Maldives SIM card from the UAE: tourist SIM, roaming or a data eSIM
The Maldives SIM card we could check is 
Ooredoo’s US$50 Tourist plan (MVR 771): 30GB plus 70GB social data, 300 minutes and 300 SMS for 30 days, sold at Velana International Airport (16 Oct 2026). A week on your UAE number starts at AED 70.00 for 5GB on du postpaid; e& prepaid is AED 100.00 for 4GB. A data-only eSIM on 
Dhiraagu 4G starts at AED 37.99 for 1GB and 7 days.
At a glance
- Purchase QR code by e-mail · after payment
- Installation profile on your phone · in advance
- Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts
In 2024, 15,269 Emirati nationals arrived in the Maldives (Statistics Maldives, counted by nationality; expats are not included). We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here; eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE, Ooredoo or Dhiraagu.
Data in the Maldives from the UAE: the options side by side
Data in the Maldives comes three ways, and only one is a Maldives SIM card: a tourist SIM from Ooredoo (MVR 771 for 30 days) or Dhiraagu, a weekly roaming pack on your UAE line (AED 70.00 to 200), or a data eSIM from AED 37.99 installed before you fly. Only the tourist SIM brings a local number and minutes. Virgin Mobile UAE’s One Country pass is not an option, because the Maldives is not on its list of 34 countries (15 Oct 2026).
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| e& (Etisalat), du or Virgin Mobile roaming pack | AED 35.00 to AED 1,200.00 a pack from about AED 15.00 per GB | Roaming switched on and a pack bought before you fly | Data is fixed per pack; check that the pack covers the Maldives |
| Pocket Wi-Fi router | Not verified | Collect it, keep it charged and return it | One connection for the group, only while you stay together |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Not verified | A free SIM slot and a shop after landing | On a one-slot phone it replaces your UAE SIM |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from AED 37.99 by card; from AED 19.50 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to one operator | Data only: no calls or SMS on your UAE number |
Pack prices as listed by e&, du and Virgin Mobile on 15 Oct 2026; AED per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in AED at the day’s rate: your card is charged exactly that amount.
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). Local prices stay in rufiyaa, as Ooredoo lists them; we do not convert them to AED.
eSIM for the Maldives: most chosen plans
Your card is charged exactly AED 37.99; the charge is in UAE dirhams. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee — how card payment works.
What it costs per day
Plan price in AED ÷ days, at the rate of 17 Oct. A longer plan usually costs less per day: pick by your trip length, not by the lowest daily price.
Ooredoo’s US$50 Tourist plan at Velana airport, and Dhiraagu
A Maldives SIM card from Ooredoo is the US$50 Tourist plan, sold at both terminals of Velana International Airport: 30GB, 70GB of social data, 300 local minutes and 300 SMS, valid for 30 days from activation, listed as MVR 771 a month (Ooredoo, 16 Oct 2026). Dhiraagu also sells a Tourist SIM, but its page would not load for us, so we have no price, volume or place for it.
You don’t have to buy it at the airport: Ooredoo says “Tourist SIMs are also available through partner hotels, and guesthouses across Maldives”. It also has experience centers in Malé and Hulhumalé. It offers “both eSIM and physical SIM options for all tourist plans”, and service is “automatically activated once you insert the SIM or download the eSIM”. The page does not say whether you can buy the eSIM before you land. It names no document, and we could not confirm tax or the price of the 18, 25, 35 and 40GB add-ons (each for 30 days), so ask at the desk.
On a 7-day stay, MVR 771 is about MVR 110.1 for each day you are there, against MVR 25.7 over the 30 days (our arithmetic). Past the allowance, the page lists data at “1 Laari/KB”. With 100 laari to the rufiyaa, that is about MVR 10.24 per MB (our arithmetic), so buy an add-on before you run out.
e&, du and Virgin Mobile in the Maldives: a resort week
For a week in the Maldives your UAE line costs AED 70.00 to 100 on e& prepaid, du postpaid or Virgin Mobile UAE, with 2GB to 10GB (as listed on 15 Oct 2026, 15 Oct 2026 and 15 Oct 2026).
| Pack | Line | Data · days | AED | about AED per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e& Weekly Data Pack | prepaid | 4GB · 7 days (until 10 Jan 2027, normally 2GB) | 100 | 25.0 |
| du bundle | postpaid | 5GB · 7 days | 70 | 14.0 |
| du bundle | postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | 100 | 10.0 |
| du bundle | prepaid | 10GB · 7 days | 200 | 20.0 |
| Virgin weekly pack | prepaid and postpaid | 2GB · 7 days | 100 | 50.0 |
| Virgin weekly pack | prepaid and postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | 200 | 20.0 |
| Virgin monthly pack | prepaid and postpaid | 20GB · 30 days | 300 | 15.0 |
Sources: e&, du postpaid and prepaid, Virgin (checked 15 Oct 2026, 15 Oct 2026, 15 Oct 2026). The per-GB column is our arithmetic. Pack rules: e&, du and Virgin Mobile.
Seven daily packs cost AED 245.00 for 3.5GB on e& or du. du also lists a postpaid 7-day bundle as “Unlimited data” at AED 200.00. du publishes no fair-use figure for it, so check the terms in the du app. e&’s validity “starts upon first eligible usage”, and Virgin’s begins “once the first call is received or made”. For postpaid du bundles, du’s API and FAQ disagree on the start. Buy shortly before you fly and check the activation note in the du app.
Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS; e& and Virgin Mobile don’t charge for SMS you receive abroad, and calls you receive are charged per minute. We could not find du’s price for SMS you receive abroad.
A week in the Maldives: roaming pack vs eSIM
About the same as prepaid packs du postpaid pack is cheaper5.6 GB for 7 days (0.8 GB a day, social media and photos): the cheapest prepaid way to get it, and postpaid where it is lower.
On roaming your UAE number also takes calls and SMS; the eSIM is data only. Packs at the operator’s AED price, as listed on 15 Oct 2026; the eSIM at its AED price on 17 Oct, charged in AED by card. Work out your own trip.
No unlimited plan: how much data a Maldives week needs
Our Maldives eSIM joins Dhiraagu’s local network on 4G, in plans for 7, 15 or 30 days, from 1GB to 20GB, and none is unlimited (15 Oct 2026). Pick the size from your own habits with the data calculator. The price in AED for each is below.
| Our Maldives eSIM | Data · days | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1GB · 7 days | AED 37.99 |
| Medium | 10GB · 30 days | AED 209.99 |
| Large | 20GB · 30 days | AED 389.99 |
The 10GB plan is about AED 7.00 a day over its 30 days (our arithmetic). Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see how to pay.
Choose by what you need. A local number, local calls or more than 20GB in a month point to Ooredoo’s US$50 Tourist plan. Data only for about a week: compare the UAE packs above with the 1GB plan. Data only for 15 to 30 days: compare our 10GB and 20GB plans with Virgin’s 20GB monthly pack in the table above. Our Maldives eSIM is data-only, with no number, minutes or SMS, so calls stay on your UAE SIM; see keep your UAE number.
Install before you fly; it connects when you land in the Maldives, and the days count from that first connection. Data plans can be topped up. Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. The Maldives is not among the 18 destinations of our Asia regional plan. If the trip also covers Sri Lanka, buy a Maldives plan for the island days. More: Maldives eSIM plans. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.
Check before you fly
What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in the Maldives?
Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.
The first is the line for mobile data. On iPhone it is Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data; on Android, the SIM manager. Pick the travel line there; your UAE line stays on for calls and SMS, with its mobile data off.
The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats the Maldives as roaming for it.
The third is the APN. On this plan it sets itself, so leave it alone; you don’t need to type one.
The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch airplane mode on and off, and let it find Dhiraagu; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.
Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimgo.ae with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.
What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)
For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, AED 37.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, AED 119.99.
I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If you need calls or SMS on your UAE number every day, roaming on your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line keeps them, and some packs include minutes (compare the packs). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.
FAQ
Can I buy a SIM at Velana airport?
Yes, from Ooredoo: its page says “You can purchase your SIM directly at Velana International Airport, at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2” (16 Oct 2026). Dhiraagu also sells a Tourist SIM, but its page would not load for us, so we have no place, price or document for it.
Is there an unlimited eSIM for the Maldives?
No. Our Maldives eSIM comes in plans from 1GB to 20GB on Dhiraagu 4G, and none is unlimited (15 Oct 2026). Ooredoo’s US$50 Tourist plan is also a fixed allowance: 30GB plus 70GB social data for 30 days (16 Oct 2026).
Is the Maldives in Virgin One Country?
No. Virgin Mobile UAE’s One Country pass lists 34 countries, and the Maldives is not one of them (15 Oct 2026). Virgin’s weekly packs do apply there: AED 100.00 for 2GB or AED 200.00 for 10GB, both for 7 days.
How much data do I need for a week?
Write down what you do away from Wi-Fi each day, such as maps, messaging, video calls and uploads, and enter it in the data calculator on our How much data do I need page. Our Maldives plans start at 1GB for 7 days, and a plan can be topped up.
Does my UAE SIM use data in the Maldives without a pack?
No. On your UAE number, e&, du and Virgin Mobile UAE block mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (15 Oct 2026). Only e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data, for 24 hours by SMS; du and Virgin Mobile offer none.
Sources checked: Ooredoo Maldives, Tourist plan: ooredoo.mv (16 Oct 2026) · Dhiraagu, Tourist SIM (page not readable): dhiraagu.com.mv (16 Oct 2026) · Statistics Maldives, Yearbook 2025, table 10.1: statisticsmaldives.gov.mv (15 Oct 2026) · e&, roaming packs: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026) · du, roaming bundles and FAQ: du.ae (15 Oct 2026) · Virgin Mobile UAE, roaming packs and One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026).
Get an eSIM for the Maldives, from AED 37.99 Pay by card in AED. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See plans