Connected on arrival
Install the eSIM at home before you fly. When you land, turn off airplane mode and your phone attaches to a local carrier automatically. No airport counters, no opening hours, no queues.
Travel eSIM
Scan once, land connected
No SIM swapping, no queueing for a pocket Wi-Fi router, no losing your home number. Buy your eSIM before you fly, scan one QR code, and your phone connects to a local network the moment you switch off airplane mode.
- ✅ 200+ countries and regions
- ✅ Unlimited daily data
- ✅ Keep your home number active
- ✅ 24/7 live support
Your QR code is emailed to you straight after checkout — install it before you leave home.
2 minTo buy online
$0Roaming overage
200+Destinations
24/7Customer support
Why an eSIM
The easiest way to get online abroad
Cheaper than international roaming, more convenient than a local SIM card, and lighter than a portable hotspot. An eSIM removes almost every hassle of staying connected overseas.
Keep your own number
An eSIM is a second line alongside your existing physical SIM. Your home number stays active, so banking one-time passwords, verification codes and calls from family still come through.
Fixed, prepaid cost
You pay once, up front. There is no meter running and no shock bill waiting when you get home — unlike carrier roaming, where a few days of normal use can cost more than the flight upgrade.
One less device
No pocket Wi-Fi to charge, no deposit to pay, no return counter to find before your flight home — and no group of four losing connection at once because the router ran flat.
Nothing to lose
The profile lives inside your phone's chip. There is no tiny plastic card to swap with an ejector pin, tape to your passport, and then find under the hotel carpet three days later.
Multi-country trips
Crossing borders? Regional plans cover an entire area — Asia, Europe, Latin America — on a single eSIM, so you are not buying a new plan at every airport.
Setup
How to activate an eSIM in four steps
Everything happens before you travel. Once you land, there is nothing left to configure.
Pick destination & days
Choose the country you are visiting and how many days you need. Days are counted from activation.
Pay online
Check out by card or PayPal. No local phone number or ID registration required. The QR code arrives by email.
Scan the QR code
On Wi-Fi, go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM and scan the code from your confirmation email.
Turn on data roaming
After landing, set your mobile data line to the eSIM and switch data roaming on for that line.
Two things worth knowing: installation needs an internet connection, so do it on Wi-Fi before you leave. And do not delete the eSIM once installed — most QR codes can only be scanned once.
Popular destinations
Where travellers buy eSIMs most
Local network coverage, plan lengths and practical setup notes for each destination.
Japan eSIM
Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido. Runs on docomo / SoftBank-grade networks — stable on the subway and the shinkansen.
See Japan plans →South Korea eSIM
Seoul, Busan and Jeju. Keeps Naver Map, KakaoTalk and KakaoT working the whole trip.
See Korea plans →Thailand eSIM
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the islands. Book a Grab, follow the map, post the beach photos — all unlimited.
See Thailand plans →Travelling somewhere else?
Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Europe, Australia and more than 200 other countries and regions have their own unlimited eSIM plans, plus regional options that cover several at once.
Search your destination →
Comparison
eSIM vs local SIM vs pocket Wi-Fi vs roaming
Four ways to get online abroad, and how they actually differ in practice.
| Factor | eSIM | Local SIM card | Pocket Wi-Fi | Carrier roaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Online, QR code by email | Shipped, or an airport counter | Pre-booked, collect and return | Request from your carrier |
| Keep your home number | Yes | No — the card comes out | Yes | Yes |
| Extra hardware | None | Ejector pin, store the old SIM | Router plus a power bank | None |
| Sharing with others | Hotspot on most plans | One card per person | Best for groups | Possible, expensive |
| Cost | Low, fixed up front | Low | Medium, plus deposit | High, easy to overshoot |
| Time to get online | Instant on landing | Swap card, reboot | Queue at the counter | Instant on landing |
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most flagship and mid-range phones released after 2018 do. Before buying, confirm two things: your phone supports eSIM, and it is carrier-unlocked.
Check it in 30 seconds
- iPhone: Settings → General → About. Scroll down and look for "Available SIM" or an EID number.
- Android: Settings → About phone → Status / SIM status. If you see an EID, you are good.
- Dialler check (Android): dial
*#06#— an EID in the results means eSIM is supported.
Commonly supported models
iPhone
iPhone XR, XS and XS Max onwards — including the entire 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 series, plus SE (2nd generation and later).
Android
Samsung Galaxy S20 onwards and all Z Fold / Z Flip models, Google Pixel 3 onwards, recent Sony Xperia, and selected OPPO, ASUS ZenFone and Xiaomi devices.
Watch out: some mainland China and Hong Kong variants of Android phones have the eSIM hardware removed, so an identical model number may still not work. Use the EID check above if you are unsure.
How to choose a plan: five things that matter
1. Is it genuinely unlimited?
Cheap plans often advertise a total allowance — 3 GB or 5 GB — and then cut you off or throttle to unusable speeds. If you will be navigating, streaming or uploading photos, pick a plan with unlimited data per day so you are not rationing.
2. Which local network does it use?
Two eSIMs for the same country can attach to different local carriers, and the difference in signal is real. In Japan look for docomo or SoftBank-grade access; in Korea, SKT or KT; in Thailand, AIS or True. It matters most in mountains, on islands, and underground.
3. How days are counted
Most plans count 24-hour days from activation. When choosing, include both your arrival and departure days — flying out Friday and home on Wednesday means six days, not five.
4. Hotspot / tethering
Travelling with a partner or family? One eSIM plus a personal hotspot is the cheapest setup — but not every plan allows tethering, so confirm before you buy.
5. Support you can actually reach
If something will not install at 11pm in a foreign airport, 24/7 live chat is worth far more than the couple of dollars you would save elsewhere.
Ready to go?
Pick a destination, choose your days, pay online. The QR code lands in your inbox immediately — no local number, no ID registration.
Get your travel eSIM →
FAQ
eSIM questions, answered
What is an eSIM and how is it different from a normal SIM?
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM built into your phone's chipset. It does exactly what a plastic SIM does, but instead of inserting a card you download a carrier profile by scanning a QR code. Nothing to swap, nothing to lose.
Can I keep my home number while using an eSIM?
Yes. Your physical SIM stays in the phone alongside the eSIM. Set mobile data to the eSIM and leave calls and SMS on your home line, so bank codes and family calls still reach you. Turn data roaming off for the home line to avoid carrier charges.
When should I install it — before or after I fly?
Install before you fly, on Wi-Fi, since the process needs a connection. Installing is not the same as activating: most plans start counting days only when you actually connect to a network at your destination.
Do I need ID or a local phone number to buy one?
No. Travel eSIMs are prepaid data products. You pay online and receive the QR code — no registration, no store visit, no local documents.
Can I make calls and receive texts on the eSIM?
Travel eSIMs are usually data only and do not include a local number, so no standard calls or SMS on that line. Use WhatsApp, LINE, FaceTime or Messenger instead — and your home number keeps receiving texts as normal.
Can I share the connection as a hotspot?
Most unlimited plans allow tethering, which makes one eSIM enough for two or three people travelling together. Some budget plans restrict it, so check the plan details first.
What happens when the plan runs out?
The connection simply stops and nothing further is charged. Most providers let you top up the same eSIM online for a future trip, or you can remove the profile from your phone's settings to free up the slot.
It is installed but I have no connection — what now?
Check four things in order: airplane mode is off; mobile data is set to the eSIM line; data roaming is enabled for that line; then restart the phone. If it still will not connect, contact the provider's 24/7 support.
eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi — which is better value?
For one or two travellers an eSIM is usually cheaper and far less hassle: no deposit, no pickup, no extra device to charge. For groups of four or more moving together all day, a pocket router can work out lower per person — until the group splits up or the battery dies.
One last thing before you fly
Two minutes to buy, one QR code to scan, and you land connected. Skip the airport queue and get on with the trip.
Get your eSIM now →