Cuba: Best Prepaid
SIM Card Buying
Guide (2023)
Cuba – known for its cigars, rum & music.
The country itself is also known for its
incredible beaches, colorful houses & classic
(read: old) American cards.
So, what to do in Cuba?
Of course, you should explore Havana,
especially the Malecon esplanade.
You can also get world-famous mojitos from
La Bodeguita Del Medio.
Or you can just get sunburnt enjoy your time
on the many beaches throughout Cuba.
Being bored in Cuba? No way!
But before you post your amazing Cuba-
related photos online, be aware that
international roaming can be expensive.
That is why local SIM cards are
recommended so that you can enjoy local
rates – much cheaper than international
roaming.
So, how much do Cuban SIM cards cost?
You can get a Cubacel SIM card for 1000
CUP (41.85 USD) in ETECSA stores. You
can also rent SIM cards for 75 CUP a day
(mimumum of 3 days, 225 CUP + 250 CUP
recharge = 475 CUP (19.85 USD)).
Havana-José Martí International Airport
(HAV) has SIM cards too, including the
Cubacel Tur tourist SIM card for 25 USD.
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The Cubacel Tur tourist SIM card includes 2.5
GB of data, 20 local minutes & 20 local SMS
– it may be better to get that SIM card
instead of a regular (expensive) SIM card.
But that is just the SIM card price – there is
much more to know.
In this guide, I will tell you everything you
need to know about buying a SIM card in
Cuba. Let's do this.
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Original publication: 14th of November 2021. Last updated:
16th of April 2023.
Buying a SIM Card in Cuba
Video
Buying a SIM Card in Cuba
Table of Contents
In This Guide [ Show ]
Can You Buy a SIM Card in
Cuba?
You can buy a Cuban SIM card from
Cubacel by ETECSA as a tourist if you are
18 years old or older. There is nothing
preventing travelers from buying a SIM
card in Cuba.
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You do have to comply with the SIM card
registration regulations, which also means
you can have up to 3 active SIM cards.
Moreover, our phone has to support the
frequencies used in Cuba.
Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked
(SIM-lock free) to use a Cuban SIM card.
Where Can You Buy a SIM
Card in Cuba?
You can get a Cuban SIM card in ETECSA
stores. SIM cards are also available at
Havana-José Martí International Airport
(HAV).
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Should You Buy SIM Cards at
Airports? Video
Should You Buy SIM Cards at Airports?
You can expect to pay the following for
Cuban SIM cards:
Cubacel by ETECSA: 1000 CUP or 75
CUP a day + 250 CUP recharge
···
The following mobile operators also have SIM
cards targeting tourists:
Cubacel by ETECSA: 25 USD (Cubacel
Tur)
Can You Use Your Phone in
Cuba?
Cuba uses GSM technology for mobile
communications. CDMA phones will not
work in Cuba. If your phone has a SIM card
slot, then it supports GSMA (99% of the
phones do support GSM nowadays).
Traditional European frequencies are used in
Cuba, which are mostly used in ITU Regions 1
and 3 (Africa, Asia (including the Middle
East), Europe & Oceania).
The Americas (North-, Central– & South
America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2)
use American frequencies, which differ from
the European ones.
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If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia,
Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 and 3),
you should not experience any issues with
using your phone in Cuba.
If you purchased your phone in the Americas
(ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end
device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band)
support, then there is a possibility you cannot
use your phone when in Cuba or can only use
slower networks (3G or 2G).
···
If you have a medium/high-end device
with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you
can use your phone in Cuba (to some
extent) – also on 4G/LTE.
Mobile Operators, Networks
& Frequencies in Cuba
© OpenClipart-Vectors
···
Cuba has only one mobile network operator
offering prepaid services easily accessible to
travelers:
Cubacel by ETECSA (Empresa de
Telecomunicaciones de Cuba)
The following frequencies are used in Cuba:
2G: 900 MHz
3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)
You can learn more about frequencies in the
video below.
Can You Use Your Phone
Abroad? Video
Can You Use Your Phone Abroad?
To check whether your phone will work in
Cuba, check out this page by Kimovil or this
one by Will My Phone Work (outdated,
unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly –
useful for phones launched in or before 2019.
It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).
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Again, make sure your phone is unlocked.
Otherwise, you will not be able to use any
SIM card except the one from your home
operator (meaning you have to roam
internationally or buy another unlocked
phone that does support the frequencies
listed above).
If you want to learn how international roaming
works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you
wonder why it is often so expensive to roam,
this article explains the hidden reason they
do not want you to know.
VoLTE & VoWiFi in Cuba
Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also
known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice
over WiFi – also known as WiFI calling) are
not offered by Cubacel/ETECSA (yet).
This means that when you make a call, your
phone will downgrade to 3G (or 2G when 3G
is not available) instead of staying connected
to 4G/LTE.
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This is also why you often cannot use mobile
while calling if not connected to WiFi.
VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a
WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular
network.
5G NR in Cuba
© Mohamed Hassan
5G NR is not available in Cuba as of 2022,
and the Cuban government has not made
any indications of when it will auction 5G
licenses.
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Best SIM Card in Cuba
If you want to buy the best SIM card in
Cuba, then Cubacel by ETECSA is your
only option. It is currently the only mobile
operator in Cuba.
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24
SIM Card Registration in
Cuba
Syria: Best
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Card Buying…
Guide (2023)
SIM card registration, with the use of your
passport information, is mandatory in
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