What is an eSIM? A plain-English guide for travellers

An eSIM (“embedded SIM”) is a SIM card built into your phone as software instead of a removable plastic chip. There is nothing to post, no tray to prise open, and no tiny card to lose. You buy a data plan online, scan a QR code, and a new mobile line is installed on your phone in under a minute.

For travel, an eSIM does one job brilliantly: it lets you buy a cheap local data plan for your destination before you leave home, then connect the moment you land — without paying your home carrier’s roaming rates.

How a travel eSIM works

• Compare plans for your destination and buy one from the provider.
• You receive a QR code by email, usually within minutes.
• Open your phone’s settings, scan the code, and the eSIM installs.
• When you arrive, the eSIM connects to a local network and you’re online.

Crucially, your physical SIM stays in the phone the whole time. It keeps your usual number live for calls and texts, while the eSIM quietly handles data. Apps like WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal work as normal because they run over data, not your number.

Will my phone support an eSIM?

Most phones released from around 2019 onwards are eSIM-capable. That includes iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, and most recent Android flagships. The quickest check is Settings → Mobile Data → Add eSIM on iPhone, or Settings → Connections → SIM Manager on Android — if you see an option to add an eSIM, you’re good to go.

Why travellers switch to eSIMs

• Cost: a local data plan is typically a fraction of carrier roaming.
• Speed: no airport queue for a local SIM — you’re connected on arrival.
• Convenience: install before you fly and keep your home number active.
• Flexibility: run multiple plans and switch between them in settings.

The one thing to compare carefully is value. A 1GB plan and a 10GB plan can look similar on price, so the fair way to compare is price per GB — the cost normalised to a like-for-like amount of data. That’s exactly how esimpacker ranks every plan it tracks.