eSIM and SIM cards in Armenia

The local SIM

• Three networks cover Armenia: Viva, Team and Ucom. Both of the first two changed name recently and the old ones are still on every sign - Viva was VivaCell-MTS, Team was Beeline. Prepaid tourist SIMs are sold at Zvartnots airport and in every Yerevan mall.
• Data is genuinely cheap - among the cheapest in the region - and packages are generous.
• Registration needs the passport.
• Coverage is good in Yerevan, the towns and along the main roads, and drops in the mountains, which is much of the country.

An eSIM instead

• Works well and is easy. Armenia's networks are well supported.
• A local SIM is worth it if you are driving, because the mountain roads are where you would need to call someone and where a local number is what a hotel or a recovery service will call back on.

Practical

• Download offline maps before leaving Yerevan. The monastery roads - Tatev, Noravank, Haghpat - run through valleys with no signal.
• Check your route against the FCDO's border advice while you still have data. The 5 km strip along the eastern border and the M16/H26 road are not marked on any map app.
• Wi-fi is everywhere in Yerevan - cafes, restaurants, hotels - and Armenia has a substantial tech sector, so it is fast.