French Polynesia eSIM

Staying connected in French Polynesia

Install a travel eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land in Tahiti. AirOva sells French Polynesia plans from $20.49, each with a fixed amount of data, all data only, with no call minutes, SMS or local number. Plans run on Vini, on 4G with 5G where available.

Which French Polynesia plan to choose

For French Polynesia we sell GB plans only, with no unlimited option, so pick the data size to match your trip. Messaging, maps and booking apps take little data, while video calls and photo uploads take much more. Not sure? See how much data you need, and save large uploads for Wi-Fi.

Vini and the other networks

Vini is the mobile brand of ONATi, a subsidiary of the state-owned OPT; the company took the ONATi name in 2019. France's frequency agency ANFR counts more Vini 4G sites in service than the other two mobile operators have combined, and Vini has begun switching on 5G sites. Vodafone and Viti are not on our plans. Most people live on Tahiti, home to nearly 69% of the population in 2017.

Arriving at Faa'a

Faa'a International (PPT), also called Tahiti International, is about 5 km southwest of Papeete and is French Polynesia's international airport; Air Tahiti flies from it daily to most other islands. After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the data is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge.

Moorea, Bora Bora and the outer islands

Moorea lies 17 km northwest of Tahiti, with several ferries a day from Papeete to Vai'are. Bora Bora Airport (BOB) sits on Motu Mute, so a boat transfer takes you to the main island. French Polynesia has 121 islands and atolls in five archipelagos, and the network thins out beyond the Society Islands: at the end of 2021 the other archipelagos held less than 10% of the territory's antennas, and most of their islands had only 2G. From 2020 Vini added 4G on Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas and on Rangiroa, Tikehau, Fakarava and Hao in the Tuamotu.

Tip: download offline maps, boarding passes and accommodation details in Papeete before you fly to the atolls, and carry a power bank for long days on the lagoon. Going on to the Cook Islands or Fiji? Check which countries each plan covers. Keep your home SIM in for bank codes, with its roaming off.