URL: https://esimgo.in/international-sim/maldives/
Buy: https://esimgo.in/esim-maldives/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 12 Oct 2026

# Maldives SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Jio sells no data pack for the Maldives, so a Jio SIM is the weakest of the three Indian options there. Airtel and Vi both list the country. Our Maldives eSIM is data-only and starts at ≈ ₹957 (12 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$9.99 by card.

## Maldives eSIM or tourist SIM: what you need

You need mobile data in the Maldives, not a Maldivian number. A Maldives eSIM connects once you land, so a local Maldives SIM card is optional. Our [international SIM hub](/international-sim/) covers other destinations from India. Keep your Indian SIM in the phone, because bank OTPs still arrive on that number.

Ministry of Tourism Maldives figures, as reported by Hotelier Maldives, count 131,625 arrivals from India in 2025. India's Ministry of Tourism counts departures instead and recorded [192,540 to the Maldives in 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=MALDIVES). Our Maldives plans run on Dhiraagu's 4G network and carry no calls and no SMS (our catalogue, 12 Oct 2026).

A Maldives tourist SIM is a separate purchase, and as a [physical SIM card](/esim-vs-physical-sim/) it needs a free slot in your phone. This page quotes no local SIM prices because we have not verified current ones.

The [Asia regional plan](/esim-asia/) does not include the Maldives in our catalogue. Buy the Maldives plan, not the Asia one.

## Jio has no data pack for the Maldives: what Airtel and Vi offer (checked 12 Oct 2026)

The Maldives is absent from the country lists of Jio's 100-country, 75-country and 132-country packs and of its data packs. Jio's Global Pack (₹1,101 or ₹1,102 for 28 days) lists it, but that is a balance of ₹933.05 or ₹933.90 spent at standard roaming rates, not a data pack.

Airtel sells one set of packs for every covered country and advertises 189 countries; the Maldives is on its list. Vi prepaid lists the Maldives in its non-UL zone and in Budget Set 2. Vi's country page is an image inside its terms PDF, so we read the names by hand.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

| Pack | Price | Data | Days | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel prepaid IR | ₹698 | 1 GB | 1 | ₹698 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Airtel prepaid IR | ₹998 | 4 GB | 5 | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Airtel prepaid IR | ₹1,298 | 6 GB | 10 | about ₹216 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Budget Set 2 | ₹755 | 500 MB | 5 | about ₹1,510 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Budget Set 2 | ₹1,495 | 750 MB | 15 | about ₹1,993 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Ultra, non-UL | ₹3,495 | 2 GB | 7 | about ₹1,748 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |

Source: operator documents linked in each row, checked on 12 Oct 2026; Airtel's T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026. ≈ ₹ per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). The six packs cost ₹698 to ₹3,495 as listed. Airtel's own FAQ page still shows older prices (₹898 and ₹1,198); the current T&C list ₹998 and ₹1,298.

Most of these packs include minutes on your Indian number, which our data-only eSIM does not; the Vi ₹755 pack has none. For comparison, 5 GB for 30 days on our Maldives eSIM costs ≈ ₹3,447 (12 Oct rate), about ₹690 (US$7.20) per GB, charged US$35.99. Jio users can read how [Jio roaming packs work](/roaming/jio/) for other countries.

Validity starts at different moments. An Airtel prepaid pack starts when your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage, and it expires unreimbursed if you do not travel within 30 days of booking. Our Maldives plan counts its days from first usage on a Maldivian network, so installing at home uses none.

## Resort Wi-Fi and a short honeymoon trip

For a short trip such as a honeymoon week, size the plan by days, then by GB. Our lightest data profile is 0.3 GB a day, so 7 days need about 2.1 GB and 15 days about 4.5 GB (our calculation). The [data-sizing guide](/how-much-data-do-i-need/) explains the four profiles.

Our [Maldives packages](/esim-maldives/) are 1 GB · 7 days, 2 GB · 15 days, 3 GB · 30 days, 5 GB · 30 days, 10 GB · 30 days and 20 GB · 30 days. The 1 GB and 2 GB plans fall short of 2.1 GB, so a week at the light profile fits 3 GB · 30 days. Fifteen days at 4.5 GB fits 5 GB · 30 days, not the 2 GB · 15 days plan. From 3 GB up, every Maldives package carries 30 days of data plan validity, so for stays up to 30 days only the GB changes.

Resort Wi-Fi may carry some of the load, but we have no data on its speed or coverage, so we size for mobile data. Hotspot use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule.

## Install before you fly, connect at Malé

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. Scan the QR code on home Wi-Fi, then turn on data roaming for the eSIM line only after you reach the Maldives. Days start at your first usage on a Maldivian network.

Check your phone on our [phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/) and follow the [install guide](/how-to-install-esim/).

Bank OTPs arrive as SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive. Keep your Indian SIM active with its data off, and ask your operator about SMS abroad. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you. The [OTP guide](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) has the dual-SIM steps.

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

## Sources

Checked on 12 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n), with the country lists for the [100-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-new-packs.pdf), [75-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-32.pdf), [132-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/continents-pack-details.pdf) packs and the [data packs](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-70.pdf), and the [Global Pack list](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/Direct_Country_and_Partner_Name_22072020.pdf)
2. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) and [Airtel IR packs](https://www.airtel.in/ir-packs/)
3. [Vi prepaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf)
4. [Hotelier Maldives, arrivals from India 2025, citing Ministry of Tourism Maldives](https://hoteliermaldives.com/?p=79517)
5. [Ministry of Tourism, India: departures to the Maldives, 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=MALDIVES)

## FAQ

### Will my Indian SIM work in the Maldives?

A Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM works once international roaming is on, but for mobile data plan on a roaming pack. Jio sells no data pack for the Maldives. Airtel bars prepaid data without a pack, and Vi keeps mobile data off. The six packs in our table cost ₹698 to ₹3,495 as listed on 12 Oct 2026.

### Do I need a Maldives SIM card?

No. A data-only eSIM installed in India gives you data once you land. Buy a local Maldives SIM card only if you need a Maldivian number, and keep your Indian SIM for OTPs.

### Does the Maldives eSIM validity start when I install it in India?

No. The days count from first usage on a Maldivian network, so you can install at home on Wi-Fi. An Airtel prepaid pack starts when your phone latches on abroad.

### How much data do I need for 7 or 15 days in the Maldives?

At our lightest profile of 0.3 GB a day, 7 days need about 2.1 GB and 15 days about 4.5 GB. That points to the 3 GB · 30 days plan for a week and the 5 GB · 30 days plan for 15 days.

### Can I use WhatsApp and get OTPs with a Maldives eSIM?

WhatsApp runs on the eSIM's data. OTPs arrive by SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive, so keep your Indian SIM active and check SMS roaming with your operator.