What is an eSIM? Your questions answered
What an eSIM is, how it works, how to install one, which phones take it and what happens if something goes wrong. Still unsure? Ask us on WhatsApp.
The short version: an eSIM is a SIM card that is already inside your phone. You add a mobile plan to it by scanning a code or tapping a link, with no card to buy or swap. Below is what that means for a trip, followed by the questions travellers ask us most.
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone as software, instead of a small plastic card you push into a tray. It does the same job as a SIM card: it tells a mobile network who you are, so your phone can get online. The difference is that the plan is added to it digitally, so nothing arrives in the post.
ZetSIM sells travel eSIMs, which are mobile data plans for visitors. You buy a plan for a country or a region, add it to your phone, and use it while you are there.
How does an eSIM work?
You buy a plan and we email you the eSIM straight after your payment clears. You add it to your phone once, on Wi-Fi. When you reach your destination the phone connects to a local network on that plan, and you use data as you would at home.
The plan's days are counted from the first time the eSIM connects to a network abroad, not from the day you buy, so you can set it up the night before. If you run low you can top up the same eSIM, with no new code to install.
How to install an eSIM
Do this once, on Wi-Fi, before you travel:
- Open the email we send after you pay, on the phone the eSIM is for.
- Tap the iPhone / iPad or Android button in it. Your phone's own eSIM setup opens.
- Reading the email on another screen instead? Scan the QR code in it with the phone.
- Follow the prompts and leave the new plan switched on. It stays quiet until you arrive.
eSIM vs physical SIM, and vs roaming
A physical SIM is a card you carry and swap between phones. An eSIM is installed on one phone and cannot be lost or damaged like a card, so install it on the phone you will travel with. A phone can usually keep both: your own number stays on the physical SIM for calls, texts and one-time passwords while the eSIM carries your data.
Roaming is different again. It is your home carrier's service on a foreign network, billed under your own plan's terms, so what it costs depends on your plan and your carrier. A travel eSIM is a separate plan you buy in advance, and its details are on the plan card before you pay.
Can I use an eSIM abroad?
Yes, that is what a travel eSIM is for. Pick the country you are visiting, or a regional or global pack if your trip crosses several, and check the plan page for the days, data and countries it covers.
Most ZetSIM plans are data-only, which covers WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage, maps and email. If a plan includes voice minutes or texts, its plan page says so.
Does my phone support eSIM? What to check before you buy
Most recent phones do, but not every model, so check yours rather than assuming. Three things matter:
- The phone supports eSIM. Dial *#06# and, if an EID number appears, it has one. Compatible devices lists the models.
- The phone is carrier-unlocked. A phone locked to one carrier may refuse a plan from another.
- The plan covers where you are going and for as many days as you need.
Who an eSIM suits, and who it does not
A travel eSIM suits anyone who wants data abroad without hunting for a SIM card on arrival, and anyone who wants to keep their own number on their usual SIM. It is a good fit for short trips, several countries in one journey and the first hours after you land.
It is not for everyone. If your phone has no eSIM or is locked, or you need a local phone number to receive calls, a travel data plan is not the answer. A plan you have not activated is refundable, an incompatible phone included, so checking first is easy.
Buying and installing your eSIM
If your phone is eSIM-compatible and carrier-unlocked, yes. That covers iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, and most recent mid-range Android handsets. If you are unsure, message us the model before you buy and we will confirm.
Validity begins the moment the eSIM connects to a local network at your destination — not when you buy it. Install at home over Wi-Fi and the profile sits dormant until you land.
Yes. Your physical SIM stays in the phone and keeps taking calls, texts and one-time passwords while the ZetSIM profile carries your data. Nothing is swapped and nothing is posted home.
Top up from the app in a few taps. There is no new QR code and no reinstall — the same profile picks up the extra data instantly.
Yes, hotspot sharing is included on every plan. Share with a laptop, a tablet or the people you are travelling with.
Message us and we will troubleshoot with you. If it still will not connect, any plan you have not activated comes back at its full value as refund coins — an incompatible device included.
After you pay we email you the eSIM. On the phone it is for, tap the iPhone / iPad or Android button in that email and your phone's own eSIM setup opens - nothing to scan and nothing to type. Reading the email on another screen? Scan the QR code in it instead. Do it once, on Wi-Fi, before you travel.
Straight away. Your eSIM is emailed the moment your payment clears, so you can buy it the night before and be set up before you leave for the airport.
Dial *#06# on your phone. If an EID number appears, your phone has an eSIM. It also has to be carrier-unlocked. You can run the compatibility check on any plan page, or message us your phone model and we will confirm before you buy.
Most ZetSIM plans are data-only, which is all you need for WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage, maps and email. If a plan includes voice minutes or texts, its plan page says so. Your own number keeps working on your normal SIM for calls, texts and one-time passwords.
Yes, until you activate the eSIM. A plan you have not activated comes back to you at its full value, an incompatible phone included. Once an eSIM is active and has been used, it cannot be refunded. Our refund policy has the details.
Yes. A ZetSIM eSIM stays on your phone, so before your next journey you buy another plan and keep the same profile - no new QR code to install. You can also top up a plan from your account if you run low mid-trip.
ZetPass is a pass that takes money off the new eSIMs and airport services you buy while it is valid. You can add it at checkout, where the price with and without it is shown before you pay. It does not discount top-ups for an eSIM you already have, and it needs a ZetSIM account.
Yes. Choose an airport, pick a lounge, Fast Track or Meet & Greet service and book it with your eSIM in one order or on its own. A confirmed booking cannot be cancelled, and if we cannot confirm it with the venue you are refunded automatically.
Using a travel eSIM abroad
{destinations} destinations are published today, including {packs} multi-country packs that cover several countries on a single profile. Every one is listed on this page with its own cheapest plan price.
A country eSIM covers one destination on that country's local networks. A region pack covers every country in its own coverage list on one profile, which suits an itinerary that crosses borders — you install once and keep the same profile the whole way.
Yes. Buying before departure lets you install over Wi-Fi at home in a few minutes. The plan stays dormant beside your own SIM and only starts counting down when your phone connects to a local network at your destination, so booking early costs you no days.
Yes. WhatsApp calls, video and messaging all work, and on a dual-SIM phone your home number stays active for banking OTPs and important calls while ZetSIM carries the data.
The ZetSIM app shows real-time usage, lets you top up instantly and manages every country, regional and global eSIM from one dashboard.
Yes. It is a lifetime reusable eSIM — buy another plan before your next journey and keep the same profile across {count} countries.