Dubai SIM Card for Tourists: What to Get and What It Costs
You clear passport control in Dubai and need a ride, a map and a way to reach your hotel. Your US plan may charge by the day. There is a free tourist eSIM, but it lasts one day.
A Dubai SIM card for tourists comes in three forms: a visitor line from du or e&, a free 10 GB eSIM that lasts 24 hours, or a data eSIM you install at home. Heavy data users pay less on a visitor line. A home-installed eSIM is the easy choice if you want data on landing with no setup in the airport. The free eSIM is a good start for a day or a long layover.
In short:
- du and e& both offer visitors a free eSIM with 10 GB for 24 hours, which you activate after passport control.
- e&'s Visitor Line Advance was 94.28 dirhams before 5% VAT, about $27, for 10 GB and 60 minutes over 28 days. du's 10 GB pack was 99 dirhams.
- The Moosetrip UAE eSIM runs from $7.50 for 1 GB to $85 for 20 GB, on 2026-10-30. At 5 GB and up, a local line gives more for the money.
- Internet calling in the UAE works only through approved apps, so check before you count on your usual one.
UAE eSIM from $7.50Install at home, connect when you land.See plans
Your options compared
Dollar amounts use the fixed rate of about 3.67 dirhams to the dollar. du, e& and Virgin Mobile prices are from Gulf News, published September 12, 2025, so check them at the counter or on the operator's site.
| Option | Price | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free du or e& eSIM | Free | 10 GB for 24 hours | A short visit or the first day |
| du paid pack | 49 dirhams ($13) | 4 GB, 30 minutes, 28 days | A light user who starts free |
| du paid pack | 99 dirhams ($27) | 10 GB, 28 days | A week with normal use |
| e& Visitor Line Advance | About 99 dirhams with VAT ($27) | 10 GB, 60 minutes, 28 days | You want calls included |
| Virgin Mobile tourist plan | 99 dirhams ($27) | Unlimited data for 3 days | A short, heavy-use trip |
| Virgin Mobile tourist plan | 142 dirhams ($39) | 40 GB for 7 days | A week of heavy use |
| Verizon or AT&T daily pass | $12 per day for one line | Your US number, talk, text, data | A day or two |
| Moosetrip eSIM | $7.50 to $85 | Data only, 1 GB to 20 GB | No airport setup |
Here is the honest math. Our 10 GB plan is $48, and a du or e& pack with the same data is about $27. Our 5 GB plan is $27.50, the price of that 10 GB pack. Our 3 GB plan at $17.50 and 1 GB plan at $7.50 fit short trips where you don't want a local line.
Free tourist eSIM from du and e&
Gulf News reported in September 2025 that du and e& both give visitors a free eSIM. The core terms match: 10 GB of data usable for 24 hours, self-activated after passport control at a UAE airport. Your home SIM stays in the phone, so both lines can run together. e&'s support page also lists a free 10 GB Visitor Line pack.
du's version has more published detail:
- You must be 18 or older with a valid UAE entry stamp or visa.
- The limit is two SIMs per passport.
- The eSIM stays valid for 30 days, and you can renew it at a du store with your passport and visa.
Before you plan around it, keep four things in mind:
- It lasts one day. After 24 hours, you buy a paid pack at local rates.
- You need Wi-Fi first. The eSIM profile downloads over the internet, so you must join a network before it can work.
- Your phone must support eSIM. It must also be unlocked. Check your phone here.
- Offers change. Treat free data as a bonus for your first day, not as your whole trip.
Visitor lines from du, e& and Virgin Mobile
There are two main operators. e& was called Etisalat, and you will still see the old name, including in its web address. du is the second. Virgin Mobile also has tourist plans.
e&. The Visitor Line Advance had 10 GB, 60 minutes of local and international calls, and 28 days for 94.28 dirhams before VAT. You can pick the eSIM option online. e&'s support page lists packs from 49 to 319 dirhams, with some lasting as little as 24 or 48 hours and others as long as 28 days. Packs can be bought again. The line lasts as long as your visa, up to 90 days.
du. After the free day, du's packs included 4 GB and 30 minutes for 49 dirhams, or 10 GB for 99 dirhams. Both last 28 days.
Virgin Mobile. You sign up in its app or on its site by scanning your passport and taking a selfie. Plans included 3 days of unlimited data for 99 dirhams, 7 days with 40 GB for 142 dirhams, and 30 days of unlimited data for 500 dirhams, about $136.
A local number helps when you need to call a hotel or restaurant, or receive a code from a local service. If you only need data, you can skip one.
What you need to buy a SIM in Dubai
- Your passport, with a UAE entry stamp or visa.
- Age 18 or older.
- An unlocked phone. For a plastic SIM, it also needs a tray, and many newer iPhones have none.
You get the entry stamp at passport control, so a local line waits until after you land. Until then you have no mobile data unless you installed an eSIM at home or turned on roaming.
Roaming with your US carrier
Roaming needs no setup, and your number works as usual. Verizon lists TravelPass at $12 per day outside Mexico and Canada, and AT&T lists International Day Pass at $12 per day for one line. Seven days of use is $84 and 14 days is $168. Confirm the UAE and your rate in your carrier app. If your US plan includes enough data in the UAE, keep it and skip the rest of this page.
A short stopover is where a pass makes sense. A day pass includes your normal calls and texts, while our eSIM is data only.
Calling home from the UAE
Voice and video calls over the internet are regulated in the UAE. Only licensed providers, or services working with them, may offer them, and the regulator TDRA publishes a list of approved apps. The app you use at home may not place calls there.
Check the TDRA FAQ page before you go. This rule covers calls, not regular browsing. If you need to make calls, a line with minutes helps: e&'s Visitor Line Advance has 60 minutes that work for local and international calls. You can also use your US line at your carrier's roaming rates.
Set up a Moosetrip eSIM before you fly
Our plan covers the whole UAE, so Dubai and Abu Dhabi use the same eSIM. Prices are from our catalog on October 30, 2026.
| Data | Valid for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $7.50 |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $17.50 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $27.50 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $48 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $85 |
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.
- Pick a plan on the UAE page.
- Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi with the QR code. Your days start at your first connection in the UAE, not when you install it.
- After landing, turn on data for the eSIM line. If nothing connects, turn on data roaming for that line, pick the network by hand, or restart the phone.
- Keep your US number as a second line and turn off its data, so a daily pass doesn't start. Our guide on keeping your US number abroad covers bank texts.
As a generous guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxis, or 1.5 hours of video calls.
- 3 to 4 days of maps and taxis: 3 GB, about 15 hours of maps.
- A week of maps, taxis and photos: 5 GB.
- Two weeks, video, or sharing data with a laptop: 10 GB, or a du or e& line.
If you run short, add data to the same eSIM.
If Dubai is a layover
The free eSIM from du and e& is activated after passport control. If you stay airside between flights, you can't use it. For a route through Dubai, install an eSIM for your final stop before you leave, such as Thailand or Vietnam.
Leaving the airport for half a day? The free 24 hours fits that well. Gulf News recommends du's free eSIM for short visits and layovers.
Questions
Is there a free SIM card at Dubai Airport?
du and e& offer visitors a free eSIM with 10 GB for 24 hours, activated after passport control, per Gulf News in September 2025. Offers change, so don't plan your whole trip around it.
du or e&: which is better for tourists?
Their tourist deals are close. Both have free 10 GB eSIMs and paid packs lasting up to 28 days. e&'s Visitor Line Advance includes 60 minutes. Choose by the price on the day you buy.
Can I buy a UAE eSIM before I leave?
Yes. Install it at home, and your days start at your first connection in the UAE. Plans are on the UAE page.
Do I need a different SIM for Abu Dhabi?
No. Our plan covers the whole UAE, and du and e& lines are national too.
Do I need my passport for a Dubai SIM card?
Yes, for du and e& tourist lines. You need a passport with a UAE entry stamp or visa, and you must be 18 or older. Virgin Mobile uses a passport scan and a selfie.
Can I make internet calls in Dubai?
Only through approved apps. TDRA publishes the list. Check it before you fly, and keep a call option, such as a line with minutes or your US carrier.
Sources
- Gulf News, How to get a free tourist eSIM when you land in the UAE, September 12, 2025
- e&, Visitor Line support, checked 2026-10-30
- TDRA, FAQs, checked 2026-09-25
- Verizon, TravelPass FAQs, checked 2026-10-30
- AT&T, International Day Pass, checked 2026-10-30