Buying a SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA) 2024: Travelers Guide

If you are visiting Cameroon for the first time, buying a SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA) will be much easier by following the instructions in our guide.

Buying a SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA) is a traditional method familiar to many travelers to Cameroon. However, you may have difficulty with your first experience. The article below will help you solve the difficulties you encounter when buying a DLA SIM card.

I. How to get a SIM Card at Douala International Airport (DLA)?

There are three ways to get a SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA), including: buying online before departure, buying at Douala International airport, buying in Douala center.

People who should buy SIM at the airport:

• Need to use the internet as soon as you arrive at the airport
• Experience the excellent access speed of a local SIM card as a priority
• Don’t hesitate with high prices
• There is time to queue

II. Where to Buy a SIM Card at Douala International Airport

For a large airport, especially at Douala International Airport, tourists can buy SIM cards in 2 ways:

• Buy online before departure and pickup at the airport, and
• Buy at the airport upon arrival.

Usually, you can buy a SIM card at the airport at carrier kiosks. Additionally, visitors can purchase SIM cards at convenience stores that sell SIM cards. After getting off the plane, through customs, you will see many kiosks/stores/stands of major networks with bright colors that are easy to see.

Pros:

• Cost is usually lower than online purchasing but not cheaper than other forms of internet use
• Get connected to the Internet as soon as you arrive in Cameroon
• Many choices

Cons:

• Waste of time waiting in line
• Carriers at Douala International Airport are usually open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight. So if you land early in the morning, you won’t be able to buy a SIM card at the airport.

III. Do SIM card shops at DLA airport open after midnight?

No, SIM card shops at DLA Airport usually close between 11 PM and midnight, even though the airport operates 24/7. If you arrive late, these stores may be closed, so consider pre-ordering a SIM card online or using an eSIM if your phone supports it.

IV. What to Prepare for Getting a SIM Card at Douala International Airport – Registration Process

Travelers need to prepare the following to be able to buy a SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA):

• Identification documents (passport)
• The phone is unlocked
• Cash (currently airports in Cameroon do not allow forms of payment other than cash)
• Typically, staff at the provider’s kiosk will assist with SIM installation. Therefore, you do not need to prepare a SIM removal tool.

V. Best Tourist Douala Airport SIM Cards Options and Price

The three major carriers at Douala airport offering a variety of data packages include Nexttel, MTN, Orange Cameroon. Below are best plans and costs respectively offered by these carriers:

1. Nexttel SIM card options and price

Nexttel has many data plans but I will suggest a few that are suitable for travelers:

Packages	Price (XAF)	Volume	Validity
Fly month2	12000	12000 MB	Unlimited
Fly monthly 15	15000	15000 MB	Unlimited
Fly Extra 30	9000	31.5 GB	1.05 GB daily valid till midnight

2. MTN SIM card options and price

Data packages for MTN Cameroon calendar guests:

• 5,000 XAF ($8.23 USD) = 250 MB/day + 2,500 XAF calling credit to all networks for 7 days
• 10,000 XAF )$16.45 USD) = 1 GB / day + 5,000 XAF calls to all networks for 7 days
• 20,000 XAF ($32.9 USD) = 1 GB / day + 10,000 XAF calls to all networks for 30 days

3. Orange Cameroon SIM card options and price

Orange Cameroon is flexible regarding the duration of data packages. They offer 7-day, 15-day, and 30-day data plans:

• 2,650 XAF ($4.36 USD) = 1 GB per day for 7 days
• 5,250 XAF ($8.64 USD) = 1 GB per day for 15 days
• 10,000 XAF ($16.45 USD) = 1 GB per day for 30 days

Note: Information about prices and plan features may change over time.

VI. Cameroon eSIM for Douala – an Alternative to Prepaid SIM Card at Douala International Airport

If you have an eSIM compatible device, it is the best option for Douala. When using eSIM, you won’t need easy-to-lose SIM cards. It is compact and saves space inside the phone.

Gigago is a famous SIM card provider from Hong Kong offering eSIM plans for more than 200 countries, including Cameroon.

Gigago offers different Cameroon eSIM data plans ranging from 1, 3, 5 GB high-speed data. For only $10.50 , you get 1 GB of high speed for 7 days.

VIII. FAQs

IX. Conclusion

Above is the necessary information about the SIM card at Douala International Airport (DLA). Hope this information is helpful for you. Don’t forget to check out eSIM from Gigago for your next trip to Cameroon.