What is an eSIM? A plain guide for travellers

Updated 2026-09-27

An eSIM lets you add a mobile plan to your phone without a plastic SIM card. For travellers it means buying data for your destination online, installing it in a few minutes, and landing connected — without hunting for a SIM shop or paying roaming rates.

What an eSIM actually is

The "e" stands for embedded. Instead of a removable card, your phone has a small chip built in that can hold one or more mobile plans. You add a plan by scanning a QR code or entering a few details, and the phone downloads it over Wi-Fi or data.

It works exactly like a physical SIM once installed: your phone connects to a local network in the destination and you use mobile data as normal.

How a travel eSIM works

You choose a data plan for the country or region you are visiting.
You receive the eSIM by email with a QR code.
You scan the QR code on your phone — ideally before you leave, while you are on Wi-Fi.
When you arrive, you switch mobile data to the travel eSIM and turn on data roaming for it.

Step-by-step instructions are in our guides for iPhone and Android.

You can keep your own number

Most eSIM phones are dual SIM: your usual SIM (physical or eSIM) and the travel eSIM can be active at the same time. A common setup is to keep your home line on for calls and texts, and use the travel eSIM only for mobile data.

Tip: If you do keep your home line on, turn off data roaming for it so it cannot use data abroad by accident.

Why travellers use eSIMs

No roaming bills: you pay a fixed price for a set amount of data.
No SIM shop on arrival, no queue, no passport registration at a counter.
Nothing to lose: there is no tiny card to swap out and keep safe.
Connected from the moment you land, for maps, rides and messages.

Things to check before you buy

Your phone supports eSIM — see how to check.
Your phone is carrier-unlocked. A phone locked to one network cannot use another provider's eSIM.
The plan covers every country on your trip. For several countries, a regional plan such as Europe is usually simpler than one per country.
How much data you need and for how long. Plan details show both, along with when the validity starts.