Opening phone account with local carrier as foreign tourist

yemyssmusic · 2025-09-27T20:10:57+02:00

Find out how Canadian tourists can open a phone account in Ecuador, get local SIM or eSIM options, and explore pay-as-you-go plans.

yemyssmusic New member

Member since 27 September 2025

yemyssmusicNew member27 September 2025 18:10:57

As a Canadian arriving in Ecuador on a tourist visa, will I be able to open an account with a local phone provider upon arrival and add a sim or esim to a new phone that I will purchase there? Or will I be able to use a new local # with a non-contract, pay as you go plan?

antialiased Contributor

Member since 04 February 2018

antialiasedContributor03 October 2025 05:27:02

135

When I moved here it was impossible without a cedula (or "borrowing" someone else's). Now it seems more feasible and apparently Claro can do it in a couple hours:

...now getting the clerk at a store to sell you a sim card without activating it him/herself may be a whole other challenge (I'd show them the website when going to purchase the sim). People are used to doing things one way and may not be overly receptive to doing it a different way.聽 If that fails, check the website for a client service center and see if there's one close to you.