Planning a mountain gorilla trekking trip to Uganda, flying through Entebbe International Airport, and thinking about the best way to remain connected? This serves as a complete guide for buying or acquiring a new SIM card at Entebbe International Airport on arrival in Uganda. Don’t get worried about high roaming costs; get connected with a Uganda prepaid SIM card. Find out below where to buy a SIM card at Entebbe Airport, up-to-date prices as of May 2023, and my recommended SIM card in Uganda.

 

Requirements for buying or purchasing a new SIM card in Uganda

• An original national ID (for Ugandans)

• Or a valid passport (for foreigners)

• Or a refugee ID (for refugees)

 

Uganda offers five different mobile network operators and one mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) providing prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

 

MTN Uganda

Airtel Uganda

UT Mobile by Uganda Telecom

Africell Uganda

Smart Telecom

Lycamobile Uganda (Tangerine MVNO)

 

Airtel Uganda vs. MTN Uganda

MTN's 53.9% market share in Uganda translates to 16.3 million subscribers as of Q2 2022. Meanwhile, Airtel Uganda had a 45.1% market share (13.6 million). In Q2 2022, MTN Uganda was ahead of Airtel in terms of median download speeds, while Airtel had at least a 33% better median upload speed.

 

My recommendation for the best Sim card in Uganda 

I advise tourists to buy an Airtel Uganda SIM card. Based on recent experiences, especially in the south part of Uganda where mountain gorilla trekking experiences take place (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park), Airtel has much better coverage than MTN. Africell is the weakest network in Uganda.

 

Airtel code for Internet data

• Dial *175# OK, and follow.

Confirm your selection, activate, and enjoy the unlimited free data on your Airtel line. You can also activate it directly by dialing the secret code *175*111#.

 

E-sim cards for Uganda

Travelers can also order an e-SIM card for Uganda. It works very simply; you will receive a code, which you enter in your mobile, and you won't have to swap a physical sim card any more. Here are the e-sim card deals for Uganda:

• 1 GB of data for 7 days is $9 USD.

• 3 GB of data for 30 days = $24 USD

• 5 GB of data for 30 days = $35 USD

 

Where can one buy the best SIM card for Uganda?

Travelers decide where to buy it; it can be before traveling or on arrival at their destination. If you want to buy it online, we recommend you pick international SIM cards, or SIM cards for travelers, because they offer cellular data abroad and the possibility of avoiding roaming fees.

Travelers can also buy prepaid SIM cards from local operators in Uganda such as Airtel Uganda, MTN Uganda, Uganda Telecom, Lycamobile, and Africell, some of the best carriers around.