Register a local SIM at a seller that can record your identity
Haiti's telecoms regulator CONATEL instructs buyers to use points of sale that can register their identity. Its circular says the operator must deactivate a SIM within 24 hours if that registration is not completed. A separate CONATEL notice, which dates its requirements from October 2012, lists a passport, driving licence or national identity card and an address, and says a foreign buyer should present a passport and home-country address. Bring the physical passport to an authorised seller, verify the registration is attached to your own line and retain the purchase details. Do not rely on an unregistered card sold informally, even if it initially connects.
The same notice lets a buyer who has no document be accompanied by someone who does, and says no one may buy ten SIM cards in a single purchase. It does not set out an easier visitor process, so the passport instruction is the clearest for foreign customers. For group purchases, ask whose identity will be recorded for each line. Digicel's Haiti terms treat an eSIM as a SIM under its customer agreement.
Read Digicel's data-only and talk bundles separately
Digicel Haiti lists DigiNèt data bundles alongside DigiPaleNèt bundles combining data and calling minutes. Its published prepaid page showed a seven-day DigiNèt listing with 12 GB and a price of HTG 550 at the time of checking; the page labels part of the allowance as a bonus, so confirm the usable base data, promotional conditions and actual expiry in MyDigicel before payment. Some other listings have a title and validity field that disagree. A short title alone is therefore a poor basis for planning a full week's connectivity.
Digicel says plans can be activated in MyDigicel and topped up online using the Haitian number. Its September 2026 terms say a new prepaid cycle can forfeit unused minutes, data and days. Check expiry before adding another bundle. The terms acknowledge an eSIM service, but the Haiti tourist page contains Jamaica-specific text and zero-priced placeholders. Confirm local eSIM issuance directly with Digicel rather than treating that page as a trustworthy Haiti offer.
Natcom lists longer data packages through NatStore
Natcom's own NatStore publishes data packages with different validity periods. At the time of checking it displayed BASIC at 1,300 gourdes for a 15-day package with 30 GB in its description, and PLUS at 2,700 gourdes for 30 days with 60 GB. The page uses the word illimité beside several finite GB amounts, so do not read that as unlimited full-speed data without checking the product details. The package options on the page offer to register a package on a number or for another number, which suggests an existing Natcom line is needed. Confirm the exact data allowance and whether a newly registered visitor line can take the offer before paying.
NatStore gives customer-care contacts 111, 110 and (+509) 2222 8888. Save these with the Haitian number and receipt in case a package fails to attach. The public package page does not establish a visitor eSIM process for Natcom. Ask an authorised outlet about physical SIM and eSIM availability, then test mobile data after registration and purchase. A top-up interface does not replace CONATEL's initial identity step.
A Port-au-Prince field test found local weak spots
CONATEL's 2024 quality report measured Digicel and Natcom in selected parts of the Port-au-Prince area. It found 4G indications at most measurement points, while documenting other connection types and degraded data performance on some roads. The report found no internet access on either network at the reservoir block in Haut Turgeau, signal variation on both networks on Route de Frères, and very poor Digicel data at one point in Delmas 40B. Those are observations from the regulator's 2024 route, not a current national coverage percentage or a claim that every street has the same result today.
For a route outside Port-au-Prince, the report gives little certainty. A phone can show network attachment while maps or document uploads fail. Ask a host about its location and check current operator information. Download the address, offline map and contacts. Arrange another way to communicate if a transfer depends on a time-sensitive message.
Check eSIM eligibility with the operator, then protect the working line
Digicel's Haiti terms include physical SIMs and eSIMs and require a visit to an authorised Digicel retail store for eSIM activation. The shop scans a QR code and downloads the profile; new customers receive a new number, while existing customers keep theirs. The separately labelled Haiti tourist page refers to Jamaica and shows placeholder prices, so it cannot confirm a Haiti tourist tariff. Ask the authorised shop whether it can issue the line for your unlocked handset and how it handles a lost QR code.
A dual-SIM phone can keep a home number active for important messages while using the Haitian line for data, but review the selected line and the home operator's roaming rates. Save the QR and line details securely, and do not delete a working eSIM merely to test reception on another road. Digicel's terms warn that radio service exists only within range of base stations and can be affected by obstructions, faults and conditions on the network. Treat loss of signal as a reason to use prearranged offline instructions, not to repeatedly reinstall the same profile.
A Haitian package does not answer the next country's roaming question
Digicel Haiti publishes separate Caribbean and international roaming packages for its own customers leaving Haiti. It says Caribbean Roam Easy use applies to specified Digicel territories and offers activation through *153# or MyDigicel. This is an outgoing service from a Digicel line, not proof that an unrelated home plan includes Haiti. If an itinerary also mentions the Dominican Republic, check current border conditions and the destination's mobile tariff independently. The UK travel advice currently says the Haiti–Dominican Republic border is closed to travellers and its status can change at short notice.
Ask the home provider for the precise Haiti roaming zone, allowance and charges. A phone with two lines may choose the wrong one for data after reconnection, so inspect settings after a flight or reset. Keep the primary number reachable for travel coordination, but disable paid data roaming unless its rate is understood. Digicel's local bundles, its outgoing roaming and a home operator's incoming roaming have different terms.
Save emergency contacts and plan for a failed connection
The UK government lists 116 for ambulance, 115 for fire and 122 for police in Haiti. It warns that emergency services may be unable to respond or may arrive after long delays because of the security situation. Digicel's Haiti terms say a prepaid customer can still call emergency services and Digicel Customer Care while the SIM remains connected to the network. Keep a voice-capable line and the contact details of a trusted local organisation or accommodation, then share the route and expected check-in time before travel.
The UK government advises against all travel to Haiti and notes that a major disaster can severely disrupt transport and communications. A mobile plan can help with updates, but it cannot make a blocked road or failed base station accessible. Store essential addresses, identity documents and medical details offline, agree how to check in if messages stop, and avoid a last-minute purchase that requires an unstable connection. Review official security and transport advice as closely as the mobile tariff before any essential journey.
Networks our Haiti plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Haiti, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Digicel5G