The Complete and Easy Guide to Buying a SIM Card in Belize

Last updated: 25 June 2023

If you’re planning a holiday to the sun-drenched tropical paradise that is Belize then you might be thinking about the best way to remain connected during your stay. One of the easiest options to stay online during your visit is by buying a SIM card in Belize, and the good news is that you can get it sorted quickly and easily at the airport! This is great news if you’re planning on hiring a car because you can ensure you have working Google maps (which will be needed) before you set off on the roads.  

In a hurry? Don’t have time to read the whole post? 

Click HERE to find out where to buy a SIM card in Belize airport

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The Network Choices

If you’re planning on buying a SIM card in Belize then you should know that there are two mobile networks in Belize, DigiCell a subsidiary and mobile division of the national carrier Belize Telemedia Limited, and Smart!, a newcomer after the government of Belize opened up the industry to competition in 2005.

Both DigiCell and Smart! networks offer 3G and 4G services and most provide good signal in the main cities and tourist locations such as Belize City, San Ignacio, and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.

The one thing you need to be aware of is the cost because data services in Belize are not as cheap as some European countries (such as Poland or Latvia) so if you need Internet access then you’re going to need to pay for it. It’s not as exorbitant as it once was, but not as cheap as you’d think it should be.

How Much Will It Cost?

So the ultimate question when buying a SIM card in Belize is just how much is it going to cost me and that really depends on how much data you think you’re going to need. Personally I think the best way to look at it as I would rather have too much than not enough, especially if we’re driving and need to rely on the phone for directions. Why go through the hassle of topping up your prepaid credit on the go if you can avoid it.

Prices shown below are in US Dollars. Remembering that the Belizean dollar is pegged to the US Dollar at 2:1. Simply double the US$ amounts listed below to get the value in $BZ dollars.

DigiCell

DigiCell offers a various prepaid plans so you have plenty of choice when it comes to choosing which one works best for you. If you’re anything like us then it’s all about the data allowance. We basically live on the Internet so having data access was an absolute must for us, if there’s a choice between calls/text and data, then data wins every time. If you’re the same then the below prepaid data plans will definitely be of interest.

If you plan on using your mobile phone for calls then know that it will cost you $0.53 per minute to another Digi customer otherwise it will be $0.56 per minute to other numbers. Since you’ll only be visiting for a short time and will likely not know if the number you’re calling belongs to Digi then just assume it will be $0.56 per minute. 

If you’re looking to use a combination of calls, text, and data then perhaps you might be interested in the Digi bundle deals which offer all 3 together but you won’t have the same high data allowance compared to the specific data plans. You’ll need to understand how you plan on using your mobile phone whilst in Belize in order to select the most appropriate and cost-effective prepaid plan. We selected the data plan and used it throughout our time in Belize without an issue and if we needed to make calls then we used Whatsapp and Skype. 

Smart!

Smart! advertises a tourist SIM for travelers which great news for those visitors looking for a combination of calls, text, and data. At the time of writing, there are two options for the Smart! Tourist SIM;

• $45 for $35 worth of calls, 130 SMS, and UNLIMITED data with an expiry of 10 days
• $20 for $11 worth of calls, 25 SMS, and UNLIMITED data with an expiry of 24 hours

Other prepaid options are outlined in the table below and include data options from 165MB up to 32GB.

Where to Buy a SIM Card in Belize?

One thing to consider when contemplating buying a SIM card in Belize is the network reach of the mobile operator you choose. After spotting various DigiCell signs throughout the country, we were aware that DigiCell SIM cards could be purchased in many places like convenience stores, or service stations when you fill up your rental car with fuel. Smart! signs were far less frequent, however arriving at the main Belize international airport on a Sunday, this was our only option. Our adventure in Belize immediately took us from the airport into the wilderness of far west Belize so it was convenient for us to purchase a SIM card while at the airport.

If you’re staying in Belize City, or headed to the Cayes, you can easily pick one up in town at supermarkets, post offices or small retailers many of which will be closed on Sundays.

Buying a SIM Card at Belize Airport

Once you arrive at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, Belize’s main international airport and pass through the lengthy immigration and customs line, head outside to the sunshine that will be waiting for you.

Situated across the road from the terminal are the various car rental companies should you wish to rent a car in Belize. On the left side of the rental companies is a shopfront called TC, this small business offers several services; one being car rental but other (and the reason for our visit) is the sale of local SIM cards. Unlike most shops in Belize, TC is open on Sundays. Phew! 

Once you walk in, explain to the person behind the counter that you’d like to buy a SIM card, and they will produce a list of prices (similar to the above) on the Smart! Network.

It’s a requirement for tourists to complete a registration form and provide an address, one of your hotel will do. You will also need to show ID, your passport is sufficient.

SIM cards come in three different sizes depending on the phone you have.  Most SIM cards are now manufactured in a convenient 3-in-1 SIM adapter which means you should be able to get a SIM card in any size. It’s always wise to check before handing over payment:

• Standard SIM (15 x 25mm) 
• Micro SIM (12 x 15mm)
• Nano SIM (8.8 x 12.3mm)  

Select the most appropriate data option for you and they will take care of the rest. If you’re not sure how to do any of the following, you can ask TC staff to do it for you;

• SIM card activation
• Inserting the SIM card into your phone
• Affixing your personal SIM to the plastic SMART! Card to ensure you don’t lose it
• Write down your Belizean mobile number (7 digits)

Tip: You will need to ensure your phone is unlocked from your home network before using a SIM card in Belize. When using a local SIM, you should always leave the store with a working SIM and data connection. If it doesn’t work, ask the seller to assist you with troubleshooting. It may be that you need to register the SIM card on the network, and/or top it up with credit for it to work.

The SIM Card and Plan We Chose

We opted for a 6.3GB data plan with Smart! for $40 USD (£32), valid for a month. Estimating that this amount of data would cover two data-heavy users for our two weeks in Belize.  It’s a good idea to err on the side of caution when deciding how much data you need.  Our logic is that we’d rather have too much data than be stuck on the road without any internet access. 

Where and How to Top Up

We ensured there was no need to top up by getting enough data on the original plan. However, if you find yourself without credit, there are a number of ways to recharge or “top up” your phone.

Smart!

• Purchase a prepaid card from any Smart! showroom or certified prepaid card agent in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Scratch the security strip off the back of the card to reveal your PIN number. Dial 120 + the PIN number and the denomination purchased will be added to your account.
• Online. Simply provide your Belize phone number, how much you wish to top up by, and pay by credit card.
• In person:  Using a Smart! (sometimes called a gimmedalla) agent, provide your Belize phone number you want to send credit to and the top up amount up to $500. The agent will then transfer the amount to your account. Once the transaction has been completed, you will receive a SMS confirming receipt of your recharge.

For a comprehensive list of available options, check directly with Smart!

DigiCell

Numerous options available to top up your prepaid SIM.

• PrePaid cards at any Digi offices countrywide which are available in denominations of $5 & $10. TopUp your phone by entering the unique pin on the card.
• Authorised agents can be used with the Direct TopUp option. Provide your DigiCell PrePaid number and the amount you want to recharge. Credit will automatically be added to your DigiCell PrePaid account.
• Online top up for DigiCell is available via one of several third-party sites. Ding, My Top Ups, and e-Top Up are the three authorised agents, payment is using a Visa or MasterCard.

For a comprehensive list of available options, check directly with DigiCell.

5 Tips for Using Your Local Sim Card in Belize

There are a number of important things to be aware of when using a local SIM card. Here are some tips on how to maximise your Internet allowances. You may need to adjust some settings on your phone so if you’re not sure how to do any of the below then a YouTube search might be helpful otherwise please feel free to send us a message and I will try to answer your questions. 

• Data Usage Settings 

1. 1. To ensure that you don’t run out of your prepaid credit at the worst possible time, stuck on the side of a muddy road, keep an eye on your data usage. You can adjust this in your device settings.

• Photo Backup

1. 1. If you use the cloud (iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Photos) to backup your photos, ensure your settings are set to backup when on WiFi Only. That will ensure you don’t use your precious Internet allowance unnecessarily.
   2. If you are tethering devices to your local SIM then you’ll need to disable the photos backup on the other devices otherwise it will backup using the local SIM card data as this is technically a WiFi network. 
      

      What is Tethering?

      Is the concept of linking of a computer, phone or tablet to a smartphone in order to connect to the Internet. This is also called a Mobile Hotspot.

• Podcast Downloads

1. 1. If you love podcasts as much as we do then you probably download quite a few often and you might even have automatic downloads setup for new episodes. Make sure you disable this setting when using your local SIM card or have it set to WiFi when back at your hotel or Airbnb.

• App Updates

1. 1. We’ve been caught out once or twice in the past when we’ve bought a local SIM, tethered a tablet, only to have the tablet try and update all the Apps that were pending/ready for an update. This can easily use a lot of the data without you realising. Make sure you adjust your App download preference to “ask me every time” to prevent this happening to you.

• Offline Google Maps

1. 1. The best piece of advice we can give you is to download your Google Maps offline BEFORE you arrive in Belize. You can select quite a large geographical area in Google Maps to download locally to the phone memory which means that you can perform a map search (and yes that includes navigation) even when you’re offline. This is perfect for those instances when you need to search for a place and you find yourself out of network coverage. 
   2. The size of the download file will depend on the area(s) that you want to download. If you don’t have enough space on your device then consider picking up an additional memory card (if your phone supports it) to ensure you have enough space. 

A local SIM card makes road trip navigation a breeze…

Verdict

Looking back on our time in Belize, I know I made a good when choosing a SIM card.

The amount of data of 6.3GB was a good choice because we ended up using 6GB by the time we flew out. Turning off our auto backups and utilising WiFi in accommodations meant that our usage was a combination of maps, social media, and tethering multiple devices. 

The carrier we chose was Smart! Without decent coverage maps available from either carrier it was, and remains, impossible to tell if opting for DigiCell, the dominant carrier in the country, would yield better coverage outside major cities, especially in the remote backroads of Orange Walk and Gallon Jug, where we found ourselves without any coverage at all.  I’ll admit it was a bit of a coin toss to choose a provider and for the most part we had what we needed more often than not.

Final Thoughts

If you’re planning a visit to Belize and want to remain connected during your trip then make sure you buy a local SIM card from the airport. It’s quick and easy which means that you can start your Belizean holiday with peace of mind knowing you have a reliable internet connection on a local mobile network. 

If you’re planning your trip to Belize, we’ve got a comprehensive guide on what to pack or if you’re looking to hire a car during your stay then make sure you check out this post on everything you need to know about renting a car in Belize. 

Happy Travels