ArriveAntigua: the online form and its QR code
V.C. Bird International Airport's customs and immigration page says passengers can complete the immigration and customs declaration online at ArriveAntigua.com within 72 hours of their scheduled flight and receive a QR code, which can be saved as a screenshot, added to a phone wallet or kept as an email confirmation. The page says completing the form is encouraged rather than mandatory and that assistance is available at the airport for those who have not done it.
Rely on the airport's page for the current status and check it before you fly. Whichever applies, the practical advice is the same: complete it before landing and keep the QR code where you can open it without a signal, as the airport page does not mention Wi-Fi or SIM sales for arriving passengers.
Digicel's prepaid bundles, by the day
Digicel Antigua and Barbuda's prepaid page lists Prime Ultra bundles priced in Eastern Caribbean dollars. At the time of checking, a 1-day bundle cost XCD 11.00 for 3.5 GB of any-use data plus 5 GB of entertainment data, a 3-day bundle cost XCD 27.50 for 6 GB plus 15 GB, a 7-day bundle cost XCD 48.00 for 8.5 GB plus 35 GB, and a 30-day bundle cost XCD 132.00 for 20 GB plus 150 GB with 100 international or regional minutes. All include unlimited local calls, and unlimited local SMS.
Be careful with the split between any-use and entertainment data. The page lists entertainment data separately from any-use data without saying which services it covers, so for navigation, ride booking and messaging count only the any-use figure. The page lists the requirements for switching to Digicel as a valid government-issued ID, an activated Flow SIM and a compatible handset, which describes the switching route, not the purchase of a prepaid SIM by a visitor, so we do not claim it applies to visitors.
The 3-day travel eSIM
Digicel's tourist page lists a Travel SIM eSIM with 5.5 GB of any-use data, endless local calls and 3 days of validity at XCD 27.00 including tax. The page says plans can be managed in the MyDigicel app and that eSIM activation is instant on compatible devices, but it lists no longer-stay options, so a week or more is better served by the prepaid bundles above.
Digicel's separate Caribbean Roam Easy plans, 3 GB for 3 days at XCD 20, 7 GB for 7 days at XCD 42 and 14 GB for 14 days at XCD 80, are listed as roaming products, so they are for customers travelling from Antigua rather than for visitors arriving. We could not open Flow's Antigua and Barbuda pages and found no official source for an airport SIM counter, so we make no claim about either.
Entry requirements and electricity
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority's FAQ says visitors need a valid passport, a return or onward ticket, accommodation confirmation and sufficient funds, with visa details on its travel resources page. It also says the islands use 240 volts at 50 cycles AC, with a few hotels at 110 volts and 60 cycles, and that adaptors are generally available at resorts.
The FAQ does not answer questions about phones, SIM cards, cell service or roaming, and points visitors to the tourism authority's contact details instead. Check roaming terms with your home operator, and ask your hotel whether a given beach or marina has reception, because the authority publishes no coverage information.
Emergency numbers
The UK Foreign Office gives 999 or 911 for ambulance, fire and police in Antigua and Barbuda. Digicel lists unlimited local calls on its bundles and the travel eSIM.
If you plan a boat day or a trip to Barbuda, tell your accommodation where you are going and keep their number in the phone, since we found no information on coverage on the sister island.
Adding an eSIM without losing your own number
Apple says an iPhone must be unlocked to use a travel eSIM and that you choose the cellular data line in Settings, Cellular, while iMessage and FaceTime remain on the home number. Google says Pixel 3a and later phones support one physical SIM and one eSIM. Samsung describes SIM manager for adding an eSIM. Our Antigua and Barbuda plan page is another way to arrange data before the flight.
Networks our Antigua & Barbuda plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Antigua & Barbuda, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Digicel4G
- Flow4G
- FLOW4G
- FLOW (LLA)4G