Ethiopia eSIM
Prepaid Ethiopia travel data from $4.99 USD (1 GB, 7 days). No physical SIM and no contract: you get a QR code by email and install it from your phone's settings. Check your phone
Choose your package
How many days?
Count arrival and departure days.How much data?
Plan details · 1 GB, 7 days
- Coverage
- Single country
- Plan type
- Data only
- Activation
- On network connection
- Hotspot
- Supported
- Top-up
- Not available
Need a particular mobile operator? before you buy.
Full plan terms, coverage & refunds
Data-only eSIM
Validity starts at the first network connection.
Top-ups unavailable. Usage tracking supported. Hotspot supported.
Calls and SMS are not included. Internet calling apps use your data.
Coverage (1 country)
Ethiopia
Mobile networks: Safaricom
Refund eligibility depends on the plan and its activation status. Contact Wanderly support before installing or using the eSIM.
Listed network types describe plan support; 4G/5G availability and speeds vary by location and device. Country coverage does not guarantee a signal throughout your route. If you need a specific network or location, confirm it with support before buying.
Refunds: who is eligible and how to request one are set out in our refund policy.
Free eSIM in Ethiopia — free data for first-time users, claimed in the Wanderly app.
Ethiopia eSIM plans at a glance
Wanderly lists 24 fixed-data Ethiopia plans, ranging from 1GB up to 50GB over 3 to 30 days. Prices start at $4.99, and the lowest cost per gigabyte is $2.36/GB on the 50GB 3-day plan.
Unlimited day-passes are also available from $7.99 per day, billed per day rather than per gigabyte. 5 of the 29 Ethiopia data-only plans, counting day-passes, can be topped up without reinstalling the eSIM.
Calls and SMS depend on the selected plan. Install using the supplied QR code and keep your home number on its own line. Activation timing varies by plan; check your selected plan's terms before purchasing or installing.
How much does an Ethiopia eSIM cost?
An Ethiopia eSIM from Wanderly costs $4.99 for 1GB (7 days), $14.99 for 5GB (25 days) and $53.99 for 20GB (3 days), as a one-off price with no subscription. Larger plans cost less per gigabyte: $4.99/GB at 1GB against $2.70/GB at 20GB.
In the November 1, 2026 edition of the Wanderly eSIM Price Index, Ethiopia's data-only plans have a median of $3.00 per GB, above the $1.41 median across 181 destinations. 123 of those destinations have a lower median.
Cheapest plan that lasts your trip
| Trip | Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Long weekend (1GB or more) | 1GB, 7 days | $4.99 |
| One week (3GB or more) | 3GB, 25 days | $9.99 |
| Two weeks (5GB or more) | 5GB, 25 days | $14.99 |
| One month (10GB or more) | 10GB, 30 days | $30.99 |
The data amounts are a starting point. Estimate how much you will use.
Cheapest plan by data size
| Data | Validity | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| 3GB | 25 days | $9.99 | $3.33 |
| 5GB | 25 days | $14.99 | $3.00 |
| 10GB | 3 days | $25.99 | $2.60 |
| 20GB | 3 days | $53.99 | $2.70 |
Cheapest current data-only plan at each size, as charged at checkout. Prices checked November 11, 2026, from the live catalogue. Compare Ethiopia with every country in the eSIM Price Index.
🇪🇹 About eSIMs in Ethiopia
An Ethiopia eSIM gets you data as soon as you land at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, so you can message your hotel or guide and check a domestic flight north without first arranging a local SIM. Ethiopia has two mobile networks: the long-established, state-owned Ethio Telecom, and Safaricom Ethiopia, which launched in 2022. Current Ethiopia plans list Safaricom as the local network, and none lists Ethio Telecom, so plan around Safaricom's coverage. If your route depends on a particular town, ask support before you buy.
The bigger risk is a regional shutdown, which no eSIM can get around. Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2026 report says localized connectivity restrictions continued in areas affected by armed conflict, particularly the Amhara region, and Tigray was cut off for long periods during the 2020–2022 war. When a region's networks are switched off, every SIM and eSIM there loses service together. Check your government's travel advice before visiting the north, and agree a backup way to stay in touch with your tour operator for Lalibela, Gondar, the Simien Mountains or Tigray.
Outside the cities, assume gaps. Download offline maps, tickets and your guide's contact details in Addis Ababa, and do not count on signal on trekking days in the Simien Mountains or in the Danakil Depression and Omo Valley. Data-only plans include no Ethiopian number. Some Ethiopia plans add calls and texts with a number of their own, assigned after purchase and not guaranteed to be a Ethiopian number; the plan says so when it does. Emergency numbers differ by city and service, so save the ones your hotel or operator gives you; Addis Ababa police publish 991. See our guide to the best eSIM for Ethiopia for a side-by-side look.
How to activate your eSIM in Ethiopia
- 1Time the installationCheck the selected plan's start rule. If it starts on its first network connection and allows installation before travel, install it over reliable Wi-Fi before you fly; if it starts at installation, install it when you need it. The QR code usually arrives by email within minutes.
- 2Install the eSIMiPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Scan QR. Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM.
- 3Land and switch dataAt Bole International (ADD), set the Ethiopia eSIM as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line. Keep your home line on for calls and texts if you need them, with its own data roaming off.
- 4Download before leaving Addis AbabaSave offline maps, tickets and your guide's contact details before heading north or south. Long stretches of the main routes, and whole regions during a shutdown, can have no service.
Ethiopia eSIM FAQ
Which network does an Ethiopia eSIM use?
Current Ethiopia plans list Safaricom Ethiopia, which launched in 2022. None lists Ethio Telecom, the state-owned network, so plan around Safaricom's coverage and ask support before buying if a particular town matters to you.
Will an eSIM work in Amhara or Tigray?
Only when the networks there are running. Ethiopia has had regional shutdowns, including in Amhara and Tigray, and any SIM or eSIM loses service during one. Check your government's travel advice and agree a backup plan with your tour operator.
Will I have data in the Simien Mountains?
Do not rely on it. Signal can be intermittent near access towns and absent on trekking sections. Your guide's communication plan remains essential.
Is an eSIM easier than buying a local SIM in Ethiopia?
For a short visit it usually is: you can install before flying, if the plan's start rule allows, and skip arranging a local SIM on arrival.
Can I make calls with an Ethiopia eSIM?
Data-only plans include no Ethiopian number, so use messaging apps. Some Ethiopia plans add calls and texts with a number of their own; the plan says so when it does.
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