URL: https://esimgo.ae/sim-card/oman/
Buy: https://esimgo.ae/esim-oman/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.ae)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.ae/author/
Updated: 15 Oct 2026

# Oman SIM card from the UAE: tourist SIM, GCC roaming or a data eSIM

An Oman SIM card for tourists costs OMR 5 for 8GB at Omantel (VAT included) and OMR 5 plus 5% VAT at Ooredoo, collected in Oman (15 Oct 2026). A GCC pack on your UAE number is AED 99.00–100.00 for 3 days. A data-only eSIM on Omantel 5G starts at AED 16.99 for 1GB and 7 days. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here, and eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du or Virgin Mobile UAE.

## Four ways to get data in Oman from the UAE

You have four options: an Omantel or Ooredoo tourist SIM from OMR 5, an e& or du GCC pack from AED 99.00 bought before you cross, Virgin Mobile UAE One Country free of charge on plans of 20GB and up, or a data eSIM installed at home. Both tourist SIMs are sold in stores in Oman.

Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won't use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS).

## Omantel or Ooredoo tourist SIM: what to check

An Oman SIM card from Omantel or Ooredoo starts at OMR 5 for 8GB; Omantel's lasts 14 days and Ooredoo's 10 (15 Oct 2026). We do not convert Omani rials to AED.

| Pack | Data | Minutes | Validity | Price (OMR) | about OMR per GB incl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooredoo Tourist 5 | 8GB | 50 local + 50 international | 10 days | 5 + 5% VAT | 0.66 |
| Ooredoo Tourist 10 | 18GB | 100 + 100 | 15 days | 10 + 5% VAT | 0.58 |
| Omantel Tourist Explore | 8GB | 50 | 14 days | 5, VAT included | 0.63 |
| Omantel Tourist Discover | 18GB | 100 | 14 days | 10, VAT included | 0.56 |

Source: [Ooredoo Tourist Pack](https://www.ooredoo.om/en/personal/mobile/tourist-pack) and [Omantel prepaid page](https://www.omantel.om/en/personal/mobile-prepaid#tourist-packs) (checked 15 Oct 2026). The per-GB column is our arithmetic.

Check three things. Registration: Omantel sells its Omantel tourist SIM "with a valid passport"; Ooredoo asks for "an original passport", or "an original ID or passport" for GCC nationals. Scope: Ooredoo's SIM is "for local use only (no roaming)", and Omantel's "does not include roaming", so neither works back in the UAE. The clock: Omantel's line is "valid for 30 days from SIM activation", Ooredoo's "valid for 30 days only", while the packs run 10 to 15 days.

On a 3-day trip Omantel's OMR 5 pack costs about OMR 1.67 for each day you are there, against OMR 0.36 over its 14 days. For a Muscat airport SIM, one r/Oman commenter (11 Dec 2024) wrote of the Omantel desk: "Go to the desk to the left as you're coming out of arrivals." That is one person's experience.

## e&, du and Virgin Mobile in Oman: GCC packs and One Country

Five packs from e& and du cost AED 99.00–200.00 and run 3 to 10 days in Oman, and Virgin Mobile UAE gives one country free on plans of 20GB and up (as listed on 15 Oct 2026). All keep your UAE number. The two e& packs add 10 + 10 and 30 + 20 minutes.

| Pack | Line | Data · days | AED | about AED per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e& GCC 3-Day Pack | prepaid + postpaid | 5GB · 3 days | AED 100.00 | 33.3 |
| e& GCC 10-Day Pack | prepaid + postpaid | 15GB · 10 days | AED 200.00 | 20.0 |
| du GCC data bundle | prepaid | 5GB · 3 days | AED 99.00 | 33.0 |
| du GCC data bundle | prepaid + postpaid | unlimited · 10 days | AED 199.00 | 19.9 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | AED 100.00 | 14.3 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE One Country | plans of 20GB+ | your plan's data · 1 month | free | 0 |

Sources: [e& GCC packs](https://www.eand.ae/eshop/addons/?subCategory=cat550027&lang=en&categoryDimension=cat550044), du [postpaid](https://www.du.ae/personal/mobile/roaming/postpaid/detail) and [prepaid](https://www.du.ae/personal/mobile/roaming/prepaid/detail) bundles, [virginmobile.ae](https://www.virginmobile.ae/one-country-roaming/) (checked 15 Oct 2026). The per-day column is our arithmetic. The same du 10GB bundle costs AED 200.00 on a prepaid line. Pack rules: [e&](/roaming/etisalat/) and [du](/roaming/du/).

Virgin Mobile UAE is the one place where the operator simply wins: Oman is on the [Virgin One Country](/roaming/virgin-mobile/) list (34 countries on the page, 15 Oct 2026). You choose one country a month, and it does not renew itself: "Don't forget to re-activate every month."

Check your line before you drive. du's FAQ says "International Roaming is activated by default for UAE nationals only" and suggests you "SMS roaming to 5102 to check if your line is activated".

## A weekend or a full week in Oman: what fits

For 3 days, e& GCC 3-Day is AED 100.00 for 5GB and du's GCC bundle is AED 99.00 for 5GB. A 5GB Oman eSIM is AED 48.99 for 30 days, and 3 days of unlimited is AED 66.99, at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. For 10 days, du is AED 199.00 unlimited and e& AED 200.00 for 15GB; our 10-day unlimited plan is AED 144.99, with the same 3GB-a-day limit. The same GCC packs work in Qatar; the [Qatar SIM card guide](/sim-card/qatar/) compares them with Ooredoo and Vodafone visitor SIMs.

In the Gulf your e& or du roaming pack can be as cheap as an eSIM — and Virgin Mobile plans from 20GB include one country free. An eSIM wins on short trips, prepaid lines and 10-day unlimited. The [Oman eSIM plans](/esim-oman/) also include 10GB for 30 days at AED 88.99. Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see [how to pay](/how-to-pay/).

For repeat weekends, du's FAQ asks "If I travel within the GCC and come back to the UAE, then travel to the GCC again, can I still use the bundle?" and answers "Yes, if you travel within the validity period of the bundle." So the AED 199.00 du GCC bundle can cover two weekends inside its 10 days. du's data-only bundles "will only be activated during your travel"; for the postpaid 10GB bundle du's API and FAQ disagree, so buy it shortly before you fly and check the activation note in the du app. An eSIM installed before you fly connects when you land in Oman, and its days count from that first connection.

For a road trip we have no data on which network a phone joins at a border crossing, so install the eSIM at home. Several countries: [Gulf roaming](/roaming/gulf/).

## Data only: your UAE number for calls

Our eSIMs for Oman are data-only — keep your UAE number on your main SIM for calls and SMS. They carry no number, no minutes and no SMS.

In the GCC, e& charges AED 0.808 a minute to receive a call and AED 2.203 to call the UAE, and du AED 0.81 and AED 2.21 (15 Oct 2026). Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS; e& and Virgin Mobile don't charge for SMS you receive abroad; calls you receive are charged per minute. du doesn't publish a price for SMS you receive abroad — check with du. If you call Omani numbers a lot, a tourist SIM with its 50 or 100 minutes beats a data-only eSIM. Setup is in [keep your UAE number](/help/keep-your-uae-number/).

Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. On Android, our Oman plan needs the APN set by hand; iPhone sets it automatically. Steps: [eSIM installation guide](/how-to-install-esim/). If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.

## FAQ

### How much is an Oman SIM card for tourists?

Omantel's tourist packs cost OMR 5 for 8GB and OMR 10 for 18GB, both for 14 days with VAT included. Ooredoo's cost OMR 5 and OMR 10 plus 5% VAT for 10 and 15 days (15 Oct 2026).

### Can I use my UAE SIM in Oman?

For mobile data, only with a roaming pack: e& GCC 3-Day is AED 100.00 for 5GB, du's GCC bundle AED 99.00 for 5GB, and Virgin Mobile UAE gives Oman free on plans of 20GB and up (15 Oct 2026). Without a pack, e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS; du and Virgin Mobile block data abroad.

### Can I buy an Oman SIM card at the land border?

We have no data on SIM sales at the border crossings. Ooredoo sells its tourist SIM "at any store in airports, or other stores across the country", so check before you drive.

## Sources

- Omantel and Ooredoo Oman, tourist packs: omantel.om, ooredoo.om (15 Oct 2026)
- e&, GCC packs and roaming rates: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- du, roaming bundles and FAQ: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- Virgin Mobile UAE, One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- r/Oman, thread "SIM or eSIM in Muscat, what are the cheapest options?": reddit.com (11 Dec 2024)