Montserrat – mostly known for the volcano eruption of 1997.
Since then, the country's Southern and Western half have been off-limits.
Still, there are many beautiful beaches to enjoy, like Rendezvous Beach and Woodlands Beach.
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory needs to be seen too when you visit this nation.
Besides these things… there is not really that much more to do in Montserrat.
What you certainly do not want to do is to roam internationally in Montserrat.
International roaming can be expensive, which is why I always recommend getting a local SIM card, like a Montserratian one, to enjoy local rates.
Fortunately, SIM cards are not too crazy expensive in Montserrat.
You can get a Montserratian SIM card for 20 XCD (7.40 USD) from the Digicel store in Brades and for 25 XCD (9.25 USD) from the Flow store in St. John's. They are not sold at Brades-John A. Osborne Airport (MNI).
Not too pricey, huh? But they are not insanely cheap either (like Southeast Asia, for example).
Still better than international roaming 😏.
In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Montserrat. Let's do this.
Original publication: 13th of March 2020. Last updated: 8th of November 2023.
Table of Contents
Can You Buy a SIM Card in Montserrat?
You can buy a Montserratian SIM card from Digicel or Flow as a tourist. There is nothing preventing travelers from buying a SIM card in Montserrat.
You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.
- Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
Moreover, your phone has to support the frequencies used in Montserrat.
Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock free) to use a Montserratian SIM card.
Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Montserrat?
You can get a Montserratian SIM card in the official stores of Digicel and Flow. They are not available at Brades-John A. Osborne Airport (MNI).
You can expect to pay the following for Montserratian SIM cards:
- Digicel Montserrat: 20 XCD
- Flow Montserrat: 25 XCD
Currently, none of the Montserratian mobile operators have SIM targeting tourists (also known as tourist or visitor SIM cards or plans).
For up-to-date XCD:your currency (let's say USD) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Can You Use Your Phone in Montserrat?
Montserrat uses GSM for their cellular communications, meaning that you need a GSM-capable phone to use your phone in the country. Fortunately, there is about a 99% chance your phone supports GSM.
Besides that, you need to be aware of the ITU Regions to determine whether your phone will work in other parts of the world.
Although there are 3 ITU Regions, you only need to know these two terms: American frequencies and European frequencies.
Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3) typically use European frequencies, meaning phones bought in those regions can be used in countries using European frequencies without issues.
The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean), ITU Region 2, use American frequencies, which are different from the European frequencies.
Montserrat uses a mix of American frequencies and European frequencies for 2G and 3G, depending on the mobile operator. 4G/LTE is exclusively on American frequencies.
If you bought your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, you want to go with Flow Montserrat.
It supports traditional American frequencies on 2G, 3G & 4G/LTE, meaning that you can take full advantage of its network.
If you purchased your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, you want to go with Digicel Montserrat.
It supports traditional European frequencies on 2G and 3G, but you will not be able to use its 4G/LTE network.
Suppose you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support. In that case, you can go with any mobile operator, as your phone will support both American frequencies and European frequencies, even on 4G/LTE.
Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Montserrat
Montserrat has two mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- Digicel Montserrat
- Flow Montserrat
The following frequencies are used in Montserrat:
- 2G: 850 MHz & 1900 MHz
- 3G: 900 MHz & 1900 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 13 & Band 17)
You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.
To check whether your phone will work in Montserrat, 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 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 the hidden reason they do not want you to know.
VoLTE & VoWiFi in Montserrat
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 Montserrat (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 Montserrat
5G NR is not available in Montserrat as of 2022, and the Montserratian government has not made any andications of when it will auction 5G licenses.
Best SIM Card in Montserrat
If you want to buy the best SIM card in Montserrat, I recommend going with Digicel. It has good coverage in populated areas. Digicel also has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). Flow's 4G/LTE network barely exists.
Best eSIM in Montserrat
Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM to prepaid customers in Montserrat yet.
Note that the Montserratian mobile operators require your identification (passport) for (future) eSIMs and physical SIM cards (will be discussed later).
However, you can also get a travel eSIM from various eSIM providers.
The list below is not exhaustive – many more providers have eSIMs for Montserrat.
But these are the ones I have tried and had pleasant experiences with.
Moreover, they are reasonably priced, which I find very important (you will not see me recommending an eSIM I would not buy myself).
So here are the two best eSIMs for Montserrat:
- Airalo Montserrat Carr's Telecom eSIM with one 1 GB option
- Airalo Island Hopper eSIM with one 1 GB option (covers 24 Caribbean countries at higher prices and just 1 GB of data)
Because this is the SIM card buying guide for Montserrat, I will not spend too much time about travel eSIMs here and throughout this guide (but I will still do here and there).
If you want to learn more about the best eSIMs for Montserrat, you better check out my Montserrat eSIM buying guide.
It is as helpful and comprehensive as this guide but about eSIMs instead 😜.
SIM Card Registration in Montserrat
SIM card registration with your passport information is required in Montserrat. It will be done at the point of sale.
Montserrat Mobile Internet Prices & Insights
The Caribbean is mostly a luxury travel destination.
With many luxurious resorts and PRISTINE beaches, it is somewhat understandable why the region is a bit high-class.
But some countries are quite affordable (for regional standards), like the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Montserrat is not the most expensive nation out there, but it is not the cheapest either.
The same can be said for its mobile data rates.
The average price for 1 GB of data in Montserrat is 4.01 USD, around the Caribbean average of 4.44 USD. The world average is 4.07 USD.
While the table above shows that prices halved from 2020 to 2021, that is not true.
Some plans went up or down by 1 XCD to 10 XCD, so I do not know how they got their numbers.
While there is not much information about mobile data speeds in the country because not many people do speed tests there, I can mention something about speeds.
In the Caribbean, you can expect your speeds to range between 10 Mbps and 25 Mbps.
However, Montserrat's mobile data speeds are much slower than neighboring Caribbean nations, so be aware of that.
With reasonably priced SIM cards, great nationwide coverage (in populated areas), decent mobile download speeds, and average mobile data rates, you should have a decent network experience in Montserrat.
Currency in Montserrat
Montserrat uses the East Caribbean Dollar with the symbol XCD (which will be used throughout this guide).
However, prices are often listed as ECD, EC$, or $. For example, 25 ECD = ECD/EC$/$ 25.
XCD is pegged 2.70:1 to the US Dollar (USD), meaning that 2.70 XCD is 1 USD. 27.10 XCD would be 10 USD. 270 is 100 USD, etc.
1 XCD is 0.37 USD, 10 XCD is 3.70 USD, 100 XCD is 37 USD – you know the drill.
For up-to-date XCD:your currency (let's say Euro) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.
Their fees are MUCH lower than banks and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).
I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Australian Dollars and Euros, my main currencies, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards.
Montserratian Prepaid SIM Cards
Below, I will guide you through Digicel Montserrat & Flow Montserrat, and go through:
- Background information
- Mobile coverage
- SIM card types, prices & availability
- Recharge/top-up information
- Combo plans, data plans & special packs (such as social media packs)
With that being said, let’s see what Montserrat has to offer to us.
Digicel Montserrat
Digicel Montserrat, just Digicel, is one of the two mobile operators in Montserrat.
Digicel, as a company, is active in many other Caribbean nations, Central America & Oceania.
Digicel uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 850 MHz & 1900 MHz
- 3G: 900 MHz & 1900 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 17)
This is what you will learn about Digicel:
* Coverage
* How to Get a Digicel SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – Digicel Montserrat
Digicel has the best coverage in Montserrat.
4G/LTE reception is available in populated areas.
Remember, Southern and Eastern Montserrat is off-limits because of the volcano (Soufrière Hills) eruption in 1997.
As a result, there is no mobile coverage down there.
Below is Digicel's coverage map produced by Speedtest:
SIM Card Price – Digicel Montserrat
You can get a Digicel SIM card for 20 XCD in the Digicel store in Brades. They are not sold at Brades-John A. Osborne Airport (MNI).
You may have to dial *122# to activate your Digicel SIM card if your SIM card does not work upon purchase.
Dial *129# to see your Digicel phone number.
Dial *664# to access the Digicel menu.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Digicel has no eSIMs.
Note that the Montserratian mobile operators require your identification (passport) for (future) eSIMs and physical SIM cards.
Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Montserrat (without personal detail capturing), you can get the Montserrat (Carr's Telecom) eSIM from Airalo with (1 GB of data for 7 days – top-ups are available).
Airalo has an eSIM for the Caribbean: Island Hopper. The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in 24 Caribbean countries.
The Island Hopper eSIM is not as valuable as other Airalo regional eSIMs (like Asialink for Asia, Eurolink for Europe & Latamlink for Latin America) because you only have one variant: 1 GB for 7 days, but top-ups are available (the -link eSIMs have at least four variants, up to 100 GB of data for 180 days, making top-ups often unnecessary).
The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in the following 24 Caribbean countries:
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bonaire
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- French Guiana 1
- Grenada 2
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Montserrat 2
- Panama
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
1 the Latamlink eSIM covers French Guiana too – it has better options than Island Hopper (1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days) in Central- and South America. However, if you do not visit those regions and stay in the Caribbean only, then stick with the Island Hopper eSIM instead
2 on 3G only
With the Island Hopper eSIM, you can save a lot of money by skipping the initial SIM card costs per country you visit in Latin America!
I am working with Airalo to turn the Island Hopper into a -link so that it offers you better value.
For now, you still have an eSIM covering almost all of the Caribbean, which is neat :).
TIP: check out my Best Montserrat eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Montserrat, including ones not mentioned above.
- Find out about the best local eSIMs, local travel eSIMs & regional travel eSIMs for every country (lookup tool)
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Digicel Montserrat
Digicel top-up vouchers are sold in the Digicel store in Brades, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.
To top up your Digicel SIM card, dial *125# and follow the instructions.
You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.
You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.
Dial *664# to check your Digicel balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the Digicel app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Digicel Montserrat
Digicel has only one data-featured prepaid plan: Prime Plus Bundles (combo). It includes data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.
I will list all the prices in XCD (East Caribbean Dollar).
To convert XCD to your currency (let's say USD) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
The following Prime Plus Bundles are available, which you can activate by dialing *664#:
| Price | Plan | Data | Social Data 1 | Local Minutes | Local SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 XCD | 1 Day Prime Plus Bundle | 2 GB | 1 GB/app | Unlimited | N/A | 1 day |
| 18 XCD | 3 Day Prime Plus Bundle | 4 GB | 3 GB/app | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 days |
| 40 XCD | 7 Day Prime Plus Bundle | 7 GB | 7 GB/app | Unlimited | Unlimited | 7 days |
| 110 XCD | 30 Day Prime Plus Bundle | 15 GB | 30 GB/app | Unlimited | Unlimited | 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”)
Prime Plus Bundles auto-renew. To disable auto-renewal, dial *664#.
APN/Internet Settings – Digicel Montserrat
- Name: Digicel
- APN: internet.ag
Note: the Antigua and Barbuda (.ag) domain extension is not a typo from my end – Montserrat uses Antigua and Barbuda‘s APN. Leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
Flow Montserrat
Flow Montserrat, just Flow, is one of the two mobile operators in Montserrat.
Flow is a brand by Cable & Wireless used throughout the Caribbean.
Flow uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 850 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 13)
This is what you will learn about Flow:
* Coverage
* How to Get a Flow SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – Flow Montserrat
Flow has great coverage in Montserrat.
However, its 4G/LTE reception is basically non-existent.
Well, it does exist, but you will be using 3G most of the time.
Remember, Southern and Eastern Montserrat is off-limits because of the volcano (Soufrière Hills) eruption in 1997.
As a result, there is no mobile coverage down there.
Below is Flow's coverage map produced by Speedtest:
SIM Card Price – Flow Montserrat
You can get a Flow SIM card for 25 XCD from the Flow store in St John's (Sweeneys Road). They are not sold at Brades-John A. Osborne Airport (MNI).
Dial *129# to access the Flow menu.
Dial *555# to see your Flow phone number.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Flow has no eSIMs.
Note that the Montserratian mobile operators require your identification (passport) for (future) eSIMs and physical SIM cards.
Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Montserrat (without personal detail capturing), you can get the Montserrat (Carr's Telecom) eSIM from Airalo with (1 GB of data for 7 days – top-ups are available).
Airalo has an eSIM for the Caribbean: Island Hopper. The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in 24 Caribbean countries.
The Island Hopper eSIM is not as valuable as other Airalo regional eSIMs (like Asialink for Asia, Eurolink for Europe & Latamlink for Latin America) because you only have one variant: 1 GB for 7 days, but top-ups are available (the -link eSIMs have at least four variants, up to 100 GB of data for 180 days, making top-ups often unnecessary).
The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in the following 24 Caribbean countries:
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bonaire
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- French Guiana 1
- Grenada 2
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Montserrat 2
- Panama
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
1 the Latamlink eSIM covers French Guiana too – it has better options than Island Hopper (1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days) in Central- and South America. However, if you do not visit those regions and stay in the Caribbean only, then stick with the Island Hopper eSIM instead
2 on 3G only
With the Island Hopper eSIM, you can save a lot of money by skipping the initial SIM card costs per country you visit in Latin America!
I am working with Airalo to turn the Island Hopper into a -link so that it offers you better value.
For now, you still have an eSIM covering almost all of the Caribbean, which is neat :).
TIP: check out my Best Montserrat eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Montserrat, including ones not mentioned above.
- Find out about the best local eSIMs, local travel eSIMs & regional travel eSIMs for every country (lookup tool)
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Flow Montserrat
Flow top-up vouchers are sold in the Flow store in St John's (Sweeneys Road) and from Recharge Partners, including grocery stores, gas stations & bars.
To top up your Flow SIM card, dial *121*VoucherCode# or dial *129# and follow the instructions.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *121*123456#.
You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.
You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.
Dial *120# to check your Flow balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the Flow app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Flow Montserrat
Flow has only one data-featured prepaid plan: Always On (combo). It includes data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.
I will list all the prices in XCD (East Caribbean Dollar).
To convert XCD to your currency (let's say USD) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
The following Always On plans are available, which you can activate by dialing *129#:
| Price | Plan | Data | Social Data 1 | Local Minutes | Local SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 XCD | Always On 1 Day Plan | 1 GB | 500 MB 2 | 25 minutes | Shared with call allowance | 1 day |
| 35 XCD | Always On 7 Day Plan | 3 GB | 2 GB 3 | 350 minutes | Shared with call allowance | 7 days |
| 105 XCD | Always On 30 Day Plan | 10 GB | 7 GB 3 | 1000 minutes | Shared with call allowance | 30 Days |
1 with unlimited Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter & WhatsApp messaging
2 for WhatsApp
3 for Facebook & WhatsApp
APN/Internet Settings – Flow Montserrat
- Name: Flow Internet
- APN: ppinternet
Note: do not use just “internet” as a prepaid customer. That APN is reserved for postpaid customers. Leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Montserrat
Getting a SIM card from Digicel would do you well when considering a Montserratian SIM card.
Local Prepaid SIM Cards in Other American Countries
Visiting other countries in the Americas? Check out my Caribbean SIM card buying guide, covering other American nations, such as:
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Saba
- Saint Barthélemy (Barts)
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Sint Eustatius (Statia)
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- United States
- Uruguay
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Venezuela
Going to other places around the world? Then you should also check out my sim card buying guides for other destinations around the world.
Next Steps to Enhance Your Travel Experiences
Looking for the next steps to enhance your phone travel experiences? Here is what to do:
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