Skip to content
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.

French Guiana eSIM plans

Wholesale rates in US dollars, with nothing added at checkout. Buy in the FairSIM app and the plan is on your phone in seconds.

How long is your trip?

All plans. Pick a trip length to narrow the list.

Coverage in French Guiana

  • 4G LTE
  • 5G
  • DigicelListed 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.
  • FreeThe Iliad group network in the French Antilles and Guiana. 2G, 3G and 4G, strongest around Cayenne, Matoury, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.

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.

French Guiana is an EU outermost region, so EU and EEA customers roam at their domestic rates under roam-like-at-home, subject to fair-use data caps. Non-EU carriers treat it as a long-haul destination, and some day-pass lists do not include it at all. Check your destination list by name, not by assuming it falls under France.

CarrierRoaming chargeFairSIM
Verizon TravelPass (US)$12 per day in most destinations, 5 GB high-speed then slowed. Confirm French Guiana is on the list for your plan.from $6.99, no daily fee
AT&T International Day Pass (US)$12 per day per line, $6 for extra lines, where the destination is included. Check French Guiana before you fly.from $6.99, no daily fee
EE (UK)Outside the Europe zone, so a Travel Data Pass applies, from £7.50 per day on the published zones. Confirm which zone French Guiana sits in.from $6.99, no daily fee
Telekom (Germany) or Orange (France)Included at domestic rates under EU roam-like-at-home, with a fair-use data allowance that is smaller than your home bundle.from $6.99, no daily fee
Telstra (Australia)French Guiana is not a standard Day Pass destination, so pay-as-you-go roaming rates apply. Assume it is the most expensive option on this list.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

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    Land and connect

    Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.

Read the full setup guide, including device compatibility

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.

Apps you will actually use

  • WhatsApp the default way to reach guides, pirogue drivers, taxis, guesthouses and car rental desks. Expect to be asked for your number, not an email.
  • Google Maps reliable for Cayenne, Kourou and the RN1 and RN2. Download the coastal area offline before you drive west.
  • Organic Maps offline OpenStreetMap detail for tracks, trails and small villages that Google thins out.
  • Google Translate French is the working language everywhere, including at the space centre and in shops. Download French for offline use.
  • Météo-France rain radar and warnings, which matter in the wet season when a downpour closes a track in an hour.
  • Facebook many restaurants, tour operators and events publish only on a Facebook page, with opening hours in the comments.
  • Booking.com and Airbnb room stock is limited, especially in Kourou during a launch campaign. Book early and keep the confirmation offline.
  • Banking and card apps card payment is normal on the coast but ATMs are scarce outside the main towns, so watch balances and withdraw before you head inland.

There is no Uber, Bolt or Careem in French Guiana. Taxis are booked by phone or WhatsApp and are expensive, shared taxis run set routes on their own schedule, and most visitors rent a car. Keep your rental agency's number saved offline, because breakdown help on the RN1 is a phone call, not an app.

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.

Good to know before you land in French Guiana

Currency
Euro (EUR)
Plug type
Types C and E (French two-pin with earth pin)
Voltage
220 V, 50 Hz
Emergency number
112 for all services; 15 medical, 17 police, 18 fire
Language
French; Guianese Creole widely spoken, plus Portuguese, Sranan Tongo, Hmong and Amerindian languages
Time zone
UTC-3, no daylight saving
Capital
Cayenne

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.

Traveling beyond French Guiana?

Get your French Guiana eSIM in the app

Plans from $6.99. Install before you fly, track your data live, and top up in seconds if you need more.

Download on theApp Store

iPhone XS or later · iOS 17.4+ for one-tap install