Dubai eSIM Recommendations | Free SIM Card vs. Prepaid SIM Card

Free SIM Cards are mostly operator promotions (such as Etisalat airport counters), offering 3 days/5GB data (limited to 4G).

Activation requires a passport + hotel booking.

They are non-renewable and suitable for 1-3 day short-term tourists (98% coverage).

Prepaid SIM Cards are mainly from Etisalat/du, with plans including data + calls:

7 days/10GB = 50 Dirhams (AED), 30 days/20GB = 150AED (including 100 minutes of local calls), with 5G coverage across the city.

Operation:

Purchase code via official website/APP → Scan to activate (1 minute), supports remote top-up.

Free cards have limited data/duration, while Prepaid cards offer flexible renewal and ample data (up to 100GB/month = 400AED).

Choose Prepaid for long stays or high demand, and Free for short-term trials.

Free SIM Card

Free SIM Cards must be registered and collected at airport/mall counters with a passport + entry visa page.

The first month includes 1-2GB data + 20 minutes of free calls, but a card opening fee of 5-10 Dirhams is charged;

Subsequent plans for 30 days/5GB cost approximately 50-55 Dirhams, with speeds limited to 128kbps.

Overdue accounts may be cancelled, affecting UAE credit records.

Suitable for users staying ≤3 days who only need emergency contact; cost-performance is low for long-term internet use.

Plan Details

First Month Free

The “free” aspect of the Free SIM Card only applies to the first month and is limited to the Basic Service Pack.

Specific content varies by operator:

Etisalat Free Tier: 1GB high-speed data (4G/5G, 99.7% coverage in Dubai city), 20 minutes local calls, 10 SMS. Card opening fee is fixed at 10 Dirhams (airport counters); mall stores occasionally waive this (must ask proactively).
du Free Tier: 1.5GB high-speed data (same speed standard), 20 minutes local calls, 15 SMS. Card opening fee is 5 Dirhams (unified across all channels), but requires a commitment to top up the following month (otherwise service stops after the first month).

Free tier data is for local use only (excludes roaming to other UAE Emirates) and cannot be rolled over.

Field tests show tourists consume about 150MB data daily for navigation (Google Maps real-time traffic).

1GB is only enough for 6-7 days of light use;

1.5GB lasts about 9-10 days.

If social media auto-refresh is enabled (e.g., Instagram, TikTok), data consumption doubles and will be exhausted in 3-4 days.

Second Month

After the first month ends, if not actively cancelled, the Free SIM Card automatically switches to the second-month basic tier.

Prices and content are as follows:

Item	Etisalat Basic Tier	du Basic Tier
Monthly Fee	55 Dirhams	50 Dirhams
High-speed Data	5GB	5GB
Local Calls	100 minutes	120 minutes
SMS	50 messages	60 messages
Hotspot Sharing	Supported (Limit 5 devices)	Supported (Limit 5 devices)
Excess Data Billing	1 Dirham/100MB	0.9 Dirham/100MB

Note:

5GB of data on Dubai’s 4G network allows for approximately 8 hours of continuous video calls (720p) or downloading 2 standard definition movies (1.5GB each).

Upgrade Tier Options:

Both providers offer 10GB, 20GB, and Unlimited Data (speed limited after cap) tiers.

For 10GB, Etisalat charges 80 Dirhams, du charges 75 Dirhams;

For the 20GB tier, Etisalat is 140 Dirhams, du is 130 Dirhams.

Unlimited data tier (speed limited to 2Mbps after 50GB) is 200 Dirhams/month for Etisalat and 180 Dirhams/month for du, suitable for long-term residents.

Excess Usage

Free Tier Exhausted: Speed immediately limited to 128kbps (supports only text chat and email); images/videos will not load. For example, opening a WhatsApp image takes over 30 seconds, and YouTube video buffering fails.
Basic Tier Exhausted: Billed at the excess unit price (see table above), with no secondary speed limit. If 20GB is used in a month (5GB basic + 15GB excess), Etisalat charges 55+15×10=205 Dirhams (1 Dirham/100MB=10 Dirhams/GB), and du charges 50+15×9=185 Dirhams.
International Data: Neither free nor basic tiers include international roaming data; “Travel Packs” must be purchased separately (e.g., Etisalat 1GB international data for 30 Dirhams, valid for 7 days).

Additional Services

Hotspot Sharing is disabled on the free tier; basic tiers and above allow sharing with 5 devices (field tests show up to 3 devices connect stably).

Free tier is limited to 4G.

Basic tiers require a 5G-supported phone and coverage (Dubai Metro, airports, and malls have full coverage).

Upgrading to a “5G Acceleration Pack” adds 10 Dirhams/month (Etisalat).

How to Collect

Collection Channels

Dubai Free SIM Cards are only distributed through authorized operator points, categorized into three channels as follows:

Airport Counters

Location

Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 1 Arrival Hall Zone B Exit, turn left 50m (Etisalat); Terminal 3 Arrival Hall Zone D right side (du).

Both have Blue (Etisalat) / Orange (du) branding.

Business Hours: 24 hours (open year-round, including holidays).
Counter Configuration: T1 has 2 Etisalat counters, 1 du counter; T3 has 3 Etisalat counters, 2 du counters. Temporary counters are added during peak season (November to March next year).
Field Data: In the December 2023 peak season, the T3 Etisalat counter average queue time was 25 minutes (8:00-12:00 peak) and 15 minutes during off-peak (June-August). A single transaction takes 12 minutes (including registration, plan selection, and activation).

Mall Stores

Location:

Dubai Mall: Level 1 East Atrium (near Aquarium entrance), Etisalat store is 20㎡, du store is adjacent;
Mall of the Emirates: North Gate entrance, turn right 30m, Etisalat has an independent counter, du shares an area with the Customer Service Center;
Ibn Battuta Mall: Inside the South Zone Travel Hub, only du has a point (targeting tourist groups).
Business Hours: Sun-Wed 10:00-22:00, Thu-Sat 10:00-24:00 (synchronized with the mall).

Advantage

You can consult on-site about plan upgrades (e.g., 10GB tier), and some stores have “no card opening fee” promotions on weekends (must ask proactively).

Partner Hotel Front Desks

Partner List: 10 five-star hotels including Atlantis The Palm, Burj Al Arab, and Armani Hotel Dubai.
Process: Present passport + visa page to the front desk upon check-in, fill out the “SIM Card Application Form” (including a statement of phone number usage), and the hotel collects the card opening fee (5-10 Dirhams, charged to the room account).
Timeliness: Physical cards are delivered to the room within 2 hours, or eSIM QR codes are sent via email (requires hotel IT assistance for activation).

Required Materials

Original Passport

Must have ≥6 months validity remaining (strict UAE TRA regulation; expired passports cannot pass system verification);

The personal information page (with photo and name) must be unobstructed and unaltered (tourists have been rejected for having cartoon stickers on it).

Entry Visa Page

Sticker Visa: Must show full visa number (e.g., UAE123456), entry date stamp (Dubai airport stamp is a red circle containing “DXB”), and visa validity (tourist visas are usually 30 days);
E-visa: Must be a color printout on A4 paper (black and white prints may be rejected due to blurry QR codes). The printout must include the Immigration Bureau verification code (e.g., “Verify at www.evisa.gov.ae”);
Transit Visa: Collection is allowed, but plan functions are restricted (e.g., international calls cannot be enabled).

Supplementary Materials (Required by some counters)

Hotel booking screenshot (proof of short-term stay, non-resident);

Return flight itinerary (some du counters check departure dates to ensure plan cycle matching).

Application Process

Step 1

Present Materials and Register

Explain to counter staff you want to “Collect a Free SIM Card” and submit passport + visa page;
Staff scans the passport chip (reads personal info), enters it into the TRA system (generates unique SIM ID), and takes a photo of the passport for records (to prevent identity theft);
Fill out the “User Information Form” (in English, including phone number purpose and emergency contact; you can check “Local Use Only” to reduce audit risk).

Step 2

Select Plan

The “First Month Free Tier” is recommended by default: Etisalat includes 1GB data + 20 minutes calls (10 Dirhams opening fee), du includes 1.5GB data + 20 minutes calls (5 Dirhams opening fee);
Optional upgrade tiers (paid): e.g., Etisalat 3GB/25 Dirhams (1st month), du 5GB/40 Dirhams (1st month), but this loses the “free” significance and is chosen by few business guests.

Step 3

Activate and Use

Physical Card: Unseal on the spot (seal bag printed with SIM number), insert into phone SIM slot 1 (priority identification), and it activates automatically after restart (success if signal bar shows “Etisalat” or “du”);
eSIM: Counter generates a unique QR code (containing SM-DP+ address). Scan with phone camera → go to “Settings – Cellular – Add eSIM” – enter activation code (6 digits provided by counter). Download profile and restart phone (shows “eSIM Activated” upon success).

Handling Activation Failure:

If a physical card has no signal, it can be replaced with a spare card at the counter (sufficient stock);

if eSIM fails, the counter must re-issue the QR code (system delay rate about 3%, mostly occurring during T1 morning peaks).

Fee Breakdown

Costs for collecting a Free SIM Card are divided into “Explicit” and “Implicit” costs, as follows:

Fee Type	Etisalat	du	Remarks
Card Opening Fee	10 Dirhams at airport, 5 Dirhams at malls	5 Dirhams all channels	Collected by partner hotels, charged to room account
1st Month Plan Fee	0 Dirhams (incl. 1GB+20 mins)	0 Dirhams (incl. 1.5GB+20 mins)	Automatically moves to basic tier (55/50 Dirhams) next month
Excess Data Fee	1 Dirham/100MB	0.9 Dirham/100MB	Triggered after free tier is exhausted
Cancellation Fee	0 Dirhams (free at counter)	0 Dirhams (free at counter)	Requires passport + SIM card, completed in 5 mins

Implicit Expenditure Case:

A tourist collecting a card at the T1 Etisalat counter was required to reprint a blurry visa page (1 Dirham/page at a nearby convenience store), an extra 1 Dirham;

Another tourist’s eSIM activation failed, requiring 2 trips to the counter and 40 minutes (opportunity cost calculated at local hourly wage of 30 Dirhams, implicit loss of 20 Dirhams).

Prepaid SIM Card

In 2023, Dubai Prepaid SIM Cards had 23 sales points across Airport T1-T3, with a tourist purchase rate of 87%;

Plans cost 30-200 AED, including 2GB to 100GB data + calls;

Etisalat/du/Virgin Mobile cover the entire territory, with 4G coverage in the desert tested at 92%;

Activation takes 5 minutes at the airport, instant card replacement at city convenience stores, data monitoring via APP, and controllable costs without contracts.

How to Choose

Lightweight Plans

25-40 AED, 1-3GB data + 20-50 minutes calls

Applicable to: Short stays within 3 days, using only basic functions (Google Maps navigation, receiving calls, minor text chatting).

Field Data:

1GB data can support 3 days of navigation (approx. 330MB/day; after caching Dubai city maps, a single load is about 50MB) + 2 hours of WhatsApp text chat (approx. 100MB).
3GB data additionally supports 1 hour of short video browsing (720P quality approx. 500MB/hour).Specific Operator Plans (Updated April 2024):
Etisalat: “Visitor Starter” 35 AED, 2GB data + 30 mins local calls, valid for 30 days.
du: “Tourist Basic” 30 AED, 1.5GB data + unlimited WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger, valid for 21 days.
Virgin Mobile: “Lite Explorer” 25 AED, 3GB data + unlimited local calls, valid for 28 days (relies on du network, city coverage same as du).Note: Lightweight packs are mostly “short-term validity” (21-30 days); unused portions expire, making them suitable for tourists who “use on arrival, discard on departure.”

Balanced Plans

50-100 AED, 10-25GB data + unlimited social messaging

Applicable to: Stays of about a week, high-frequency social media use (Instagram photos, WeChat video), browsing guides (web browsing), light video (YouTube 720P).

Data Consumption Test:

1GB daily can cover: 30 mins Instagram posting (approx. 200MB) + 1 hour web browsing (approx. 150MB) + 30 mins WeChat video (480P approx. 300MB) + 350MB emergency reserve.

15GB data supports 15 days of such use, while 25GB covers 25 days, suitable for “slow travel” tourists.

Social Messaging Scope

The three major operators clearly label “unlimited use of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, IMO,” but excludes Telegram and Signal (check separately).

Video calls are limited to 480P quality (720P and above counts against high-speed data).

Operator Plan Comparison (75 AED Tier Example):

Operator	Data	Social Messaging	Additional Content	Validity
Etisalat	15GB	Unlimited WhatsApp, etc.	100 mins local calls	30 days
du	20GB	Unlimited WhatsApp, etc.	200 mins local calls	30 days
Virgin Mobile	25GB	Unlimited WhatsApp, etc.	50 mins Intl calls (Ind/Pak)	30 days

Selection Advice

Choose Etisalat for frequent local calls (100 mins), Virgin Mobile for international calls (low rates to Ind/Pak), and prioritize du for pure data (higher value at 20GB for the same price).

Heavy Tiers

150-300 AED, 50-100GB data + 500-1000 minutes calls

Applicable Scenarios

Long-term stay (>1 month), business trips (video conferencing), content creation (4K video uploading).

Matching Demand with Plans:

Business Video Conferencing: Zoom 1080P consumes 1.5GB/hour. 50GB data supports 33 hours of meetings. Choose Etisalat “Business Pro” 200 AED (50GB + 500 mins + 100 mins Intl calls).
Content Creation: 4K video uploading consumes 3-4GB/hour. 100GB data supports 25-33 hours of uploads. Choose Virgin Mobile “Creator Max” 300 AED (100GB + 1000 mins + Middle East 5-country roaming pack).
Family Sharing: Some operators allow secondary cards (e.g., du “Family Plus” 250 AED, 80GB data + 3 secondary cards shared, each with independent call quotas).Post-Data Exhaustion Rules: All three operators use “tiered speed reduction”—speed drops to 128kbps after 50GB (only text chat available) and network disconnects after 80GB (restore by purchasing top-up packs), avoiding sky-high excess fees.

Special Plans

Desert/Island Tours: Before going to Liwa Desert or Sir Bani Yas Island, choose Etisalat “Desert Pack” 50 AED (5GB data + satellite SMS backup code). 4G coverage in the desert interior is 92%, better than du (85%) and Virgin Mobile (same as du).
International Roaming: Virgin Mobile “GCC Roam” 100 AED (50GB data + UAE-Saudi/Qatar/Kuwait roaming), suitable for transit tourists in neighboring countries.
Short-term Top-up Packs: When data is nearly gone, buy a “Top Up” pack (e.g., Etisalat 20 AED=5GB, valid for 7 days), which is 30% cheaper than buying a new card.

Short-term tourists choosing a 21-day plan (e.g., du Tourist Basic) save 5 AED compared to a 30-day plan (35 AED), avoiding forgetting to discard the card after departure.

Usage Process

Purchase Documents

Required Documents: Original passport (validity >6 months); some city outlets (like Carrefour supermarkets) accept printed e-visas (must include entry stamp). UAE Federal Identity and Citizenship Authority regulations require “person-document match” registration; copies are invalid.
Scenario Prediction: If your first stop is the airport, prioritize airport counters (24-hour service); if staying in the city >1 day, compare mall/supermarket plans (often promote “buy card get 5AED credit” events).
Device Check: Confirm your phone supports Dubai frequencies (4G/5G: Etisalat/du use Band 3/7/20, Virgin Mobile same as du). Older models (below iPhone 6) may only support 3G, limiting speeds.

Real-name Verification

The UAE 2019 “SIM Card Real-Name Registration Act” requires all Prepaid SIM Cards to have biometric information collected on-site (photo + optional fingerprints, most outlets only take photos).

The process is standardized.

Step Breakdown:

Select Sales Point: Etisalat (Green), du (Yellow), or Virgin Mobile counters at Airport DXB T1-T3, or city mall counters (e.g., operator islands on Dubai Mall Level 1).
Present Documents: Staff scans the passport chip (or manually enters the number). The system retrieves entry records (arrival must be <30 days; if longer, purpose must be explained).
Photo Capture: Stand before a white background, remove glasses/hats; the camera automatically captures a photo (5MP resolution, stored in UAE TRA database), taking about 90 seconds.
Confirm Info: The screen displays your name (pinyin), passport number, and validity. Sign after verifying (electronic screen signature) to complete registration.

Insertion and Activation

Plan Selection Practice:

Counter Choice: Staff shows a physical plan table (price, data, validity), e.g., Etisalat “Visitor Starter” 35 AED (2GB+30 mins, 30 days), du “Tourist Basic” 30 AED (1.5GB+unlimited social messaging, 21 days).
Kiosk Choice: Airport T3 has 6 kiosks (blue/white interface). Select language (Eng/Ar/Ind), filter by “Prepaid → Tourist Package,” scan passport area to retrieve info, and scan to pay (supports Apple Pay/Google Pay).
Insertion/Activation: Take the card (Nano SIM size; counters provide cutters for old phones), insert into SIM slot, restart, and receive a welcome SMS (English, with number and plan details). Some plans require replying “Y” to confirm activation (instructions on packaging).

Activation Timeliness

Airport counters receive a signal in 45 seconds on average; kiosk purchases may take up to 2 minutes due to data synchronization.

City purchases activate within 30 seconds due to lower system load.

Top-up Methods

Top-up Method Details:

Method	Operating Steps	Arrival Time	Scenario	Fee
Convenience Store Cash	Give number to staff, pay cash (AED 5/10/20), staff enters into POS system	Instant	No network or prefer cash	None
APP Online	Download operator APP (Etisalat “My Etisalat”, du “du App”), bind Intl credit card (Visa/Mastercard), select amount	1-3 mins	Have network, need to check balance sync	None (some cards charge 1% FX fee)
ATM Transfer	Use Emirates NBD etc. ATMs, select “Prepaid SIM Top Up”, enter number + amount	2-5 mins	No stores nearby, need large top-up (>500 AED)	None

Note:

Virgin Mobile only supports APP and convenience store top-ups, no ATM option;

Etisalat ATM top-up limit is 1000 AED/time, du has no limit.

Usage Inquiry

APP Functions (e.g., Etisalat “My Etisalat”):

Data Monitoring: Homepage shows remaining data (GB) and high-speed thresholds (e.g., speed drop after 50GB) with a progress bar.
Calls/SMS: Divided into “Used Minutes” and “Remaining Minutes,” categorized by “Local/International.”
Top-up History: Transaction details for the last 6 months (time, amount, method), supports PDF export.
Plan Changes: Upgrade/downgrade plans in-APP (e.g., from 75 AED balanced to 50 AED light), effective next month.
Customer Service: One-tap to human agent (English/Arabic), response time <3 mins (2024 test).

Alternatives:

Without network, dial *#1345# (Etisalat) / *#123# (du) / *#111# (Virgin Mobile) to receive an SMS with balance and data summary.

If the card is damaged or needs change during use, follow these processes.

Replacement: If lost or damaged, bring passport to original purchase point (or any outlet), pay 25 AED fee (incl. new SIM + keeping number). Old card is automatically deactivated. Re-activate after replacement (insert and restore).
Change Plan: To adjust (e.g., Light to Balanced), use counter or APP. Counters are instant (pay difference), APP select “Change Plan” (effective next month, current remaining data forfeited).

Suspension and Number Keeping

For long-term departure (>30 days), apply at a counter for suspension (pay 5 AED/month fee);

reactivate by paying upon return.

Virgin Mobile does not support suspension; discarding the card cancels the number.