Short answer. Yes, you can buy an eSIM once you are already in Tunisia: the purchase and the QR code are online and immediate. The one thing an eSIM cannot do is install itself without internet, because the profile downloads to the phone. You need a few minutes of connection, once: the free airport Wi-Fi, your hotel's Wi-Fi, or a friend's hotspot. With a single phone, the QR code can still be installed on that same phone.
Can you buy an eSIM after landing?
Yes. Payment takes a minute, and the QR code shows on the confirmation page straight away; it is also sent by email. Our plans only start at your first connection to the network in Tunisia, so buying on arrival costs you nothing extra and buying a day early costs you no days.
Before paying, check two things, because they cause more failed installs than the connection does: the phone must take an eSIM, and it must not be locked to a carrier. See how to check your phone. Our terms rule out refunds for an incompatible or locked device.
Why an eSIM needs internet to install
Our supplier says it plainly: the device "must have a stable internet connection in order to install the eSIM", Wi-Fi or a good 4G connection. Apple also asks for Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set up an eSIM. The connection is only needed for the download. Once installed, the eSIM no longer needs Wi-Fi: it runs on the Orange Tunisie network.
After scanning, activation can take up to 10 minutes. Don't delete the eSIM and start again if it seems slow: the QR code works only once.
Where to find a few minutes of internet
- Tunis-Carthage and Djerba-Zarzis: according to a statement by the airports authority (OACA), reported by the Tunisian press on 7 May 2025, both offer free Wi-Fi. We could not check its speed or sign-in conditions on site. See internet in Tunis.
- Enfidha-Hammamet and Monastir: free Wi-Fi announced by the airports across the terminal, arrivals and baggage claim included. Details: Enfidha and Monastir airports.
- Your hotel, guesthouse or a café: usually enough, as long as the connection stays stable during the download.
- A travel companion's hotspot: they turn on Personal Hotspot and you join it like any Wi-Fi.
- Your home plan, roaming: a few minutes of data are enough, but Tunisia is outside the EU's roam-like-at-home zone, so they may be billed. UK carriers' rates: EE, O2, Three, Vodafone in Tunisia.
Public Wi-Fi is fine for installing an eSIM or messaging home; avoid banking on it.
Installing on the phone that shows the QR code
With one phone, you can't scan a code displayed on its own screen. Two ways round it:
- iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later: open our email, tap and hold the QR code, then tap Add eSIM. This is the method Apple gives for a QR code received by email.
- Any phone, manual install: the confirmation page also shows the SM-DP+ address and the code. On iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM, Use QR Code, then Enter Details Manually. On Samsung or Pixel, the same option sits in the SIM manager, under adding an eSIM.
The two settings after installing
- Mobile data: choose the eSIM line. Keep your usual line for calls and texts.
- Data roaming: turn it on for the eSIM line, and leave it off on your usual line. Our supplier states the eSIM does not work without it.
A 4G or LTE indicator next to the signal means you are online; on iOS 26 the bars can stay empty while 4G shows, which is a known display bug. Still nothing? Follow eSIM shows No Service or SOS, then activating an eSIM in Tunisia on arrival.
Which plan, if you buy on the spot
From €6.50 for 1 day to €21.90 for 7 days and €84.90 for 30 days, with 1 GB a day at full 4G speed, then 512 kbps until the next day, hotspot included. Your usual SIM stays active for calls and texts. See the plans or what each plan costs. If you are reading this before your flight, install it at home on your own Wi-Fi: the full method is in how to install a Tunisia eSIM, step by step.