eSIM and SIM cards in Cuba

One network

• ETECSA is the only telecoms provider in Cuba, state-owned. There is no competition and no alternative - which is why the eSIM you already own probably does not work here.
• Tourist SIMs are sold at the airport and at ETECSA offices in the cities. The airport is easier; the town offices have queues that have to be seen.
• Data is expensive by any standard and the packages are small.
• Coverage exists in the cities and the tourist areas and is patchy elsewhere.

An eSIM: check before you buy one

• Most mainstream eSIM providers do not cover Cuba at all. ETECSA is the sole operator and international roaming agreements with it are very limited, so a global eSIM that works everywhere else will not work here.
• A handful of providers do roam on ETECSA's network, and they are expensive - substantially more than the same data anywhere else in the region.
• Check that the specific provider lists Cuba before paying, rather than assuming a regional or global plan includes it. This is the one country where that assumption reliably fails.
• Whatever you use, set it up before you fly. You cannot count on getting online to activate anything after you land.

Things to understand

• Internet access can be blocked during times of political tension. This is the FCDO's own wording and it has happened. Plan on the assumption that connectivity is a convenience, not a utility.
• Wifi in Cuba is often a paid card in a park or a hotel lobby, not something in the room.
• Download everything before you go: maps, your D'Viajeros QR code, your accommodation address, your insurance details, your booking references. The FCDO specifically warns that wifi may not be available on arrival to retrieve them.
• Tell people at home you will be hard to reach. That is normal here and not a sign anything is wrong.