Monaco 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 Monaco travel eSIM, then keep your normal SIM active for calls and texts. Because it's a data-only plan, you get fast mobile internet across the principality 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 Monaco 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 arrive in the principality. If you're not certain your phone supports eSIM, our support team can verify it before you leave home.

Your Monaco travel eSIM connects to Monaco Telecom, the principality's own network — one of the densest and most modern in Europe, with 5G across essentially the entire two square kilometres. There's nothing to configure manually: once you scan the QR code and arrive, your phone registers automatically and your prepaid data begins. Because it's data-only, you'll use this connection for maps, messaging, streaming and calls over WhatsApp or FaceTime, while your home number stays on your primary SIM. In a place this compact, coverage is effectively wall-to-wall — Port Hercule, Monte-Carlo, Fontvieille, the lot.

No — and this matters for planning. This plan covers Monaco itself, on the Monaco Telecom network. The moment you cross into France — Nice, the airport, Èze, Menton, Cap-d'Ail — you're on French networks, which this plan doesn't include. If your trip is mostly the French Riviera with a day in Monaco, our France eSIM is the better buy. Choose this Monaco plan if you're actually staying in the principality — for the Grand Prix, a yacht week, or business at the Monte-Carlo hotels — where it gives you the strongest local network rather than a cross-border signal from a French mast.

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 travel. The plan won't start counting down yet: your validity and prepaid data only begin when the eSIM first connects to the Monaco Telecom network after you arrive in the principality. On arrival, 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. 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 Monaco, not when you scan the code. You have up to 180 days between purchase and first use. One practical note: most visitors arrive via Nice Côte d'Azur airport in France — your Monaco eSIM will activate once you actually enter the principality and pick up Monaco Telecom, so use Wi-Fi or your home plan for the 30-minute transfer, or pair this with our France eSIM for door-to-door coverage.

It depends where you're from, so here's the honest picture. Monaco is not an EU member, and it's a notorious roaming trap: many European plans that are free across the EU charge steep non-EU rates the moment your phone latches onto Monaco Telecom — some visitors get bill shock without ever leaving Nice's beaches, when their phone grabs a Monegasque signal near the border. UK, US and Gulf plans typically bill Monaco at premium rates too. Monaco Telecom's wholesale prices are, fittingly, the most expensive in our entire catalogue, and our pricing reflects that honestly. For a short stay, a prepaid plan with a known fixed price still beats an open-ended roaming gamble.

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, family and business contacts 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 — particularly wise in Monaco, where accidental roaming is expensive.

Yes, personal hotspot and tethering are supported, so you can share your Monaco 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 on video calls from a hotel terrace — can use it up quickly. Given Monaco's data prices, lean on your hotel's Wi-Fi for the heavy lifting and keep your eSIM data for when you're out. Top-ups are available any time if you run low.

The best eSIM is one that runs on the principality's own network, is ready before you arrive and is clear about what you pay upfront, which is exactly what the GulfData Monaco travel eSIM offers. You get Monaco Telecom's dense 5G coverage across Monte-Carlo, Port Hercule and Fontvieille, with instant QR activation you can install before you fly. There are no roaming fees and no surprise charges — valuable in one of Europe's most notorious accidental-roaming spots. It keeps your normal number active on your primary SIM, supports hotspot sharing, offers top-ups, and works on recent eSIM-capable iPhones and Android phones. Backed by 24/7 support throughout your stay.