# Question about "Visitor" prepaid cell phone access



## chrisuoft (Sep 14, 2012)

Hi there, I will be visiting the UAE in early November for a couple of weeks and just did some research on Etisalat and Du for prepaid usage.

I am not looking to make many calls/texts. I mainly require a data plan for my unlocked Samsung Galaxy S3.

I noticed that the pricing for "visitors" is not as good as for residents. Will the Etisalat/Du stores in the Dubai airport sell and activate a Wasel plan for me (or Du's equivalent), or will they only allow me to activate an Ahlan plan (or Du's equivalent). 

I believe this breakdown is correct if I am able to get a "residents" plan:

DU: 55AED for activation fee - 25AED credit + 20 AED for 40MB of data for a total cost of 55AED which will allow me to have 5AED for texts/calls.

Otherwise for a "visitors" plan, it will be:

DU: 49AED for activation fee - 20AED credit + 40AED for 50MB of data for a total of 69AED with no data/texts

Etisalat: 60AED for activation fee -25AED credit (it says for talk time only but I assume it can be applied for data as well) +25AED for 10MB of data for a total of 60AED with no data/texts

Also, is it correct to assume that the cost of the micro-sim card is included in the initial fee I pay to activate the plan?

Thanks for all of your help.


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## m1key (Jun 29, 2011)

Not sure how it will work with the new rules recently brought in. When I arrived I didn't have a resident visa in my passport, but said I'd just moved here. I got the Wasel no questions asked. This was at an Etisalat shop rather than at the airport.

If you use lots of data, then you can do the one off 1GB for a month for 99AED (145 AED for ongoing monthly 1GB. Dunno about SMS, but you can probably buy blocks of them. I only add about 20AED a month over what I need for data, but then I'm a miserable git and don't want to talk to anyone 

Just ask for a micro sim. No difference in price.


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## creative4art (May 3, 2011)

I arrived here on a visitor visa. I got a normal du card from the airport by just showing my passport. They gave me a number with lifetime validity. I don't remember the charges but pretty sure it wasn't too over the top.


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