Cape Verde eSIM

Yes, as long as you have an eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked iPhone. That covers the iPhone XS, XR and every model since, including the SE (2020) and newer. After buying you'll get a QR code by email; scan it in Settings to load your Cape Verde travel eSIM, then keep your normal SIM active for calls and texts. Because it's a data-only plan, you get mobile internet across Sal, Boa Vista and the other islands while your usual number stays on your primary line. If you're unsure whether your iPhone is unlocked, dial *#06# to find your EID, or ask your carrier. Our 24/7 support team can confirm compatibility before you travel.

It works on most recent eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked Android phones. That includes the Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, the Z Fold and Z Flip range, Google Pixel 3 and later, and many other 2019-onward flagships. Older or budget handsets sometimes lack an eSIM chip, so check your model's specifications first. Installing is simple: scan the QR code we email you to add the Cape Verde eSIM, then set it as your data line while keeping your physical SIM for your normal number. You'll have prepaid data ready the moment you land on Sal or at Praia. If you're not certain your phone supports eSIM, our support team can verify it before you leave home.

Your Cape Verde travel eSIM connects to CVMóvel, the country's largest mobile network. That gives you reliable 4G/LTE data across the main tourist islands — Sal's Santa Maria strip, Boa Vista's resorts, Praia on Santiago and Mindelo on São Vicente. There's nothing to configure manually: once you scan the QR code and arrive in Cape Verde, your phone registers on the network automatically and your prepaid data begins. Because it's data-only, you'll use this connection for maps, messaging, streaming and calls over WhatsApp, while your home number stays on your primary SIM.

CVMóvel's coverage is strongest where travellers actually stay: Santa Maria and the resort zones on Sal, Sal Rei on Boa Vista, Praia, and Mindelo. Inter-island differences are real, though — on hiking islands like Santo Antão, signal is good in the valley villages but drops on remote ribeira trails and high ridges, and Fogo's volcano crater has patchy service, as you'd expect anywhere that dramatic. Ferry crossings between islands lose signal mid-channel. For beach holidays you'll barely notice a gap; for hiking trips, download offline maps before you set out and enjoy the quiet stretches.

It takes just a few minutes. After purchase we email you a QR code. On your phone, open Settings, choose to add an eSIM or mobile plan, and scan that code to install it. We recommend doing this on Wi-Fi before you fly. The plan won't start counting down yet: your validity and prepaid data only begin when the eSIM first connects to the network after you arrive in Cape Verde. Once you land, enable the eSIM as your data line, switch on data roaming for that line, and turn roaming off on your home SIM. Your phone connects automatically and you're online before the transfer bus leaves the airport. If anything looks off, our 24/7 support can walk you through it.

Yes, and we recommend it. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi as soon as your QR code arrives by email, so everything is ready before you reach the airport. Crucially, installing is not the same as activating: your data allowance and validity period only start when the eSIM first connects to the local network in Cape Verde, not when you scan the code. You have up to 180 days between purchase and first use, so you can set it up well in advance without losing a single megabyte. When you touch down at Amílcar Cabral on Sal or Nelson Mandela in Praia, simply switch the eSIM on as your data line and it activates automatically.

For most travellers, yes. Cape Verde sits outside the EU's free-roaming zone — a surprise to many European visitors, given how many flights arrive from Lisbon — and it's absent from most UK and US carriers' included-destination lists, so per-megabyte roaming rates there are steep. Over a one- or two-week island holiday those charges climb fast. A prepaid Cape Verde eSIM gives you a fixed price upfront with no surprise fees and no bill shock when you get home. Island wholesale data genuinely costs more than mainland Europe, which our pricing reflects honestly — but a known prepaid cost still beats open-ended roaming for almost everyone.

Yes to both. This is a data-only eSIM, so it doesn't make native calls or send SMS, but everything you'd actually use works over the internet: WhatsApp calls and messages, FaceTime, iMessage and other VoIP apps all run on your prepaid data. Your usual phone number stays active on your physical SIM thanks to dual-SIM, so friends and family can still reach you and apps tied to your number keep working. The trick is to set the eSIM as your data line and turn data roaming off on your home SIM to avoid your carrier's charges. That way you stay reachable on your normal number while the Cape Verde eSIM carries all your mobile internet across the islands.

Yes, personal hotspot and tethering are supported, so you can share your Cape Verde eSIM connection with a laptop, tablet or a travel companion's phone. Just switch on the hotspot in your phone's settings as you normally would. Keep in mind that anything connected to your hotspot draws from the same prepaid data allowance, and shared devices — especially laptops syncing beach photos or streaming — can use it up quickly. Resort Wi-Fi on Sal and Boa Vista can be patchy outside the lobby, so a hotspot is a genuinely useful backup. If you expect to tether often, choose a larger plan up front, and top up any time if you run low.

The best eSIM is one that's quick to set up, runs on a strong network and is clear about what you pay upfront, which is exactly what the GulfData Cape Verde travel eSIM offers. You get reliable data on CVMóvel, the islands' largest network, across Sal, Boa Vista, Praia and Mindelo, with instant QR activation you can install before you fly. There are no roaming fees and no surprise charges — a real saving in a destination outside every free-roaming zone. It keeps your normal number active on your primary SIM, supports hotspot sharing, offers top-ups if you need more data, and works on recent eSIM-capable iPhones and Android phones. Backed by 24/7 support before and during your trip.