Best SIM Card for Tourists in Delhi (2026)
Entry fees, opening times and fares in India change often. Please check before you travel.
New Planning with ChatGPT or Gemini? Paste the plan and we'll price it with real hotels and a car. Price my itinerary Delhi is the first of three stops on The Boutique Golden Triangle 5 nights · with Agra and Jaipur · from £430 per person See it →Get an Airtel or Jio SIM when you land in Delhi. Airtel has a counter in Terminal 3 arrivals, and both operators sell tourist plans that bundle the connection with data and handle the paperwork a foreign passport needs. Expect to pay more than the resident prepaid prices you see online (about ₹350 to ₹400 for 28 days with 1.5 to 2 GB a day), so ask what you are getting and what the total is before you hand over your passport. You will need your passport and visa, a photocopy of both, and a passport-sized photo. Allow anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days for the number to go live.
Without a local SIM, Ola won't verify you (it needs an Indian number for OTP), Uber becomes a pain because drivers can't call you, you can't use UPI payments, and you're dependent on spotty hotel WiFi. Get this sorted first.
Where To Buy
At the Airport (Best Option)
Terminal 3 has telecom counters in the arrivals hall, after you clear customs and before the exit doors. Airtel has a counter there. Other operators come and go, so if you have a preference, ask, and otherwise take whichever desk is staffed when you land. Every international flight into Delhi lands at Terminal 3, so this is where you will be. Terminals 1 and 2 handle domestic flights only.
Airport advantages:
- Staff deal with foreign passports all day
- English is spoken
- You can walk out connected rather than hunting for a shop Bring your own photocopy and photo rather than relying on the counter to make them.
The counters are open for most arriving flights, including late-night ones. If you land at an odd hour and the counters are closed, head to your hotel and pick up a SIM the next morning, your hotel front desk can usually point you to the nearest shop.
Before you leave the airport, also check our guide on getting from Delhi airport to the city to sort your transport.
In the City
Any authorised Airtel or Jio store can sell you a tourist SIM. Useful locations:
- Connaught Place, multiple Airtel and Jio stores along the inner and outer circle
- Khan Market, small phone shops near the main strip
- Karol Bagh, Ajmal Khan Road has several mobile shops
City shops charge the same price but activation can take longer, up to 24 hours in some cases. You'll also need to bring your own passport photocopy and photo, which the airport counters handle for you.
What You Need
- Passport, original, not a copy
- Passport-sized photo, one is enough. The airport counter can take one if you don't have it
- Photocopy of passport and visa page, airport counters have a photocopier. If buying in the city, make copies at any stationery shop (₹5-10 per page)
- Indian address, your hotel's address works. Just write down the hotel name and address
The process takes 10-15 minutes of paperwork.
Airtel vs Jio: Which One?
Airtel has been in India longest and has the widest shop network. Its 4G and 5G coverage across Delhi is strong, and it has a counter in Terminal 3 arrivals. For reference, an ordinary Airtel prepaid recharge runs about ₹349 for 1.5 GB a day or ₹379 for 2 GB a day over 28 days, both with unlimited calls.
Jio is newer and a little cheaper at the same data tier. Coverage in Delhi is on par with Airtel. Its ordinary 28-day prepaid pack is about ₹349 for 2 GB a day with unlimited calls.
Vi (Vodafone Idea) works, but it is the smallest of the three. Vi lists Delhi among its live 5G cities and its prices match the others, around ₹349 for 1.5 GB a day. Outside the big cities its coverage is thinner, so if you are travelling on from Delhi, Airtel or Jio is the safer choice.
Either Airtel or Jio will serve you well. If you can only find one at the airport counter, take it: the difference is marginal.
Both operators sell tourist plans at the airport counters, bundling the connection with a data pack and the paperwork a foreign passport needs. These cost more than the ordinary prepaid recharges listed on the operators' own websites, which are priced for residents. Ask what data and how many days you are getting, and what the total is, before you pay.
Activation Timeline
- Timing: Jio's own support pages say a new SIM can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Most airport SIMs work the same day, but do not build your first day around it.
- City shop SIMs: Can take up to 24 hours.
- You'll know it's active when you receive an SMS confirmation and see signal bars on your phone.
Until your SIM activates, use your hotel WiFi. Download any apps you'll need, Uber and Ola for transport, Google Maps offline maps for Delhi, and WhatsApp for local communication.
eSIM Alternative
If your phone supports eSIM (most iPhones from XS onwards, many newer Android phones), you can buy an eSIM online before you fly. Airalo's India eSIM runs on the Jio network and is priced by data rather than by day, from about £7.50 for 3 GB over 7 days up to about £28 for 20 GB over 15 days. Its unlimited plans cost far more, from about $39.50 for 7 days. Holafly sells unlimited only, at about $39.50 for 7 days and $63.50 for 15 days. Prices change, so check the provider's own page.
The catch: the India eSIMs sold by Airalo and Holafly are data only, with no Indian phone number. That means no Ola bookings, no OTPs for Indian apps or UPI, and no local calls. Airtel and Jio will issue you an eSIM with a proper Indian number at their own counters, so if it is the number you need, buy from the operator rather than a travel eSIM app. An eSIM works as a backup or if you really only need data for maps and messaging, but a physical SIM is far more useful for day-to-day travel in Delhi.
Topping Up
Both Airtel and Jio have apps where you can recharge your plan using an international credit card. You can also recharge at any of the thousands of small shops displaying the carrier's logo, just tell them your number and the amount. The smallest data top-ups Airtel lists are ₹22 and ₹33. Its cheapest 28-day pack including unlimited calls is ₹299.
If you need a visa for India, sort that before worrying about SIM cards, because you will need the e-visa confirmation when you land. All foreign nationals must also submit an e-Arrival Card online before reaching immigration. It asks for your address in India, which is the same hotel address the SIM counter will want, so have it written down.
Which SIM Card Should I Get in Delhi?
Airtel or Jio: both have good 4G and 5G coverage across Delhi, and Jio is marginally cheaper at the same data tier. Vi (Vodafone Idea) is the smallest of the three and thinner outside big cities, so pick Airtel or Jio if you are travelling on from Delhi. Buy at the airport arrival hall for the smoothest experience.
How Long Does a Tourist SIM Take to Activate in India?
Jio's own support pages say a new SIM takes anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Most airport SIMs are working within a few hours, but there is no guarantee, and neither Airtel nor Jio advertises an instant-activation pack. You will get a text when the number goes live. Until then, use your hotel WiFi.
Do I Need a Local SIM Card in Delhi?
Strongly recommended. You need an Indian number to book Ola, receive OTPs for UPI payments and Indian apps, take calls from Uber drivers, and make local calls. Delhi has decent free WiFi at Metro stations and some cafes, but it's unreliable. A 28-day plan with 1.5 to 2 GB a day costs about ₹350 to ₹400 from the operator, plus whatever the counter charges for the paperwork.