What is an eSIM? The complete guide for travellers
How an eSIM works, how it differs from a SIM card, which phones support it and how to use one abroad — everything to know before your trip.
In short
- An eSIM is a SIM built into your phone — you download a plan instead of inserting a card.
- A travel eSIM gives you mobile data abroad at local-level prices, with no roaming bill.
- It is added as a second line, so your own SIM and number stay in the phone.
- You install it in minutes with a QR code — best done at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly.
- Most iPhones since the XS and many recent Android phones support it.
Contents
You land, the plane doors open, and before you reach passport control your phone is already online: maps, messages, a ride booked. No shop to find, no tiny card to swap, no roaming bill waiting at home. That is what an eSIM does — and why more travellers use one every year.
This guide explains what an eSIM is, how it works, what it can and cannot do, and how to start using one for your next trip.
What is an eSIM?
eSIM stands for embedded SIM. It does the same job as the plastic SIM card you have always used — it tells the phone which mobile network to join and identifies you on it — but it is a small chip soldered inside the phone instead of a card in a tray.
The difference is how a plan gets onto it. A plastic SIM comes with its operator already on it. An eSIM is empty until you download a plan, called a profile. You do that by scanning a QR code or tapping a button in an app. The phone fetches the profile over the internet, installs it, and from then on it works like any SIM.
How does an eSIM work?
Behind the scenes it takes three steps:
- You buy a plan and receive a QR code (or a code to type in).
- Your phone reads it and downloads the profile from the operator over a secure connection.
- The profile is installed as a new line. When you arrive, the phone connects to a partner network in that country and you are online.
A phone can keep several eSIM profiles at once — your home operator's, a travel plan, one from your last trip — and switch between them in the settings. Most phones use two lines at the same time: for example, your own SIM for calls and a travel eSIM for data.
eSIM vs a physical SIM card
| Physical SIM card | eSIM | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | A card from a shop or by post | Downloaded in minutes |
| Installing | Open the tray, swap the card | Scan a QR code |
| Several plans | One per slot | Several stored, two in use |
| Lost or damaged | Possible — it is a small card | Cannot fall out or be lost |
| Switching plans | Swap cards | A switch in settings |
| Abroad | Find a local shop, often show a passport | Buy online before you leave |
For travel, the advantage is clear: everything happens before your trip, from your sofa, and your own SIM never leaves the phone.
Why travellers use an eSIM
No roaming bill
Roaming data from a home operator can cost many times more than local data, and the bill often arrives weeks later. With a travel eSIM you pay once, upfront, for a fixed amount of data or a number of days. There is nothing more to pay.
Online the moment you land
Install the eSIM at home, and your phone connects as soon as you switch on data abroad. No queue at the airport kiosk, no hunting for working Wi-Fi to order a taxi.
Keep your own number
The eSIM sits next to your own SIM. Your number keeps working for calls and messages (as your operator allows), and your messaging apps keep the same account — only the internet goes through the eSIM.
One plan for several countries
A regional eSIM covers many countries with one plan — handy for a trip through Europe or Southeast Asia. No new SIM at every border.
What an eSIM cannot do
Being clear about the limits avoids surprises:
- It needs a compatible phone. Not every model supports eSIM — and some models support it only in certain countries' versions.
- The phone must be unlocked. A phone locked to one operator can refuse other operators' eSIMs.
- Travel eSIMs are usually data-only. They give you mobile internet, not a local phone number. Calls and messages work through apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram, over that data.
- It is installed once. Deleting an eSIM from the phone usually cannot be undone — its QR code often cannot be used again.
Which phones support eSIM?
- iPhone: iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and every newer model.
- Google Pixel: most models from the Pixel 3 on.
- Samsung Galaxy: recent S, Z Fold and Z Flip phones, and many newer A-series models.
- Other makers: a growing number of recent phones — check the exact model.
The quickest test: dial *#06#. If an EID number appears, your phone has an eSIM. Our guide on how to check your phone covers every way to be sure.
How to start using an eSIM for travel
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.
- Choose a plan on the packages page: the country or region, the amount of data and the days.
- Pay by card — no account needed. The QR code appears right after payment.
- Install it at home, while on Wi-Fi.
- When you arrive, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line and choose it for mobile data.
Not sure how much data to take? Our guide on how much data you need abroad helps you pick the right size.
Questions and answers
Is an eSIM safe?
Yes. An eSIM is as secure as a physical SIM — and because it is part of the phone, it cannot be removed and used in another device if your phone is lost or stolen.
Can I use an eSIM and my own SIM card at the same time?
Yes. Most eSIM phones use two lines at once. Keep your own SIM for calls and messages and use the travel eSIM for mobile data.
Will I get a new phone number?
Travel eSIMs are usually data-only, so you keep your own number and get mobile internet in the country you visit. You can call and message through apps over that data.
Can I reuse a travel eSIM on my next trip?
Each package covers the country or region and the days it was bought for. For another trip, you simply buy a new package — it takes minutes.
Does an eSIM work on 5G?
Where the local network offers 5G and your phone supports it, yes. Each destination's page shows the speed its networks provide.
Ready to try it? Find the eSIM for your destination — it takes a few minutes from choosing to being online.
Ready for your trip?
An eSIM for 200 countries: set up in minutes, with no roaming bill.