Are you planning your trip to Jordan and looking for the best way to stay connected? this gorgeous country? Don't get stuck with high roaming charges or slow overseas data roaming plans. This is a complete guide for showing you the best ways to stay connected when traveling to Jordan. Find out everything about buying a tourist sim card in Jordan, the best 4G/5G network in Jordan, the best e-sim cards for Jordan, up to date prices as per May 2023, my recommendation, a vlog about my experiences and even info about international sim cards for Jordan.
If you are flying into Queen Alia International Airport in Amman then check out my specific guide for buying a Jordan sim card at Amman Airport.
Getting connected to the internet is my first priority when traveling to a new country. Combined that with my journey to travel to every country in the world, my passion for travel blogging and my lifestyle as a full time nomad and you understand why on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: USA, Europe, Asia, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, Tel Aviv Airport, Lebanon, Turkey, Istanbul Airport, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London, Paris, Rome and many more.
So when planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the best prepaid and e-sim card advice for your next destination. Bookmark me!
Why buying a sim card for Jordan
Having a working data connection on your phone makes makes traveling in Jordan so much easier. Think about getting an Uber or finding directions on Google Maps. There are so many reasons to stay connected when traveling abroad.
Most hotels in Jordan have WiFi, but not all restaurants and bars in Jordan provide that service. Basically, I would not recommend you to be dependent on public WiFi. What if the signal is too weak in your hotel room or the internet is so slow that it is creeping you out? Also keep in mind that public WiFi is an UNSECURED connection, so the use of a VPN is recommended.
Although I experienced Jordan as a fairly expensive country to travel, for example a day ticket for Petra is a lousy $75 USD, a sim card for Jordan with data is pretty affordable! Buying a sim card in Jordan is worth it.
When swapping sim cards does not have your preference then have a look into a portable WiFi device. Personally, I am not a big fan of these pocket WiFi's, but I must admit they work pretty well for short trips. Read my HONEST review in my article about how to get WiFi when traveling.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an Orange prepaid sim card for traveling in Jordan. Orange has the best mobile internet network coverage in Jordan and affordable prices. If possible buy your Orange sim card at Amman Airport on arrival.
You can also arrive prepared for your Jordan holiday and get an international sim card with data for traveling to Jordan on the internet. You can easily order them online. Right here, right now! Check out my comparison of the best international sim cards with data in 2023 and get the one that suits your trip.
Looking for the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Jordan in 2023? That is undoubtedly with an e-sim card for Jordan!
Before buying an international prepaid sim card, a local prepaid sim card or an e-sim card for Jordan make sure your phone is unlocked. All these sim cards only work in unlocked phones. If you are not sure about this then ask your mobile internet provider in your home country before your trip.
Related: 16 Best Things To Do in Amman in 2023!
Best e-sim cards for Jordan
No more visiting a sim card store and swapping physical sim card anymore. You can arrange everything online within a couple minutes with an e-sim card. Arrive prepared for your trip to Jordan and keep your own phone number. Order an e-sim card online, receive a QR code, follow the instructions and you are all set.
Check out the following e-sim card plans for traveling to Jordan:
- 1 GB for 7 days = $6.5 USD
- 3 GB for 30 days = $18 USD
Click here to directly order your e-sim card for Jordan or get more info.
The above data-only e-sim cards from Jornet are for use in Jordan only and operate on the 4G/LTE network of Umniah. More about the best mobile data network in Jordan below.
There are also international e-sim cards for Jordan that are valid in more than 120 countries around the world. They also do NOT support phone calls and texting:
- 6 GB data for 8 days = $19.90 USD
- 6 GB data for 15 days = $39.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Jordan.
Where to buy a sim card for Jordan
City center of Amman or Aqaba
When arriving in Amman or Aqaba use Google Maps to locate the nearest Orange, Zain or Umniah store. There are also multiple mobile phone shops that sell sim cards for Jordan. They are slightly more expensive, but the advantage of these mobile phone stores is that they are open until late and the official retails stores of the mobile internet providers mostly close around 6.00 pm.
Mobile phone shops can be found everywhere, the official retail stores of Orange, Zain and Umniah are a little more scarce, but clustered in the city center of Amman and Aqaba.
When buying a prepaid sim card for Jordan you will need to bring your passport and also make sure your phone is unlocked! Foreign sim cards only work in unlocked phones. If you are unsure about this please contact your mobile operator in your home country.
While checking out prices for a Jordan sim card in the Orange, Zain and Umniah stores in Amman city I experienced long waiting lines. To be honest Im pretty sure you don’t want to waste your precious Jordan holiday time waiting in line to buy a local prepaid sim card.
Buying a sim card at Amman Airport
The best places for buying a sim card in Jordan is at Amman Airport on arrival. All 3 mobile internet operators have a store in the arrival hall and it is impossible to miss them when walking into the arrival hall.
The mobile phone stores at Amman Airport are open 24 hours and you can pay by credit card. Read my complete guide for buying a sim card at Amman Airport or watch my vlog about arriving at Amman Airport and buying a sim card for Jordan.
Online
Traveltomtom definitely advices positive when it comes to buying a sim card for Jordan online. However, it is a very simple conclusion that it is more expensive! There are international prepaid sim cards for Jordan as well as e-sim cards for Jordan that start from $6.5 USD for 1 GB. Local prepaid sim cards in Jordan will give you much more value for money, but when buying a sim card for Jordan online, you arrive prepared are connected to the internet as soon as the plane lands.
Mobile internet providers Jordan
There are 3 mobile internet operators in Jordan: Umniah, Zain and Orange. All three providers offer prepaid sim cards for tourists and have coverage all over the country and in the main tourists destination in Jordan you can expect a 4G signal. Umniah claims to be the largest mobile operator in Jordan.
Best mobile network in Jordan in 2023
After comparing the 4G/5G network coverage maps for Jordan I came to the conclusion that there is a big difference in mobile internet network strength between the providers. Let's have a look at the 4G/5G coverage maps for Jordan and you see what I mean.
Is there 5G in Jordan?
No, there is still no 5G in Jordan as per May 2023 which is pretty disappointing when comparing Jordan with many other Middle Eastern countries that are all connected with 5G already. There are news articles from the beginning of 2023 that Umniah is introducing 5G in Jordan, but for tourists using prepaid sim cards the best data connection you can get is 4G+.
Umniah Jordan 4G/5G coverage map
Zain Jordan 4G/5G coverage map
Orange Jordan 4G/5G coverage map
Based on the 3G/4G coverage maps for Jordan I would always recommend tourists to buy either an Orange or a Zain prepaid sim card for Jordan. If you are on a road trip the best sim card for Jordan is Zain. Zain has the best 3G/4G network in Jordan in 2023.
Prices prepaid Jordan sim cards in 2023
The prices below are updated with the latest info as per May 2023. $1 USD = 0.71 JOD and 1 JOD = $1.41 USD. Be aware that the Jordanian Dinar is stronger than the USD.
Orange Jordan prepaid sim card
These are the prepaid sim cards for tourists offered by Orange Jordan:
- 15 GB data + 60 minutes/text in Jordan + 10 minutes international calls/text for 10 days = 10 JOD - $14.1 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited minutes/text in Jordan + 20 minutes international calls for 30 days = 15 JOD - $21.1 USD
Here are some important short codes for Orange Jordan prepaid:
- *155# to check your balance and remaining bundles
- *152# to renew your subscription at any time
- *165# to check additional internet bundles
- *156# to know your offer
For more info check the Orange Jordan website.
Zain Jordan prepaid sim card
All the Zain Jordan prepaid sim cards are valid for 30 days:
- Weekly Visitors Line: 12 GB data + 20 local minutes + 15 international minutes - valid for 1 week = 10.88 JOD - $15.3 USD
- New Visitor Line: 75 GB data + 1,000 local minutes + 50 international minutes - valid for 3 months = 29.23 JOD - $41.2 USD
- Zain International Line: 37.5 GB data + 3,000 local minutes + 3,000 sms - valid for 3 months = 16.12 JOD - $22.7 USD
Check the Zain website for the most up to date prices for prepaid sim cards for visitors.
Umniah Jordan prepaid sim card
Umniah offers several Jordan prepaid sim card plans for tourists, all valid for 1 month. The Umniah sim cards for Jordan come with a lot of data for very competitive prices.
- 5 GB data + unlimited calling in Jordan + 3,000 sms = 6 JOD - $8.5 USD
- 40 GB data + unlimited calling in Jordan + 3,000 sms = 8 JOD - $11.3 USD
For more info check the Umniah website.
Best sim card for Jordan for tourists in 2023
First of all let me recommend you to buy your Jordan prepaid sim card at Amman International Airport may you arrive there. At Queen Alia International Airport you can find great Jordan sim card deals. See for more info my complete guide for buying a sim card at Amman Airport.
Normally Traveltomtom recommends always e-sim cards for traveling abroad but for Jordan there are unfortunately not that many options. If you do not have the opportunity to buy a sim card on arrival at Amman Airport then it is recommended to just get a 1 GB data-only e-sim card for Jordan to get through the first day.
When comparing the prices for Jordan prepaid sim card plans of the mobile internet operators it shows that Umniah is by far the cheapest and Zain the most expensive. Umniah however, has a much weaker 4G network than Zain and Orange.
Based on the prepaid sim card prices and the comparison of the mobile internet operators in Jordan including their 4G network coverage maps the conclusion is that Orange has the best prepaid sim card deals combined with a strong 4G network and therefore Orange is the best sim card for tourists in Jordan in 2023.
Buy a sim card for Jordan online
Rather get a physical sim card shipped to your home address before your trip? Order a international sim card for Jordan online and forget about the hassle of buying one on arrival. Check out the following pre-activated Jordan sim card deals:
- AIS SIM2FLY = 6 GB data in Jordan - valid for 10 days = $19.90 USD
- Orange Holiday World = 10 GB in Jordan - valid for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Jordan directly online or find more info in the link.
I hope all my tips for buying a sim card for Jordan in 2023 were helpful for your upcoming trip to Jordan. If you have any additional questions about traveling in Jordan I am more than happy to help you out.
Last reminder that you can also order a sim card for Jordan online and get it shipped to your home address or simply arrange everything online by ordering an e-sim card for Jordan.
If you are interested what it looks like traveling to every country in the world then check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom for some serious wanderlust. As of May 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries around the world.
Enjoy your trip to Jordan!
Some links in this article about the best way to stay connected in Jordan are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
