The best eSIM for Ghana depends on how long you stay and where else you go. If you only visit Ghana, a prepaid Ghana data plan sized to your trip is the simplest pick. If you also cross into Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso or Nigeria, an Africa plan covers them with one eSIM. Either way, you install it at home before you fly and it connects when you land in Accra. This guide compares your options using the current plan details on our Ghana eSIM page, and explains how local lines and SIM registration work in Ghana.
Short on time? Here are three Ghana plans for a week, two weeks and a month.
Ghana 5GB (7 days) · Ghana 20GB (15 days) · Ghana 50GB (30 days) · all data only · See all eSIMs for Ghana
Is eSIM available in Ghana?
Yes. A travel eSIM works in Ghana as long as your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. You buy it online, get a QR code by email and install it in a few minutes, so you don't need to find a shop when you arrive. Ghana's own carriers offer eSIM to their customers too, but a local line has to be registered with ID first (see below).
Best eSIM plans for Ghana: quick comparison
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in Ghana. Here is how they compare.
Ghana data plans (1 GB to 60 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days and 60 GB for 90 days.
- Countries: Ghana only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Africa data plans (1 GB to 20 GB, 30 countries)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, and 20 GB for 15 days.
- Countries: 30, including Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Benin and Senegal. Togo is not on the list.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Ghana trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself one question: do you also visit other African countries?
Short trip or business visit (up to a week): Ghana 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a few days of meetings in Accra, a small plan covers maps, ride apps, WhatsApp and email. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks, or visiting family: Ghana 20GB
Going home for a funeral, a wedding or the holidays? Ghana 20GB gives you 15 days. Video calls, photos and social media add up fast, so this size gives you room.
A month or longer: Ghana 50GB or 60GB
Ghana 50GB lasts 30 days and Ghana 60GB lasts 90 days. They suit long family visits, volunteering or remote work. If you need a Ghanaian number for that long, read the section on local lines below.
Ghana plus Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso or Nigeria: an Africa plan
A Ghana plan only works in Ghana. If your trip also takes you to Abidjan, Ouagadougou or Lagos, an Africa plan covers 30 countries with one eSIM. When we checked, a Ghana plan cost less than the Africa plan of the same size, so only pick Africa if you really cross borders. For multi-country trips, see our guides to the best eSIM for Africa and the best eSIM for Nigeria.
You need a Ghanaian phone number
The SimOptions plans for Ghana and Africa are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If you need a Ghanaian number, for mobile money, a job or a long stay, get a registered line from a Ghanaian carrier.
eSIM providers in Ghana and SIM registration
Ghana's mobile carriers are MTN, Telecel and AT. Telecel is the former Vodafone Ghana, which changed its name after Telecel Group bought a majority stake (Telecel Group). MTN launched eSIM for its customers in December 2022 (B&FT). You can't buy a local Ghanaian eSIM before your trip like a travel eSIM: you first need a registered line with that carrier.
What ID you need for a local SIM or eSIM
Every local line, physical SIM or eSIM, has to be registered to a verified identity. In March 2026, the Minister for Communication briefed Parliament on a new SIM registration exercise. According to that briefing (MyJoyOnline):
- Ghanaian citizens register with the Ghana Card.
- Foreign residents register with the Non-Citizen Ghana Card.
- Visitors and tourists show a valid passport and proof of entry.
Ghana's SIM rules have changed several times in recent years, and lines registered with a passport have had time limits in the past. Ask the carrier how long a visitor line stays active before you rely on it. For a short trip, a travel eSIM saves you the shop visit and the paperwork.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Ghana?
If you keep your home plan, you pay your carrier's roaming rates in Ghana. The EU's "roam like at home" rules only apply inside the EU and EEA, so they don't cover Ghana (Your Europe: Roaming costs). UK and US carriers set their own prices for Ghana, often as a daily fee or a pass. Check your carrier's roaming page before you go.
A prepaid Ghana eSIM gives you local data at a fixed price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and bank codes. More tips: how to avoid roaming charges.
Using your eSIM around Ghana
Here is where your data helps most, from the capital to the parks.
Accra
Ghana's capital and biggest city. You'll use your data for ride apps, maps and finding places like Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Osu Castle. The Aburi Botanical Gardens, opened in 1890, are an easy day trip into the hills of the Eastern Region.
Cape Coast and Elmina
Cape Coast Castle is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forts and Castles of Ghana's coast, where enslaved Africans were held before the Atlantic crossing. Kakum National Park, with its canopy walkway high above the forest, is about 33 km north of Cape Coast.
Kumasi and the Ashanti Region
Kumasi is the heart of the Ashanti Region. Visit the Manhyia Palace Museum, the old palace of the Asantehene, the Ashanti king. Near the city, the Asante Traditional Buildings are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Kumasi is also a good base for trips further north.
Mole National Park
Ghana's largest wildlife refuge, in the Savannah Region, known for its elephants and hundreds of bird species. Signal can be weak or missing in parks and rural areas, whatever eSIM you use, so download offline maps before you go.
Busua and the Western Region
Busua is a beach village about 30 km west of Sekondi-Takoradi, the regional capital. Data is handy for booking rides and finding places to eat, but coverage on remote beaches can be patchy.
Staying safe with your phone in Ghana
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) says pickpocketing and bag-snatching are on the rise in Accra, and advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region (FCDO: Ghana safety and security). Keep your phone out of sight in crowds, and use your data to share your live location and check rides before you get in. The FCDO also says you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Ghana (FCDO: Ghana entry requirements). For handy apps on the road, see our list of must-have travel apps.
How much data do you need in Ghana?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel or family home helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 7 days: 3 GB to 10 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- Two weeks: 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- A month or more: 50 GB or 60 GB, and top up as you go.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop? Our Ghana page says hotspot is allowed, but tethering uses data fast, so go a size up.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to get and set up your eSIM for Ghana
- Buy your plan online on the Ghana eSIM page. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Ghana" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Ghana?
It depends on your trip. For a few days, Ghana 3GB or 5GB. For a week, Ghana 10GB. For two weeks, Ghana 20GB. For a month or more, Ghana 50GB or 60GB. If you also visit other African countries, an Africa plan.
How do I get an eSIM in Ghana?
The easiest way is to buy a travel eSIM online before you go and install it from the QR code. For a local line, you register with a carrier such as MTN, Telecel or AT using your Ghana Card, or your passport and proof of entry if you're visiting.
How do I use an eSIM in Ghana?
Install it before you fly, then set it as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it when you land. Your home line can stay on for calls and texts.
Can I get a Ghanaian phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans, which are data only. For a Ghanaian number, you need a registered line from a Ghanaian carrier.
Can I top up my Ghana eSIM?
Yes. The Ghana and Africa plans can be topped up if you run low.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.
