French Polynesia 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 French Polynesia travel eSIM, then keep your normal SIM active for calls and texts. Because it's a data-only plan, you get mobile internet across Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora 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 French Polynesia eSIM, then set it as your data line while keeping your physical SIM for your normal number. You'll have prepaid data ready when you land at Faa'a International in Papeete. If you're not certain your phone supports eSIM, our support team can verify it before you leave home.

Your French Polynesia travel eSIM connects to Vini, the territory's leading mobile network. That gives you reliable 4G data — with 5G in and around Papeete — across Tahiti and the main tourist islands. There's nothing to configure manually: once you scan the QR code and arrive, your phone registers on the Vini network automatically and your prepaid data begins. Because it's data-only, you'll use this connection for maps, messaging, photo uploads and calls over WhatsApp or FaceTime, while your home number stays on your primary SIM. You get working mobile internet from the moment you land, without resort Wi-Fi dependence.

Vini's coverage is strongest on Tahiti — Papeete, the resorts and the coastal ring road — and on the main visitor islands: Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea and Huahine all have solid 4G around their inhabited coasts and resort areas. French Polynesia is spread over an area the size of Europe, though: on remote Tuamotu atolls like Rangiroa or Fakarava, service exists around the villages but thins out fast elsewhere, and the Marquesas are patchier still. Signal fades on inter-island ferry crossings and boat trips, as on any network. For the classic Tahiti–Moorea–Bora Bora honeymoon route, you'll be comfortably connected throughout.

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 — it's a long way to French Polynesia, so have it ready. 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. 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. 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 the long flight to Papeete. 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 French Polynesia, not when you scan the code. You have up to 180 days between purchase and first use, so honeymooners booking far ahead can sort connectivity months early without losing a single megabyte. When you touch down at Faa'a International, simply switch the eSIM on as your data line and it activates automatically.

For most travellers, yes. French Polynesia is about as far from every major carrier's free-roaming list as it's possible to get: UK, EU and US plans typically charge premium per-megabyte rates there, and a two-week honeymoon of maps, messaging and photo sharing on roaming can produce a genuinely painful bill. A prepaid eSIM gives you a fixed price upfront with no surprises. We'll be straight with you: wholesale data in French Polynesia is among the most expensive in the world, and our prices reflect that honestly — but a known prepaid cost still beats open-ended roaming, and resort Wi-Fi alone leaves you offline everywhere else.

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 eSIM carries all your mobile internet across the islands.

Yes, personal hotspot and tethering are supported, so you can share your eSIM connection with a laptop, tablet or your travel partner'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 backing up lagoon photos — can use it up quickly. Given the price of data in French Polynesia, use resort Wi-Fi for the heavy lifting where you can, and save your eSIM data for when you're out on the water, on the road, or somewhere the Wi-Fi doesn't reach. Top-ups are available any time if you run low.

The best eSIM is one that's quick to set up, runs on the leading local network and is clear about what you pay upfront, which is exactly what the GulfData French Polynesia travel eSIM offers. You get reliable data on Vini across Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, with instant QR activation you can install before you fly. There are no roaming fees and no surprise charges — which matters in one of the world's most expensive roaming destinations. 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.