Yes:

• You can activate your Nomad Vanuatu eSIM as soon as you land in Vanuatu
• You get full (up to 4G/LTE) access to Truphone network, allowing you to always have the best coverage and speeds
• Nomad Vanuatu eSIMs are affordable compared to roaming
• Nomad offers the most options (three) and longest validity (30 days) of any travel eSIM in this guide
• Multiple top-ups can be purchased when you are out of data or when your initial plan expires easily on the Nomad site or apps

But it is not all good news with Nomad though – there are some disadvantages.

Nomad Vanuatu eSIM Cons

Why should you not get the Nomad Vanuatu eSIM?

• Vanuatuan mobile operators have much more generous data allowances
• While you get access to Truphone network, your speeds may not be as fast as going with the mobile operators directly because you will be roaming on their networks (and not be a native customer)
• There is no 5G NR access with the Nomad Vanuatu eSIM (yet)
• You cannot call or text with the Nomad Vanuatu eSIM (nor can you receive them – you get no (local) phone number)

Nomad Vanuatu eSIM Overall Thoughts

Overall, the Nomad Vanuatu eSIM is an excellent premium eSIM offering the most options and longest validity in this guide.

And you cannot make calls and send SMS with the Nomad Vanuatu eSIM because it is a data-only eSIM.

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Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global)

Airalo was probably the first eSIM provider to introduce a global eSIM – it was called Discover Global.

I have had decent to good experiences with that eSIM, but I felt it could improve.

Such as extending the validity of most plans (maximum used to be 180 days) and having 5G NR access in popular destinations (like many regional Airalo eSIMs do nowadays, even country-specific ones).

In August 2023, Airalo made a radical change to its global eSIM.

Until then, the eSIM could be used in about 85 countries – always up to 4G/LTE (with some networks on 3G only).

This eSIM was powered by FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein (network name can be Mobilkom (Liechtenstein) at times).

This mobile operator worked well in Europe and some Asian countries, but it was often one of the slowest performing (Airalo eSIMs).

Now, Airalo's global eSIM is called Discover(+).

It is powered by eSIM Go (which is basically Drei Austria).

The difference between the Airalo Discover and Airalo Discover+ eSIMs is that the latter has calling and texting functionalities (with an Austrian +43 phone number).

Because of this, Discover+ eSIMs can be up to 20 USD more expensive than regular Discover eSIMs.

For the previous Airalo Discover Global eSIMs, you paid the same prices as the Discover+ eSIMs for worse availability (85+ countries instead of 130+) and no calling or texting at all.

So… it is an upgrade 😎.

Not only that, but you (finally) get 5G NR access in quite some countries (55+)¹ as well.

¹ click here, press select the variant you want & click on network to see which network(s) allow for 5G NR access. You often have access to multiple local networks, but not all have 5G NR access (and some do not even give you 4G/LTE access)

Moreover, the most expensive option is now valid for a whole year (365 days) instead of 180 days.

The Airalo Discover(+) eSIM can be used in the following 130+ countries:

You have these 12 Airalo Discover Global eSIMs:

1. Discover 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9 USD
2. Discover+ 1 GB (with 10 minutes and 10 SMS) eSIM for 7 days, costing 15 USD
3. Discover 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 17 USD
4. Discover+ 2 GB (with 20 minutes and 20 SMS) eSIM for 15 days, costing 27 USD
5. Discover 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 24 USD
6. Discover+ 3 GB (with 30 minutes and 30 SMS) eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD
7. Discover 5 GB eSIM for 60 days, costing 35 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
8. Discover+ 5 GB (with 50 minutes and 50 SMS) eSIM for 60 days, costing 50 USD
9. Discover 10 GB eSIM for 180 days, costing 59 USD
10. Discover+ 10 GB (with 100 minutes and 100 SMS) eSIM for 180 days, costing 79 USD
11. Discover 20 GB eSIM for 365 days, costing 69 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
12. Discover+ 20 GB (with 200 minutes and 200 SMS) eSIM for 365 days, costing 89 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11^th of October (2023 data only).

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for Vanuatu (Holafly vs. Nomad)

In this guide, I went over various eSIMs for Vanuatu: Holafly & Nomad.

Below is an overview of my recommendation order:

• Holafly Vanuatu eSIM (most generous data plan)
• Nomad Vanuatu eSIM (most eSIM options)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (reasonable extensive global coverage (84+ 130+ countries) at attractive prices + calling and texting options (new))

Remember to use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for Holafly eSIMs and code ADU123 for Nomad eSIMs.

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Buying a SIM Card in Vanuatu

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

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