Are you planning your trip to Jordan and looking for the best way to stay connected? Don't get stuck with high roaming charges or slow overseas data roaming plans. This is the ultimate guide for buying a prepaid sim card in Jordan.
Let me help you find the best sim card for your trip to Jordan in 2024.
Find out where to buy a prepaid sim card, the best 4G/5G network in Jordan, up to date prices as per November 2024, my recommendation, the best eSIMs for Jordan and more.
In the past I always used to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival but nowadays I mostly order an eSIM on the internet.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card for Jordan
- Where to buy a sim card for Jordan
- Mobile internet providers Jordan
- Best 4G/5G mobile data network in Jordan in 2024
- Prices prepaid Jordan sim cards in 2024
- Best sim card for Jordan for tourists in 2024
- Best eSIMs for Jordan
- Buy a prepaid sim card for Jordan online
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for traveling in Jordan are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
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.
It is recommended to buy your Orange sim card at Amman Airport on arrival, because in the city it gets a little more complicated.
Here is my guide on how to buy a sim card at Amman Airport in 2024.
But wouldn't it be nice to already have data on your phone when the plane lands? Get yourself an eSIM for Jordan and there is no need to worry anymore about buying a prepaid sim card in Jordan.
Traveltomtom mostly uses Airalo or SimOptions eSIM for Jordan, other great alternatives are Jetpac or Roamless.
If your phone is not eSIM compatible then you can look into physical prepaid sim cards for traveling to Jordan. Check out my comparison of the best international sim cards with data in 2024 and get the one that suits your trip.
Before buying an international prepaid sim card, a local prepaid sim card or an eSIM 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 2024.
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.
Getting connected to the internet is my first priority when planning a trip to a new country.
As I like to document all my travel tips and I also like to travel to every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom 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 eSIM advice for your next destination. Bookmark me!
When swapping sim cards does not have your preference then you can also 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.
Where to buy a sim card for Jordan
Phone stores in 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. These sim cards are often slightly more expensive because these phone shops also need to make some money.
The advantage of these mobile phone stores over the official mobile internet 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 donât want to waste your precious holiday time in Jordan waiting in line to buy a local prepaid sim card. Trust me there are better places to buy a sim card for Jordan.
Buying a sim card at Amman Airport
The best places for buying a prepaid sim card in Jordan is at Amman Airport on arrival. All the mobile internet operators have a store in the arrival hall and it is impossible to miss them when walking into the arrival hall after the last custom check.
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.
It is very easy to buy a Jordan sim card on arrival at Amman Airport and as of November 2024 all the mobile internet operators also offer eSIMs for tourists as well as physical prepaid sim cards at the sim card shops at Amman Airport.
Online
Traveltomtom definitely is an advocate for buying a sim card for Jordan on the internet. There are international prepaid sim cards for Jordan for those who don't have an eSIM compatible phone.
But the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Jordan is an eSIM. There are already Jordan eSIMs for just $6 USD and as soon as you arrive you are connected to the internet an can enjoy data on your phone.
There are several recommended eSIM providers: Airalo, SimOptions, Jetpac, Sim Local, etc.
Mobile internet providers Jordan
There are 3 mobile internet operators in Jordan: Umniah, Zain and Orange. All three mobile internet operators offer prepaid sim cards for tourists and have pretty good coverage all over the country. In most of the popular tourists destination in Jordan you can expect a 4G/LTE signal.
Umniah claims to be the largest mobile operator in Jordan, let's see if they are also the best sim card for traveling to Jordan after Traveltomtom's comparison of all the mobile internet operators in Jordan.
Best 4G/5G mobile data network in Jordan in 2024
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?
Yes, there is finally 5G in Jordan but they only starte rolling it out in the summer of 2023. Don't get too excited about 5G in Jordan as it is very much limited to central areas in the capital city Amman.
In fact the 5G network coverage is pretty disappointing when comparing Jordan with other Middle Eastern countries where 5G is very advanced. As of 2024 Orange has the best 5G network coverage in Jordan.
Umniah Jordan 4G/5G network coverage map
Zain Jordan 4G/5G network coverage map
Orange Jordan 4G/5G network coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2024 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Jordan in 2024.
Based on the 4G/5G 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 probably Orange, but Zain is not far behind.
Prices prepaid Jordan sim cards in 2024
The prices and info below are updated with the latest info as per November 2024. Prices are in Jordanian Dinar $1 USD = 0.71 JOD and 1 JOD = $1.41 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.
Orange offers eSIMs for tourists, as well as at Amman Airport as in official Orange shops in Jordan. You can also still opt for a physical prepaid sim card.
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.
Zain offers eSIMs for tourists, as well as at Amman Airport as in official Zain shops in Jordan. You can also still opt for a physical prepaid sim card.
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. Umniah offers eSIMs for tourists, as well as at Amman Airport as in official Umniah shops in Jordan. You can also still opt for a physical prepaid sim card.
Best sim card for Jordan for tourists in 2024
If you want to buy a local prepaid sim card in Jordan then buy one at Amman International Airport on arrival. So much easier!
At Queen Alia International Airport you can find great Jordan sim cards for tourists and the shops are open 24 hours. For more info check my complete guide for buying a sim card at Amman Airport in 2024.
Traveltomtom is also an advocate for using eSIMs when traveling abroad. Super convenient but eSIMs for Jordan are a little more expensive than the prepaid sim cards you buy in Jordan.
For the convenience of being online as soon as the plane lands I happily pay a couple dollar extra. Traveltomtom therefore recommends ordering an eSIM for Jordan via either Airalo or SimOptions.
Umniah is the cheapest sim card in Jordan and Zain the most expensive Jordan sim card. Umniah however, has a much weaker 4G/5G network than Zain and Orange. Traveltomtom does not recommend an Umniah sim card for traveling in Jordan.
All in all Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Orange is the best prepaid sim card for tourists in Jordan in 2024.
As of 2024 it is also possible for tourists to opt for an eSIMs in phone stores in Jordan. It can be challenging to find a nearby store and waiting lines can be long in store. Therefore Traveltomtom recommends ordering an eSIM for Jordan on the internet.
Best eSIMs for Jordan
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Jordan in 2024 is an eSIM. No more visiting a sim card store and swapping physical sim card. You can arrange everything online within a couple clicks.
You order an eSIM for Jordan on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Jordan eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Jordan it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable eSIM provider that sells eSIMs from pretty much every country in the world. Check out the Airalo eSIM plans for traveling to Jordan in 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $9.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $12.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $19 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $32.5 USD
Click here for more info or to directly order your eSIM for Jordan via Airalo.
The above data-only eSIMs from Jornet are for use in Jordan only and operate on the 4G/LTE network of Zain. These Airalo eSIMs do not support incoming and outgoing calls/sms.
SimOptions
SimOptions is a reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used SimOptions in more than 50 countries around the world and never faced an issue.
SimOptions sells international eSIMs for Jordan that are valid in up to 122 countries around the world.
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11.90 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $18.90 USD
- 6 GB data for 8 days = $19.90 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $35.90 USD
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $39.90 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $71.90 USD
- 30 GB data for 30 days = $99.90 USD
Click here to order an international eSIM for Jordan via SimOptions.
Please make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Jordan.
Buy a prepaid sim card for Jordan online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to Jordan online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in Jordan with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Jordan, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Jordan:
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international prepaid sim card for Jordan via SimOptions.
This Orange Holiday World physical prepaid sim card is valid in 124 countries around the world including Jordan.
I am sure some of my tips for buying a sim card for Jordan in 2024 were helpful for your upcoming trip to Jordan. If you have any questions about traveling in Jordan I am more than happy to help you out.
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 November 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries around the world.
Enjoy your trip to Jordan!