Bahamas eSIM

Staying connected in the Bahamas

Install a travel eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land in Nassau or step off a cruise ship at Prince George Wharf. AirOva sells Bahamas plans from $10.99, with a fixed amount of data or unlimited, on BTC; each plan card shows whether it is listed as 4G or 5G. Every plan is data only, with no call minutes, SMS or local phone number, so call over WhatsApp or FaceTime.

Which Bahamas plan to choose

GB plans suit most trips, since maps, messaging, ride and booking apps take little data. Unlimited plans give unlimited data with no data cap and no fair-usage limit; you only choose the number of days, which suits long stays, remote work and video calls home.

BTC and Aliv

The Bahamas has two mobile operators. BTC, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, is part of Liberty Latin America and was the only mobile network in the country until Aliv, part-owned by Cable Bahamas, started selling service in November 2016. Our Bahamas plans use BTC; Aliv is not on our plans.

Arriving in Nassau or Freeport

Most flights land at Lynden Pindling International (NAS), the largest airport in the Bahamas, about 14 km west of Nassau on New Providence. Grand Bahama has its own airport, Grand Bahama International (FPO), in Freeport. Install the eSIM over Wi-Fi before you fly. After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the plan is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge.

Cruises and the Out Islands

Cruise ships dock at Nassau Cruise Port on Prince George Wharf, a short walk from Bay Street; the port welcomed a record 5.6 million cruise passengers in 2024. In port the eSIM works as it does on land, but once the ship sails, phones can join its onboard maritime network, which no travel plan covers; see our guide to eSIMs on cruise ships. The Out Islands, also called the Family Islands, are all the islands other than New Providence and Grand Bahama; of some 700 islands, about 30 are inhabited.

Tip: before a ferry, a flight or a boat day in the Out Islands, download offline maps and save your bookings, since signal on remote cays and on the water is not guaranteed. On a cruise, switch to airplane mode with Wi-Fi on as the ship sails, and keep your home SIM in for bank codes with its data roaming off.