How to Buy a SIM Card in French Polynesia in 2026

For most visitors the best SIM card for French Polynesia is a local one: the Vini travel card, sold at Tahiti's Faa'a airport and in Vini shops. We do not sell a data plan that covers French Polynesia, and our pay-as-you-go eSIM is expensive on the islands' networks, so this guide is about buying the right local card: what Vini and Vodafone charge, where to buy, and what coverage to expect beyond Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. Our options for the country are on the French Polynesia eSIM page.

Two networks

French Polynesia has two mobile operators: Vini, part of OPT, the state post and telecoms office, and Vodafone, sold locally by Pacific Mobile Telecom. One French source names a third, Ora, which we could not confirm. Vini has 4G on the 65 largest or most inhabited islands; Vodafone's prepaid service is reported to be limited mostly to Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. If your trip goes beyond those three, Vini is the safer choice.

The Vini travel card

Vini's official 2026 offers guide lists two travel cards, with prices in F CFP (XPF) including 13% VAT:

• 20 Go with 30 minutes of local calls or calls to the Premium international zone: 4 000 F.
• 40 Go with 60 minutes of local calls or Premium international calls: 8 000 F.

The line is valid for 30 days for outgoing calls and the card stays active for 3 months; you recharge on 7001. Older guides still list a 9 Go card and a 30 Go card at the same two prices: those are the earlier versions, and the 2026 cards give you more data.

Vodafone's cards

Vodafone's prices are from a February 2025 guide: Vodacard 10 GB for 30 days at 1,800 XPF; the Vodafone Travel SIM with 20 GB, 30 local and 18 international minutes for 30 days at 3,800 XPF; and Maeva Prestige 60 GB for 30 days at 4,900 XPF. That is good value if you are staying on Tahiti, Moorea or Bora Bora.

Where to buy, and what you need

Vini and Vodafone both have counters inside the terminal at Faa'a International Airport, and the card is activated on the spot. A Relay in the airport also sells SIMs. In Papeete both operators have shops, and convenience stores help if you land late. Vini's own visitor page simply sends you to its shops. On the smaller islands there are few stores or none, so buy on Tahiti before you fly on. Bring your passport: it is needed to buy and register a card, and one source says proof of address can be asked for too.

Coverage beyond Tahiti

4G is solid in the populated parts of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, with Papeete strongest. In the Tuamotu (Fakarava, Rangiroa, Tikehau) and the Marquesas (Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva), 4G can be spotty or simply absent outside the main villages, and you will often drop to 3G or 2G. Download maps and boarding passes before you leave Tahiti.

What we can offer

Our Global PAYG Data eSIM works in French Polynesia on the Vini and Vodafone networks, but at a high rate: the €17.50 of credit included with the $20 eSIM would not go far. Use it, if at all, for the first hours after landing, to message your hotel and book a ride, then switch to a Vini card. The O2 SMS Only eSIM is more useful: for $8 a month it gives you a private UK number that receives texts worldwide, so bank and login codes still reach you while a Vini card is doing the data. Your phone needs to support two SIMs, or a SIM and an eSIM, at once.

Side by side

Our recommendation

Buy a Vini travel card, the 20 Go version for a typical two-week trip, at the Faa'a airport counter or a Vini shop in Papeete, and choose Vini over Vodafone if you are visiting the Tuamotu or the Marquesas. Add the O2 SMS Only eSIM before you leave home so your bank codes keep arriving. Set-up steps for our eSIMs are in our eSIM installation guide, and our options for the country are on the French Polynesia eSIM page.