France eSIM for Indians (2026): does Jio work, can you use UPI, and which SIM for Paris?

Yes, Jio works in France, and so do Airtel's roaming packs, but you can also install a travel eSIM at home or buy Orange's own travel eSIM. Here is how they compare on price, coverage, UPI and bank OTPs, with a short section on Monaco.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹149, and 3 GB is ₹299, 20 GB is ₹1,399 and 50 GB is ₹2,899, each for 30 days. Unlimited plans give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps: ₹349 for 3 days, ₹549 for 5, ₹749 for 7, ₹1,299 for 15 and ₹2,199 for 30. Our France plans connect to Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile. Every plan is on the France eSIM page.

Visiting other countries too? 10 GB for 30 days is ₹749 on both the France plan and the 31-country Europe plan, but 7 days of Unlimited is ₹749 for France against ₹1,099 on the Europe plan. Some Europe plans leave out the Netherlands or Switzerland, so check the list on the Europe eSIM page and in our Europe guide.

How much data you need

Orange, SFR, Bouygues and Free: Paris, the Riviera and the TGV

France has four mobile networks. In the regulator Arcep's 2025 tests, Orange ranked first or joint first on 251 of 258 measures, its 15th year in a row as the overall leader.

• Calls: Orange held 91% of calls for two minutes without a break, Bouygues Telecom 88%, SFR 87% and Free Mobile 84%. In cities Bouygues Telecom led, 96% to Orange's 95%. In the countryside Orange led with 83%, the others 76% to 79%.
• Speed: DegroupTest's August 2026 barometer measured average downloads of 144 Mb/s on Orange, 117 Mb/s on Bouygues Telecom, 97 Mb/s on Free and 85 Mb/s on SFR. Ookla put France's average mobile download at 203.42 Mbps in September 2026, 34th in the world.
• TGV trains: Orange held 74% of calls, Free Mobile 61%, Bouygues Telecom 58% and SFR 56%, against 92% to 95% on roads. Download maps and tickets before a long TGV ride.

Atout France counted 625,330 Indian visitors in 2024. Most travel between April and mid-June or around Diwali, to Paris, the Côte d'Azur, Provence, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Champagne, and experienced couples take 10 to 15 day trips.

UPI in France: where it works

UPI works in France, but only at a few places. NPCI International launched it on 2 February 2024 with the French payments firm Lyra, starting with Eiffel Tower tickets bought online. Since 5 July 2024 you can also pay at Galeries Lafayette's flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann by scanning a QR code at the till. For everything else, carry a card or forex card.

Your bank card is also becoming a Metro ticket: tap-to-pay gates have been live at Orly's Metro line 14 station (exit only) since 30 June 2026, with the whole network due by 2030. A card-tap Metro trip costs €3.35.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

A travel eSIM is data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so bank SMS still reach your number and WhatsApp keeps your Indian number. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: keep your plan valid and the SIM switched on. The 1-day and 10-day packs include 20 and 25 SMS. Without a pack, Jio charges ₹2 a minute for calls in France, incoming included. Check in MyJio what receiving SMS costs.
• Airtel prepaid: the ₹118 roaming activation pack (28 days) switches roaming on at standard charges, without buying data. Check in the Airtel Thanks app what receiving SMS costs.
• Airtel postpaid: new plans from ₹499 a month include one free 5-day roaming trip a year (5 GB, 60 minutes, free incoming SMS); the announcement lists no countries, so check France is included.
• Vi: check your roaming options and SMS charges in the Vi app before you fly.
• WhatsApp calls work over the eSIM's data: in Arcep's 2025 tests, 77% to 82% of messaging-app calls were of perfect quality, a little below normal calls.
• UPI works only at the merchants above, and was not live in Monaco as of 31 August 2026.

Monaco and the Riviera

For your phone, Monaco is a separate country. Its operator, Monaco Telecom, says its 5G works anywhere in Monaco. Monaco is outside the EU's Roam like at home zone, so a Europe SIM or eSIM may charge roaming there, or not work, unless its country list names Monaco.

Our France plan is for France, and our Monaco plans cost far more: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹1,799 and 3 GB for 30 days is ₹4,599. For a day in Monaco, Airtel's 1-day pack at ₹698 costs less, and its 5-day and 10-day packs cover Monaco too. With no pack, Jio charges ₹150 a minute for calls to India there and ₹75 a minute for incoming calls.

French overseas regions

This guide covers mainland France and Monaco. Guadeloupe is in our Eastern Caribbean guide, Martinique in the Southern Caribbean guide, French Guiana in the Andes and Guianas guide and Réunion in the Mauritius and Seychelles guide.

Before you land

• Visa: Indians need a Schengen short-stay visa; the fee has been €90 for adults since 11 June 2024, plus the visa centre's charge.
• Fingerprints at the border. Under the EU Entry/Exit System, fully running since 10 April 2026, Indians give fingerprints and a face photo on first entry instead of a passport stamp. There is no arrival form and no fee, and ETIAS does not apply to Indians.
• Wi-Fi on arrival. Paris-CDG and Orly have free, unlimited Wi-Fi: join WIFI-AIRPORT and the portal opens by itself. The airport warns against banking on public Wi-Fi, so use your eSIM data for bank logins.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the France plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. Leave the eSIM line off until you land. On most plans the validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy or install it.
4. After landing, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the line for mobile data.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

A roaming pack is the better buy if you will make many normal calls on your Indian number: Jio's ₹951 pack has 100 minutes out and 100 in over 10 days, and Airtel's ₹1,298 pack has 200 minutes. See Jio vs Airtel vs Vi roaming packs for every pack.

To call European numbers, Orange's Travel eSIM has data-and-calls plans from US$29.99 for 20 GB over 14 days, with unlimited calls within Europe. For a month or more, our 50 GB plan is ₹2,899 and Orange's is US$49.99. If you only need to message home on landing, the free airport Wi-Fi will do.

Questions

More guides

• Europe eSIM for Indians: Schengen, UK and Switzerland
• Italy eSIM for Indians
• Switzerland eSIM for Indians
• How much data you need for a trip
• Jio, Airtel and Vi packs compared

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Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.