Use Your Phone Abroad Cheaply With eSIMs

Physical SIM cards, or Subscriber Identity Module cards, harken back to 1991, less than ten years after the first cellphone arrived on the consumer market. For three decades, these tiny pieces of plastic were the dominant way that cellular providers authenticated and connected customers’ devices to their network. The eSIM, or embedded SIM card, entered the global stage in 2016, letting people download and activate their phone plans without swapping out a physical card.

Today, eSims are the foremost tech in cellular connection, with some phones—including the latest model iPhones—forgoing physical SIM cards altogether in favor of their digital counterparts.

When it comes to staying connected abroad, you have three main options.

The first is a traditional international roaming plan facilitated by your home cellular provider. International roaming lets you keep your phone number and allows you to call and text as usual at your destination by connecting to local partner networks. However, your final fees will be billed through your home provider and are often significantly pricier than your base phone plan due to currency conversion, infrastructure fees, and other administrative costs. Your calls will also be subject to the infamous international minutes fees, which can reach up to $0.30 per minute.

Travel eSIMs are often the cheapest option for international trips, with data plans starting as low as $5. The plans are managed by third-party providers, like popular vendors Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, and Saily, and are highly customizable so you only pay for what you’ll actually use, from 1 GB options to unlimited plans. Opt for a more affordable country-specific pass or purchase a regional or global plan if you’ll be jetsetting to different locales throughout your trip. Most eSIMs are data only, meaning talk and text are not included. However, customers can still use their phones through Wi-Fi calling and text apps like WhatsApp.

Some cellular providers aim to compete with eSIMs by offering prepaid international packages. This way, customers can purchase a pass for a certain amount of data, talk, and text over the course of a certain number of days. While this type of package lets your phone remain more or less functional, there are some cons. These plans are usually more expensive than eSIMs and can be challenging to set up abroad. For example, Mint Mobile’s Minternational Pass requires access to the app to activate your eSIM and logging into the app often requires phone number verification, which you will be unable to receive.

Travel eSIMs are ready to set up on your phone immediately after purchase. You’ll either be asked to download the plan through a QR code or, more often, through the provider’s app, where the cards can be activated and managed throughout the trip. If your eSIM is rechargeable, it can be easily "topped up" by purchasing additional data. If your eSIM is limited to your original purchase, simply buy additional eSIMs to cover any remaining travel time.

Buy an eSIM and download it to your device before departing for your trip. Once you’ve arrived, activate your eSIM to start using your data. While purchasing and downloading the eSIM requires a Wi-Fi connection, activating a pre-installed eSIM should not.

Tip: Always remember to turn off data roaming for your primary physical or eSIM card and enable data roaming for your travel eSIM. This prevents your original card from trying to connect with partner networks and incurring surprise charges.

Q: Can you have multiple eSIMs on your phone at once?

A: Yes, many phones support Dual SIM, or the ability to have multiple eSIMs or a physical SIM card alongside an eSIM. The specific number of eSIMs you can activate simultaneously depends on the phone. You can also pre-purchase and store multiple inactive eSIMs on your device.

Q: Can you get a new phone number with an eSIM?

A: Since eSIMs are primarily data plans, they do not typically require you to change your phone number. Plans that include talk and text, like the Ultra Mobile International Phone Plans, can provide a new number.

Q: Can you use an eSIM with any cellphone?

A: Most modern smartphones can support eSIM, but older phones, refurbished phones, and non-smart traditional cellphones are not compatible.