First week
Time
10 to 20 min
Cost
AED 50 to 125
Difficulty
Easy
What to bring
Passport (tourist prepaid) or Emirates ID (resident plans)
Not needed: A UAE bank account. Prepaid tops up by card or kiosk
Our pick
Compare all 4 →Prices checked June 2026
Do it
- 1
Pick tourist or resident
On a passport you get a tourist prepaid (90 days, renewable). Once your Emirates ID lands, convert to a resident plan, better rates.
- 2
Visit a store or the airport counter
They scan your passport, register the line (UAE law), and activate on the spot.
- 3
Choose a data bundle
AED 100 to 125/month buys 12 to 16GB. Data-only eSIMs are cheaper if you keep your home number for calls.
- 4
Set up the app
Top-ups, bundle changes, and bill payments all happen in the du/e& app. switch it to English first thing.
Words you'll hear
Emirates ID
The resident ID card everything hangs off. Bank, lease, SIM, hospital desk. Guard it like a passport.
Common questions
Prepaid or postpaid?
Prepaid on your passport from day one; postpaid needs the Emirates ID and is where the better data prices live. Switching later keeps your number.
Are the airport kiosks a ripoff?
Convenient but tourist-priced, mall shops sell the same prepaid packs cheaper. If you land at 2am, take the kiosk SIM and re-evaluate in week two.
Why does every app want a UAE number?
OTP culture, banks, delivery, government apps all verify by local SMS. The SIM is genuinely the first unlock of your move.
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Settli app for Dubai.