Travelling to Greenland? Here’s a list of the best prepaid SIM cards

Buy a local SIM card to reduce your bills.

Greenland is the world’s largest island, and due to its remote location phone services can be scarce and expensive. Using your phone there could work out to be extremely costly, but Greenland has some amazing local SIM card deals that could reduce your bills. You can buy 1GB of data from the leading telco provider for as little as DKK70 ($12.80). So, whether you’re planning a week-long holiday or just a short trip, check out the best SIM card options available on finder.com.au.

Telco providers in Greenland

There is only one telco provider in Greenland: Tusass by Tele Greenland. It has been tried and tested by locals and international travelers, and can be trusted. Its deals are competitive for the region and it will certainly be cheaper than anything your home provider can offer you there. Tele Greenland goes through a strict approval process before being allowed to operate in the country. Greenland has good network coverage and a healthy overall speed. We have highlighted the best deals below.

About Greenland’s operator

There are 2G, 3G and 4G services on offer. However, because the population of Greenland is so small for such a large landmass – under 60,000 – there are areas where there is no network coverage at all. Be prepared for coverage around the built-up areas, but as soon as you head to the remote areas the signal gets weak. Locals call their SIM Cards “SIMs”, and they can be purchased from official stores and approved resellers by using your passport. Credit can be purchased from official stores, post offices, supermarkets and at the airport. Top-ups can also be purchased online by using your credit card. Below, we have broken down exactly what Tele Greenland can offer you during your visit to the country.

Tusass (by Tele Greenland)

Tusass by Tele Greenland is the only provider available on the island. It offers customers 2G, 3G and 4G services. They offer tourists a prepaid SIM card plus data-only SIMS. Tusass is available in every supermarket and post office in Greenland. It can be purchased for DKK400, which includes DKK200 of credit. The only data rate available is DKK0.80 per MB on this SIM deal.

There is also a data-only SIM card called “Mobil Bredbånd Simple”. The SIM card can be purchased for DKK300, and data is charged at DKK0.40 per MB

In addition, there are prepaid subscriptions that can be purchased, customized to your needs and cancelled at any time. Tusass Plus subscriptions can be purchased by going online to its official website and picking out the package that suits you.

Tusass Plus SIMs include unlimited voice and data in Greenland for DKK149 per month and monthly data packs can be added:

Tusass APN: internet, and website:www.tusass.gl/en

Some top tips from finder.com.au staff:

• Both Greenlandic and Danish are spoken in Greenland, so if you don’t know those languages you may want to download Google Translate onto your phone before you travel. Greenland is very cosmopolitan and English is also widely spoken.
• Locals call SIM cards “SIMs”.
• Ask the retailers to set up the SIM card for you, because they will know how to do it. If not, follow the instructions we have highlighted above or go to the official operator website to seek advice.

TripAdvisor tips for the best SIM cards and where to buy them

While it’s well-known for reviews, booking hotels, flights and holidays, TripAdvisor also has many user comments that can help guide you through what SIM cards have been tried and tested in Greenland.

Here are some top tips from TripAdvisor users:

“You could try contacting Tele Greenland:https://telepost.gl/da. They have different offers available all the time and it works out cheaper than using a foreign SIM card.”

”I was in the Ilulissat youth hotel and there is phone we can use with coins. cheaper than a SIM card.”

“I bought a Tusass prepaid pack from the post office in Nuuk. Loading the airtime can be tricky, since the menu is in Greenlandic and you will have to change it into Danish in order to be able to understand some of the instructions. It would be better if you ask someone to do it for you. After the airtime has been loaded, it's a breeze, but don't count on it when in emergency. The network coverage rate is limited to the towns and the outskirts. In Kangerlussuaq you should expect to be within coverage as long as you can have visual contact with the airport (ie, Lake Ferguson and most of the road to the Icecap are not covered.”

Pros and cons of telco providers in Greenland

All networks require you to have a SIM-unlocked, GSM-compatible international phone. To double check you have this phone, or find out whether it’s possible to unlock your device, contact your provider before you leave home.