Venezuela eSIM

Staying connected in Venezuela

Before you plan a trip to Venezuela, read the official travel advice. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to most of the country, and against all travel to Amazonas state, the Orinoco Mining Arc and the areas within 40 km of the borders with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana; travelling against that advice can invalidate your insurance. If you do go, install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you land. AirOva sells Venezuela GB plans from $12.49, data only, with no calls, SMS or local phone number.

Which Venezuela plan to choose

GB plans are what we sell for Venezuela: you choose an amount of data and the number of days. They run on Digitel, and each plan card shows whether it is listed as 4G or 5G. Maps and messaging take little data, so start small.

Digitel, Movistar and Movilnet

Venezuela's mobile networks are Movistar, Digitel and Movilnet, the mobile arm of state-run CANTV. Our plans run on Digitel; Movistar and Movilnet are not on our plans. UK travel advice says operators run 4G in most major cities and slower 3G networks for nationwide service. Power cuts are frequent, it adds, and can take out mobile signal and internet across the country, Caracas included.

Arriving at Maiquetía

Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International (CCS), about 21 km from central Caracas, is the main gateway. UK advice says flights are limited and can be cancelled at short notice. Both UK and US advice warn of crime around the airport: arrange to be met, or take a licensed taxi from the official rank. After landing, switch on the eSIM line, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line.

Checkpoints, cash and safety

The US State Department asks travellers to reconsider travel to Venezuela because of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, poor health infrastructure and natural disaster, and says not to travel at all to the Colombian border region and all or part of several states. UK advice says security checkpoints are common, so always carry ID, and that most local businesses accept local currency, US dollars or international cards, although some card machines reject foreign cards.

Tip: a power cut can take the network down, so download offline maps and save bookings and key contacts. Keep your home SIM in for calls, at its roaming rates; our dual SIM guide shows how to set up both lines. Check the UK and US advice again just before you go.