FairSIM eSIM for French Guiana
French Guiana is a piece of the European Union on the shoulder of South America. You pay in euros, the road signs are French, and an Ariane rocket lifts off from Kourou into the same sky as howler monkeys. Between Cayenne's market, the penal colony ruins on the Îles du Salut, the Kaw marshes and the Maroni river, almost nothing runs on an app. Guesthouses, pirogue drivers, tour guides and taxi drivers answer on WhatsApp, and there is no ride-hailing service to fall back on.
A FairSIM eSIM roams onto Digicel or Free, both 4G LTE here. That covers Cayenne, Matoury, Rémire-Montjoly, Kourou, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and the paved coast road between them, which is where almost every trip happens. Personal Hotspot is included, so a laptop or a travel partner's phone shares the same line. Install it over Wi-Fi at home, because the arrivals hall at Cayenne–Félix Eboué is small and the Paris flights land late.
One rule catches people out: French Guiana is French, but it is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not automatically let you in, and entry rules are set separately for the overseas départements. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers from one year of age. Sort both before you book, and check your own nationality's requirements on official French sources rather than a forum post.
- CarriersDigicel, Free
- CompatibilityCheck if eSIM is available on your phone
- No days lostPurchase now, data will start when you arrive
French Guiana eSIM plans
Plan starts: On first data use
Coverage in French Guiana
- 4G LTE5G
Digicel
Listed on the eSIM Go sheet as Digicel Antilles Françaises Guyane. 2G, 3G and 4G, with its footprint on the coastal strip and the towns along the RN1 and RN2.
- 4G LTE5G
Free
The Iliad group network in the French Antilles and Guiana. 2G, 3G and 4G, strongest around Cayenne, Matoury, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
4G LTE, with 3G and 2G as fallback. Neither network is marked 5G here, so plan for 4G speeds.
Typical speed: No independent country-wide benchmark is published for French Guiana. In practice 4G on the coast handles maps, messaging, video calls and streaming, and slows on the edges of the network near the forest.
Coverage follows people, and almost everyone lives on the coast. Cayenne, Matoury, Rémire-Montjoly, Kourou, Sinnamary, Iracoubo, Mana, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock are served, along with most of the RN1 and RN2. Inland towns reached only by river or light aircraft, such as Maripasoula, Saül and Camopi, and the forest and rivers between them, have little or no mobile service. Treat any trip off the paved road as offline.
How much data do you need in French Guiana?
It depends on how you travel. Find your trip below, then pick the plan that matches. You can always top up in the app.
Rocket launch trip to Kourou
Three to seven days built around an Ariane or Vega launch window.
Why data matters: Free viewing places at the Guiana Space Centre must be booked in advance through CNES, and confirmations, security instructions and slipped launch times all arrive by email or message. Launches move for weather and technical holds, so you need to be reachable.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Cayenne and the coast road
A rental car on the RN1 and RN2, with stops in Kourou, Sinnamary, Mana and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
Why data matters: Maps on the paved road, gîte and hotel owners who answer on WhatsApp, restaurant hours that change without notice, and photos uploaded from the hotel in the evening.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Rivers and rainforest
Pirogue on the Maroni or Oyapock, the Kaw marshes, or a flight to Saül for hiking.
Why data matters: Mostly offline days. You need data to confirm the boatman and the guide before you leave the coast, to download offline maps, and to check in again when you are back in a town.
- 7 days
- 3 GB
- 14 days
- 5 GB
- 30 days
- 10 GB
Guianas overland
French Guiana with Suriname across the Maroni ferry at Albina, or Brazil over the Oyapock bridge at Saint-Georges.
Why data matters: Border formalities, ferry and bus times, and currency changes. Each country needs its own plan, bought from the same app before you cross.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Work trip or long stay
Space sector, public administration, research or mining work in Cayenne and Kourou.
Why data matters: Teams and Zoom calls back to Europe, hotspot for the laptop, file uploads, and a line that does not depend on the office or hotel Wi-Fi.
- 7 days
- 10 GB
- 14 days
- 20 GB
- 30 days
- Unlimited
What your home carrier charges in French Guiana
Daily roaming passes look small until you multiply them by the length of the trip. FairSIM plans for French Guiana start at $6.99 and never bill per day.
| Carrier | Roaming charge | FairSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon TravelPass (US) | $12 per line per day, 5 GB of high-speed data per day then slower speeds | from $6.99, no daily fee |
| AT&T International Day Pass (US) | $12 per day per line, $6 for each additional line, charged only on the days you use it | from $6.99, no daily fee |
| EE (UK) | £2.72 per day, or £16.50 for a 7-day EU pass and £30 for 15 days | from $6.99, no daily fee |
| Orange or Telekom (EU) | Included under EU roam-like-at-home rules within your plan's fair-use limit | from $6.99, no daily fee |
Carrier prices as published on their roaming pages at the time of writing. They change often; check your own plan before you fly.
How FairSIM works
Three steps between you and the internet abroad. Nothing to pick up at the airport.
Pick a destination and a plan
Choose the country or region and the data you need. The price you see is the price you pay.
Tap install
On iPhone (iOS 17.4+) the eSIM installs in one tap, no QR code. Do it at home while you still have Wi-Fi.
Land and connect
Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.
Connectivity tips for French Guiana
Carry a yellow fever vaccination certificate. It is required for travellers from one year of age, and border staff do ask for it.
French Guiana is not in the Schengen area. A Schengen visa does not automatically cover it, so check the entry rules for the French overseas départements for your nationality.
Install the eSIM at home and turn the line and data roaming on after landing. Validity typically starts at the first connection to a local network.
Rent a car. There is no ride-hailing app, taxis are costly, and the RN1 and RN2 are paved and easy to drive. Book the car well before a launch window.
Download offline maps for the whole coast plus any inland area you plan to visit. Coverage stops where the paved road does.
Book launch viewing through CNES weeks ahead. Places are free but limited, and launches slip for weather and technical holds, so keep your dates flexible.
Ask a travel clinic about malaria if you are heading to the Maroni, the Oyapock or the interior. Bring repellent for the coast too, it is used daily here.
Carry a power bank and a dry bag. Sudden rain and long boat days are hard on phones, and charging points are rare away from the towns.
Can you rely on free Wi-Fi?
Hotels and the better gîtes in Cayenne, Matoury and Kourou have Wi-Fi, and it is usually fine for email and messages rather than large uploads. Cafés and restaurants are less dependable, and public Wi-Fi is not something to plan around. Once you leave the coast, assume nothing: carbets, river lodges and forest camps may run on a generator for a few hours a night, and some have no connection at all. Treat Wi-Fi as a bonus and the eSIM as your connection.
Local SIM card or eSIM in French Guiana?
The local market is Orange Caraïbe, SFR Caraïbe, Digicel and Free Caraïbe. FairSIM connects to Digicel or Free. You can buy a prepaid line in Cayenne, in the shopping centres around Matoury, in Kourou and in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, and French rules mean you show identification when the line is registered. Shops keep mainland French habits: closed on Sunday, often shut over lunch, and busy on Saturday morning. Cayenne–Félix Eboué is a small airport, so do not count on a SIM counter being open when your flight lands, especially on the overnight arrivals from Paris.
A travel eSIM changes the order of things. You install it at home over Wi-Fi, switch the line on when you land, and you are on Digicel or Free without paperwork, a queue or a resident's address. Free's local offers in the Antilles and Guiana are built mainly for residents, which makes a short tourist line awkward to set up. If you are staying for months, a local contract still wins on price per gigabyte. For a launch trip, a two-week road trip or a Guianas crossing, the eSIM is simpler and you can add the next country's plan from the same app.
French Guiana eSIM questions
Does eSIM work in French Guiana?
Yes. An unlocked eSIM phone connects to Digicel or Free 4G with a travel eSIM. On iPhone that means XS, XR or newer, and iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install.
Which network will my French Guiana eSIM use?
Digicel or Free. Both run 2G, 3G and 4G here. The app shows which network a plan uses before you buy.
Is there 5G in French Guiana?
Not on the networks FairSIM uses. Digicel and Free are listed as 2G, 3G and 4G in French Guiana, so plan for 4G LTE speeds on the coast.
Does a Europe or France eSIM plan cover French Guiana?
Often not. French Guiana is an EU outermost region, but travel eSIM regional plans are built on roaming agreements and many Europe plans exclude it. Buy the French Guiana plan rather than assuming a France plan works there.
Will I have signal in the rainforest or on the Maroni?
Mostly no. Service follows the coastal strip and the RN1 and RN2. Maripasoula, Saül, Camopi and the rivers and forest between them have little or no coverage, so download maps and confirmations before you leave a town.
Can I use Personal Hotspot in French Guiana?
Yes. Every FairSIM plan supports Personal Hotspot, with no separate cap on tethered data.
How much data do I need for a week in French Guiana?
A week on the coast with maps, WhatsApp and photos runs about 3 to 6 GB. Add more if you stream in the evening, take work calls or share the line by hotspot.
Should I install the eSIM before or after I land?
Before. Install it over Wi-Fi at home, then switch the line on at Cayenne–Félix Eboué. The airport is small and late arrivals find little open.
Local SIM or travel eSIM for French Guiana?
A local prepaid line needs a shop visit, identification and shop hours that suit residents, and it wins only on long stays. A travel eSIM is set up before you fly, roams on Digicel or Free, and lets you add Suriname or Brazil from the same app if you keep going.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM card built into your phone. Instead of a plastic chip, you download a profile. Every iPhone since the XS has one next to the physical SIM slot, so your home number stays put while FairSIM supplies the data.
Is my phone compatible?
FairSIM works with eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked iPhones: the XS, XR and everything newer, on iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install with no QR code. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM at all, even when unlocked. Not sure yours is unlocked? Check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock, or ask your carrier. The full list is on the How it works page.
When should I install my eSIM?
Before you travel, while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan; the validity typically starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Do FairSIM eSIMs come with a phone number?
No. FairSIM eSIMs are data-only by design, which keeps costs low. For calls and texts, your physical SIM stays active so you keep your existing number, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage work over data.
