Guyana: 2 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

Guyana – known for being the only (official) English-speaking country in South America.

The country is also known for its rainforests, the blend of multiple cultures & its natural resources.

But there is also a lot to see and to do in Guyana.

You could see the Kaieteur Falls with your own eyes.

You can also explore many cathedrals and churches, like the St. George's Cathedral.

And, of course, you can enjoy your time on the beach, such as the Shell Beach.

Honestly, there is no reason to be bored in Guyana.

You should know that Guyana is expensive compared to other South American countries, so any way to save some cash is always appreciated.

That is why you should use local SIM cards to enjoy local rates, like a Guyanese one.

Fortunately, SIM cards are not too expensive in Guyana.

You can get a Guyanese SIM card for 2000 GYD (9.65 USD) from Digicel and GTT in their stores or from SIM vendors, such as grocery stores, pharmacies & electronic shops. SIM cards are also sold at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO – Digicel only).

Okay, those SIM cards are not cheap at all, especially not for South American standards.

What will probably upset you, even more, is that Guyana is the country with the most expensive mobile data rates in South America (if we exclude the Falkland Islands).

Still, these rates will still be cheaper than international roaming!

In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Guyana. Let's get started.

Original publication: 28th of December 2019. Last updated: 11th of November 2022.

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Table of Contents

Can You Buy a SIM Card in Guyana?

Anyone living in or visiting Guyana can buy a Guyanese SIM card from Digicel and GTT in their stores or from resellers (SIM vendors) without any restrictions.

You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.

Moreover, your phone has to support the frequencies used in Guyana.

Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock-free) to use a Guyanese SIM card.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Guyana

You can get a Guyanese SIM card in the official stores of Digicel and GTT (formerly Cellink Plus) and select third-party stores (also called SIM vendors). They are also sold at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO – Digicel only).

You can expect to pay the following for Guyanese SIM cards:

• Digicel Guyana: 2000 GYD
• GTT (formerly Cellink Plus): 2000 GYD

Currently, none of the Guyanese mobile operators have SIM targeting tourists (also known as tourist or visitor SIM cards or plans).

Can You Use Your Phone in Guyana?

Guyana uses GSM technology for mobile communications primarily. CDMA phones will not work in Guyana. However, almost all phones use GSM anyway.

You also need to know the ITU regions to determine whether your phone will work in other parts of the world.

Although there are three ITU regions, you only need to know these terms: American- and European frequencies.

Guyana uses American frequencies, which are used in the Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean – ITU region 2).

Phones sold in the Americas typically have no issues when using their phone in other ITU region 2 countries.

In Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania (ITU regions 1 and 3), they typically use European frequencies, meaning phones bought in those regions can be used in countries using European frequencies without issues.

If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU region 2), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in Guyana.

Suppose you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU regions 1 and 3) and have a low/medium-end device without tri-band or quad-band support.

In that case, there is a possibility you cannot use your phone when in Guyana or can only use slower networks (3G or 2G).

You can go with any mobile operator in Guyana if you have a medium/high-end device with tri-band or quad-band support on 4G/LTE (+5G NR soon… hopefully).

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Guyana

Guyana has two mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to tourists:

• Digicel Guyana
• GTT(+) (formerly Cellink Plus)

The following frequencies are used in Guyana:

• 2G: 900 MHz
• 3G: 850 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 17 & Band 28)
• 5G NR: N/A – rollout not announced yet

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in Guyana, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally (expensive!) or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains why.

VoLTE & VoWiFi in Guyana

Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFi calling) are not offered by the mobile operators in Guyana (yet).

This means that when you make a call, your phone will downgrade to 3G (or 2G when 3G is not available) instead of staying connected to 4G/LTE.

This is also why you often cannot use mobile while calling if not connected to WiFi.

VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular network.

5G NR in Guyana

5G NR is not available in Guyana as of 2023, and the Guyanese government has not indicated when it will auction 5G NR-compatible licenses.

Best SIM Card in Guyana

Best eSIM in Guyana

Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM to prepaid customers in Guyana (yet).

Note that the Guyanese mobile operators require your identification (passport) for (future) eSIMs and physical SIM cards (will be discussed later).

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Guyana without personal detail capturing, you can get the Guyana (Gucom) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB for 7 days.

Now, you may think this is a sad selection or that 1 GB of data is insufficient.

Both points are true… I agree – but you can make unlimited top-ups with the Gucom eSIM through the Airalo website or apps.

So if you need 5 GB of data, you can purchase the Gucom 1 GB eSIM and get four 1 GB top-ups.

Yes, it is a bit inconvenient for now; Airalo may offer 3 GB, 5 GB & 10 GB plans with a 30-day validity for Guyana soon, as it did for many other countries it supports.

The Airalo links will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

For an in-depth analysis of the Guyana Gucom eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my Guyana eSIMs Compared guide.

You can also get Guyana eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps), such as getting 3 USD off!

For an in-depth analysis of the Nomad Guyana eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my Guyana eSIMs Compared guide.

With these eSIMs, you can skip Guyana's SIM card registration scheme entirely and use it immediately upon arriving in Guyana!

TIP: check out my Best Guyana eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Guyana, including ones not mentioned above.

Airalo introduced an eSIM for Latin America (Central- and South America): Latamlink. The Latamlink is following the popular Eurolink eSIM for 39 European countries and the fairly new Asialink eSIM for 14 Asian countries.

The Latamlink eSIM comes in four variants: 1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days, 3 GB/30 days – most popular with PTW readers & 5 GB/30 days – most popular with PTW readers, to be used in Guyana and 18 other Latin American countries:

Holafly also has an eSIM covering most of Central- and South America (although the eSIM is called South America eSIM).

But honestly, the Latamlink eSIM is superior (but you can consider the Holafly Central America eSIM if you want 6 GB of data instead in 13 countries – just do not forget about code PHONETRAVELWIZ if you go with Holafly).

TIP: Check out my eSIM lookup tool for an overview of local mobile operators offering eSIMs to prepaid customers and travel eSIMs I use and love (for eSIMs in Guyana and eSIMs worldwide) and my Best Guyana eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Guyana.

SIM Card Registration in Guyana

SIM card registration, with the use of your passport information, is mandatory in Guyana. This will be done at the point of sale.

Guyana Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

Currency in Guyana

Guyana uses the Guyanese Dollar with the symbol GYD (which will be used throughout this guide).

However, prices are often listed as just $, G$, or GY$. For example, 25 GYD = $/G$/GY$25.

For reference, below are some exchange rates between GYD and USD (US Dollars):

• 10 GYD = 0.05 USD
• 100 GYD= 0.50 USD
• 1000 GYD = 4.80 USD
• 10 000 GYD = 48.25 USD

For up-to-date GYD:USD exchange rates, search GYD to USD on Google, or replace USD with the currency you use.

Guyanese Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Digicel Guyana & GTT (formerly Celllink Plus), and go through:

• Background information
• Mobile coverage
• SIM card types, prices, and availability
• Recharge / top-up information
• Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs) 

With that being said, let’s see what Guyana has to offer to us.

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Digicel Guyana

Digicel Guyana, just Digicel, is one of the two mobile operators in Guyana.

Digicel, as a company, is active in the Caribbean, Central America & Oceania.

Digicel uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz
• 3G: 850 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 28)
• 5G NR: N/A – rollout not announced yet
• VoLTE: No
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about Digicel:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Digicel SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Digicel Guyana

Digicel has decent coverage in populated areas throughout Guyana.

But you should not expect any coverage in the dense rainforests.

Below is Digicel's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Digicel Guyana

You can get a Digicel SIM card for 2000 GYD in Digicel stores and from resellers, including grocery stores, electronic shops & phone stores. Digicel SIM cards are also sold at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO).

Digicel has no eSIMs.

Dial *100# to access the Digicel menu.

Dial *129# to see your Digicel phone number.

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Digicel Guyana

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Digicel Guyana

Digicel has one data-featured prepaid plan: Prime Bundles. It is a combo plan with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

I will list all the prices in GYD (Guyanese Dollar).

To convert GYD to your currency (let's say USD) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Prime Bundles can be activated by dialing *147#:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Data 1	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
450 GYD	1 Day Digicel Prime Bundle	500 MB	1 GB/app	10 minutes	10 SMS	1 day
750 GYD	3 Day Digicel Prime Bundle	1 GB	3 GB/app	20 minutes	20 SMS	3 days
1600 GYD	7 Day Digicel Prime Bundle	2 GB	7 GB/app	30 minutes	30 SMS	7 days
3800 GYD	30 Day Digicel Prime Bundle	4.5 GB	30 GB/app	80 minutes	80 SMS	30 days
5400 GYD	30 Day Digicel Prime Bundle	6 GB	30 GB/app	150 minutes	150 SMS	30 days

¹ for BiP, GoLoud, HBO Max, Loop, SportsMax, Spotify, TikTok & YouTube (so you would have the said data allowance per app, aka 1 GB for BiP, 1 GB for GoLoud, 1 GB for Loop, etc., if the data allowance says “1 GB/app”)

APN/Internet Settings – Digicel Guyana

• Name: Digicel
• APN: web.digicelgy.com

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

GTT, sometimes also known as GTT+ by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, is one of the two mobile operators in Guyana.

GTT uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz
• 3G: 850 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 17 & Band 28)
• 5G NR: N/A – rollout not announced yet
• VoLTE: No
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about GTT:

* Coverage
* How to Get a GTT SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

GTT has decent coverage in populated areas throughout Guyana.

But you should not expect any coverage in the dense rainforests.

Below is GTT's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

You can get a GTT SIM card for 2000 GYD in GTT stores and from SIM vendors, including grocery stores, electronic shops & pharmacies. They are not sold at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO).

GTT has no eSIMs.

Dial *100# to access the GTT menu.

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

GTT has two data-featured plans: Pre-Paid Bundles (combo) and Pre-Paid Data (data).

All GTT plans can be activated by dialing *100#.

I will list all the prices in GYD (Guyanese Dollar).

To convert GYD to your currency (let's say USD) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Pre-Paid Bundles – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

The Pre-Paid Bundles are combo bundles with data, mintues & SMS.

You call allowance can also be used to call to Canada and the United States.

Pre-Paid Bundles can be activated by dialing *100#:

Price	Plan	Data	Local/Canada/USA Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
410 GYD	Daily+ Bundle	300 MB	15 minutes	30 SMS	1 day
680 GYD	3 Days Bundle	600 MB	25 minutes	50 SMS	3 days
1370 GYD	Weekly Bundle	1.5 GB	40 minutes	80 SMS	7 days
3380 GYD	Monthly Bundle	4 GB	100 minutes	200 SMS	30 days
4840 GYD	Monthly+ Bundle	5 GB	150 minutes	250 SMS	30 days
7300 GYD	10 GB Monthly Bundle	10 GB	300 minutes	500 SMS	30 days

Pre-Paid Data Plans – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

The Pre-Paid Data plans are data-only bundles.

Pre-Paid Data plans can be activated by dialing *100#:

Price	Plan	Data	Validity
260 GYD	Daily Plan	150 MB	1 day
290 GYD	Daily Social Plan	Unlimited 1	1 day
350 GYD	Daily Extended Plan	220 MB	1 day
520 GYD	3 Day Plan	350 MB	3 days
1280 GYD	Weekly Plan	1000 MB	7 days
2360 GYD	Monthly Plan	2 GB	30 days

¹ for Facebook & WhatsApp only

Unused data allowances will roll over to the next billing cycle.

APN/Internet Settings – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)

• Name: gtt
• APN: gtt
• Username: gtt
• Password: gtt

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Guyana

Getting a SIM card from Digicel or GTT would do you well when considering a Guyanese SIM card.