Staying Connected on Arrival: Mobile Operators, SIM Registration and Mobile Data in Côte d'Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer), the mobile phone is the starting point for almost every kind of contact: arranging meetings, booking rides, sending and receiving documents. When you first arrive, getting a local SIM card as soon as possible is far more convenient than staying on international roaming. Knowing a little about the operators and the registration rules beforehand can save you a few trips.

The three main operators

Côte d'Ivoire's mobile market is made up of three operators. According to the Q2 2025 report of the telecoms regulator ARTCI, as at 30 June 2025 the country had 59,942,676 mobile subscriptions, up from 57,195,791 a year earlier.

(Market shares are approximate proportions calculated from subscription numbers.)

Nationwide, there are about 36.28 million mobile internet users. All three operators cover the major cities, but signal quality can vary by region. If you travel inland often, ask local colleagues which network works best at your destination, or simply carry two SIM cards from different operators.

SIM registration: in person, with ID

Côte d'Ivoire requires mobile users to register under their real identity. Under Decree No. 2017-193 of 22 March 2017, the government carried out a full re-registration in 2017–2018, with rules much stricter than those of the 2011 exercise:

• A biometric identity document must be presented;
• Users must appear in person and be photographed on the spot; no one else can do it on their behalf;
• Numbers not registered are first restricted to receiving only, and after the deadline are deactivated and reclaimed.

By contrast, the 2011 registration required only a photo of an ID document, could even be done by someone else, and operators did not always check that the number really belonged to the person. The process introduced in 2017 adds verification steps: MTN, for example, sends the user a USSD code, which the user passes on to the agent on site, and registration is completed with an electronic signature.

In the list of accepted documents published by ARTCI in 2018, non-nationals may use a biometric passport; citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries may use their national biometric ID card or the registration receipt issued by the National Identification Office (ONI).

In practice, take your passport to an operator's shop (agence) or an official registration point. Each operator's procedure and required documents may change at any time, so check the operator's website or ARTCI's latest announcements before you go.

Progress on 5G

Côte d'Ivoire originally planned to launch 5G in time for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, but the launch was postponed because operators and the regulator could not agree on the conditions for spectrum use. In July 2025, an ARTCI official told the Ivoire Tech Forum that actual 5G deployment was "imminent" and expected within months. Whether it has officially launched commercially, and in which areas, should be checked against the operators' latest announcements; until then, the existing mobile data services are perfectly adequate for everyday work.

One line for Asian readers

The first thing to do on arrival is to take your passport to an operator's shop, get your SIM in person and complete registration. Don't ask someone else to do it, and don't use a SIM of unknown origin, or your number may suddenly be cut off one day.

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References: KOACI – Téléphonie mobile : 59 942 676 abonnés au 30 juin 2025 (2025); CIO Mag – En quoi cette identification tranche avec celle de 2011 (2018); CIO Mag – Les abonnés non-identifiés en mode réception simple (2018); Fraternité Matin – Déploiement de la 5G en Côte d'Ivoire (2025)