eSIM Guatemala
Guatemala mobile data from 3,95€ on the Claro network: packages from 1 to 5 GB, prepaid and contract-free, set up by QR code — switch the line on after landing and you are online within minutes.
Your Selection
Your plan only starts counting when the eSIM first connects at your destination — so you can buy today and travel in three weeks.
How does Simbye eSIM work for Guatemala?
Set it up before you fly
You buy the package and get a link and QR code by email. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi — nothing is used up, and no validity period starts.
Switch it on after landing
Whether you land at La Aurora in Guatemala City, arrive at Mundo Maya near Flores or cross overland from Mexico or Belize: airplane mode off, data roaming on for the Simbye line, within a few minutes you are connected.
Travel and top up when needed
Validity runs from the first connection. You may use the hotspot for a laptop or travel partner, when data runs low you top up the same eSIM online instead of hunting for a shop.
Check Device Compatibility
Make sure your device supports eSIM before purchasing
Which networks will you be on in Guatemala?
The eSIM connects through the Claro network — there is nothing for you to set up.
The Simbye eSIM uses 2 networks in Guatemala: Claro · movistar.
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- Typical download144Mbit/s
Source: Speedtest Global Index, national median, July 2026.
There is nothing to configure. The first time you switch the phone on in the country it registers with the partner network automatically and stays there. If a spot shows full bars but nothing loads, the same trick almost always works: toggle airplane mode off and on, or restart the phone, so the line registers again. The one thing that matters is that data roaming is enabled for the Simbye line — without that switch it stays silent.
Claro covers the route almost every trip takes: Guatemala City, Antigua, the Panamericana towards Chimaltenango, Panajachel and the larger towns on Lake Atitlán, Quetzaltenango, Chichicastenango, Cobán, Río Dulce, plus Flores and Santa Elena in Petén. It thins out in the mountains and the jungle: on the dirt road to Lanquín and Semuc Champey, in the Cuchumatanes around Todos Santos, on the Acatenango climb, deep inside Tikal National Park and on the boat across Lake Atitlán the connection can drop completely. Tigo, the country's other network, reaches further in rural areas but is not part of this eSIM — worth knowing if you need signal away from the main routes. That is where two networks pay off: the eSIM uses both Claro and Movistar, so where one has nothing the other often still does — turn off automatic network selection and pick the other one by hand. A single local SIM gives you only one shot.
eSIM or a local SIM card in Guatemala?
Guatemala leans eSIM: local cards fall under the mobile terminal law and must be registered with your passport, while yours is live minutes after landing and keeps WhatsApp on your usual number instead of moving it to a Guatemalan one.
| Feature |  Simbye eSIM |
Local SIM card |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | At home on Wi-Fi, from the link or QR code in your email | Only after landing, at a counter in La Aurora airport or a Claro shop in town |
| ID and registration | Not required, you are not entered in any register | Passport required, the mobile terminal equipment law mandates registration of every local card |
| Payment | Online with your own card, before the trip | Cash in quetzales, not every counter accepts a foreign card |
| Time after arrival | Airplane mode off, data on, online within minutes | Queue, form, ID copy, setup — half an hour or more depending on the crowd |
| Your own number | Stays active, WhatsApp keeps running on your number | You get a Guatemalan number, WhatsApp would have to be moved over |
| Calls and SMS | Not included, this is a data-only plan | Included, with a local number and credit |
| Topping up | Online any time, you keep the same eSIM | Recarga in cash at a kiosk or supermarket, or through a local app that often wants a local card |
| Onward travel to Belize or Mexico | The Guatemala package stops at the border, you add one for the next country | The local card only works across the border on expensive roaming, usually you buy a new one |
For most travelers the eSIM is the simpler choice: set up before departure, no queuing on arrival.
How much data do you need in Guatemala?
Trip length
How you use your phone
What does an eSIM for Guatemala cost?
from 3,95€
3 plans · 7–30 days
Simbye offers 3 plans for Guatemala from 3,95€ to 16,95€ — prepaid, no contract.
Plans for Guatemala range from 1 GB to 5 GB.
Validity runs from 7 to 30 days and starts with your first connection in Guatemala.
Data plans
- 1 GB 7 days 3,95€ 0,56€ per travel day
- 3 GB 15 days 9,95€ 0,66€ per travel day
- 5 GB 30 days 16,95€ 0,56€ per travel day
Good to know
- Networks
- Claro + movistar
- Setting it up
- A link in your email, or the QR code — one tap is enough
- Network technology
- 4G/LTE — and 5G where the network already offers it
- APN and settings
- Nothing to set. The eSIM brings everything with it
- Hotspot
- Allowed — for a laptop, tablet or a travel companion
- Adding more data
- Top up any time, without setting anything up again
- Calls and texts
- Not included — WhatsApp calls run over the data
- Your own number
- Stays in the phone and stays reachable
- Contract
- None. The plan ends by itself
- Worth knowing
- Roaming on your home contract gets billed here — this eSIM is prepaid, so nothing is added afterwards
Frequently Asked Questions about Guatemala eSIM
Data, calls, real phone numbers, top-ups and setup — everything you need to know before you buy a Simbye eSIM.
Yes, you're online right after landing if you installed the eSIM beforehand. Once you leave the plane you turn off airplane mode and switch data roaming on for the Simbye line. The phone then registers with Claro within a few minutes.
No, you don't need ID or to register. Registration applies to local prepaid cards bought in the country — for those the mobile terminal equipment law requires your passport. This eSIM is a roaming connection without a Guatemalan number and is not entered in any register.
No, you can't make calls or use SMS. It is a data-only plan without a local number, so no calls and no SMS run over the network. WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and video calls work normally, because those go over data.
Yes, you'll have signal at these stops: Flores, Santa Elena and Panajachel. Deep inside Tikal National Park, on the dirt road to Lanquín and Semuc Champey and on the boat across Lake Atitlán the connection can disappear entirely. Download maps and bookings in advance.
No, this eSIM doesn't work in Belize or Mexico — coverage is Guatemala only. For onward travel via Melchor de Mencos into Belize or via La Mesilla into Mexico you add a package for that country.
You buy an eSIM for Guatemala online, straight from this page. An eSIM for Guatemala is a digital SIM card built into your phone. Choose a plan from the price table above, pay, and the QR code arrives by email in minutes. Scan it with your phone camera and the Guatemala profile installs. Buy it before you fly, so you land in Guatemala City already connected.
Yes, an eSIM for Guatemala is available. Guatemalan mobile networks carry eSIM traffic, so a travel eSIM connects in Guatemala City, Antigua, Flores and along the main routes between them. You don't need a local contract, a shop visit or a plastic card. Any phone with an eSIM slot works — iPhone XS and newer, most recent Samsung, Pixel and Xiaomi.
An eSIM for Guatemala starts at 3,95€, with the exact cost depending on the data and days you choose, as listed in the table above. A short trip with maps and messaging needs only a small bundle; weeks of streaming need more. You pay once, up front, with no contract.
What you need for Guatemala is around 300 to 500 MB a day for Maps, messengers and shuttle bookings between Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Flores — about a week on a small bundle. Uploading photos from Tikal or Acatenango moves you towards 1 GB a day. Video calls and laptop tethering eat the most, so keep those for hotel Wi-Fi and check the sizes in the table above.
The eSIM that's best for Guatemala depends on your route, your data need and your days. This one runs on Claro, which follows the classic trip: Guatemala City, Antigua, the Panamericana, Lake Atitlan, Quetzaltenango, Chichicastenango, Coban and Flores. It is data only, in small sizes, with no Guatemalan number. Tigo reaches further into rural areas but is not part of this plan, which matters for Semuc Champey.
Ready for Guatemala?
Pick a plan, tap the link in your email — you are online from the moment you land.
Choose a planPrepaid, no contract. The plan simply ends on its own.
