Read the travel advice before the SIM options
The UK Foreign Office's page, last updated on 2 September 2026 when we checked, says it advises against all travel to specific regions and against all but essential travel to the remaining areas of Venezuela. The reasons it lists include border security concerns within 40 to 80 km of the borders with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana, danger in the Orinoco Mining Arc in Bolívar state, and safety risks in Zulia state. It warns that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against the advice.
Other governments publish their own advice, and it changes. A traveller should read their own government's current guidance, check insurance cover, and treat the rest of this guide as background for people who have decided to go regardless.
Digitel's eSIM: passport, selfie, fingerprint and signature
Digitel says its eSIM is available to prepaid and postpaid customers. To purchase one through the Digitel app you need to be the owner of the line, hold a valid identity document, which can be a passport or a national ID, have an eSIM-compatible device and a valid email address. The identity check uses a fingerprint, facial recognition and a digital signature. Digitel lists the steps as downloading the app, selecting a plan, scanning the identity document, capturing a selfie and fingerprint, providing a signature matching the document, paying by debit card, credit card or mobile payment and then installing through a QR code.
Digitel says individuals can also activate through authorised agents or service centres nationwide. Compatible phones listed include iPhone 11 to 14 series, Samsung Galaxy S, Z and Note 20 models, Google Pixel, OPPO and Huawei. It does not say whether a foreign visitor without a local line can complete the digital process, or whether a fingerprint can be captured from a foreign passport holder, so ask at a service centre. Until Digitel confirms the process for visitors, plan for registration in person with a passport.
Digitel prepaid data: terms that bite
Digitel's conditions for prepaid data packages say a package can be activated whenever needed provided there is enough balance, that data not consumed is eliminated after one month and that, from 2 September 2026, packages do not renew automatically. Data can be used on 3G and 4G LTE for mobile lines and only on 4G LTE for mobile internet lines. Packages are activated through the Digitel app, the Tu Cuenta portal, by calling 121 or at authorised service centres.
The page lists package categories of data, voice and SMS, and night and weekend packs, but not prices or sizes, so we cannot quote them. The practical points are to renew manually, use the data within the month, and check that your phone supports the 3G and 4G bands the page implies.
Networks, slow data and power cuts
The UK Foreign Office says mobile operators provide 4G in major cities and slower 3G nationwide, that internet service is generally slow outside major cities and that reliability suffers from frequent outages. It says power outages are frequent and can occur without warning, can occur nationwide and can disrupt mobile signals and internet across the whole country, including Caracas, and suggests monitoring your airline for flight disruption caused by power failures.
The same page recommends keeping backup power. For a phone, that means a charged power bank, offline maps and a written copy of your accommodation address, because a power cut can remove both the signal and the charger at once.
Blocked websites and VPN tools: what Freedom House reports
Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2024 report, covering 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2024, scored Venezuela 30 out of 100 and rated it Not Free. It said at least 120 URLs were blocked as of March 2024, including at least 51 news websites, and that after the July 2024 presidential election, which fell after its reporting period, the government ordered the blocking of X and Signal. It also said the domains of the VPN tools TunnelBear and Psiphon remained blocked, while Tor remained technically accessible despite attempts to block it.
These are the findings of an independent monitor, and the list of blocked services changes. A visitor who relies on a particular messaging app, news site or VPN should check its current availability before travelling and keep an alternative channel such as ordinary calls and SMS. We did not find an official Venezuelan source that sets out the rules for visitors using VPNs, so we do not describe their legal status.
Phones in public, photography and the emergency number
The UK Foreign Office advises against displaying phones, cameras or valuables in public, and says photography of military or strategic installations, including military airports and the presidential palace, is illegal and can lead to detention. It warns that if you are detained, you may not be allowed to contact relatives, friends or the British Embassy while checks are carried out.
It gives 911 as the emergency number for ambulance, fire and police. Tell someone your itinerary and keep the number of your embassy or consulate saved offline.
Networks our Venezuela plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Venezuela, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Digitel4G
- TelefonicaLTE
- Telefonica Moviles VenezuelaLTE