What is an eSIM and how does it work?
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM card built into your phone. Instead of inserting a plastic card, you download a mobile plan to it by scanning a QR code, and the phone connects to a mobile network just like it would with a physical SIM.
Buy an eSIMThe short definition
An eSIM is a small chip soldered onto your phone's board that can store one or more mobile plans as downloadable profiles. Each profile holds what a plastic SIM card used to hold: the identity the network checks before letting you on, and the settings for data. Because nothing physical changes hands, an eSIM can be bought online and installed in about two minutes, anywhere with WiFi.
Most phones made since 2019 have an eSIM chip, and many also keep a slot for a physical SIM. That combination is what makes travel easy: the home SIM keeps your number for calls and texts, and a travel eSIM adds local data for the country you are visiting.
How a travel eSIM works, step by step
- 01.You choose a destination and a data plan in the eSIMTrip store and pay from your account credit.
- 02.The eSIM appears in My eSIMs with a QR code, an SM-DP+ address and an activation code.
- 03.On WiFi, you scan the QR code in the phone's settings (or paste the two codes). The phone downloads the profile and adds a second line.
- 04.When you land, you switch that line on for mobile data and allow data roaming for it.
- 05.The eSIM connects to a local partner network. The plan's days start at this first connection.
Installing early is safe: the validity period does not start until the eSIM first connects at your destination.
eSIM, physical SIM and roaming compared
| Travel eSIM | Physical local SIM | Roaming | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Travel eSIM:Online, delivered instantly | Physical local SIM:Shop or kiosk at the destination | Roaming:Already on your home plan |
| Setup | Travel eSIM:Scan a QR code | Physical local SIM:Swap the card, often show ID | Roaming:Nothing |
| Your home number | Travel eSIM:Stays active alongside | Physical local SIM:Removed while the card is out | Roaming:Stays active |
| Cost control | Travel eSIM:Prepaid, fixed price | Physical local SIM:Prepaid, local price | Roaming:Daily or per MB charges |
| Several countries | Travel eSIM:Regional and global plans | Physical local SIM:One country | Roaming:Depends on your contract |
What an eSIM can and cannot do
- It carries mobile data on 4G LTE, and on 5G where the partner network and your phone support it.
- It works with every app that uses the internet: maps, messaging, video calls, banking, ride hailing, streaming.
- eSIMTrip plans are data only, so they have no phone number and cannot send SMS. App calls (WhatsApp, FaceTime, Telegram, Signal) work normally.
- A phone can store several eSIMs; usually one or two are active at the same time.
- An eSIM profile usually cannot be moved to another phone after it has been installed, and most cannot be reinstalled after deletion.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Dial *#06# on the phone keypad. If you see an EID (a 32 digit number), the phone has an eSIM chip. The phone must also be unlocked, which means not tied to one carrier. iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer and Google Pixel 3 and newer support eSIM in most markets, with a few regional exceptions listed on the compatible phones page.
Is an eSIM safe?
An eSIM cannot be pulled out of a stolen phone and put into another one, which makes it harder to misuse than a plastic card. The download is protected by the same network security as any SIM, and the profile is tied to your device. Your eSIMTrip account opens with a single token you keep yourself; we store no card data and no plain IP address.
Why travelers switch to eSIM
- You are online when the plane lands, with no queue at a kiosk.
- The price is fixed and paid before you go, so there is no roaming bill afterwards.
- One regional eSIM covers a whole multi-country trip.
- There is no plastic card to ship, lose or throw away.
Questions about this topic
Is an eSIM the same as a virtual SIM?
People use the words loosely. An eSIM is a real SIM standard (GSMA) stored on a chip in the phone. Apps that give you a second number over the internet are something else; they do not connect your phone to a mobile network.
Can I use an eSIM and a physical SIM at the same time?
Yes, on dual SIM phones. Most iPhones, Galaxy and Pixel models run one physical SIM and one eSIM together, or two eSIMs on recent iPhones.
Does an eSIM work on a tablet or laptop?
Cellular iPads and some Windows laptops have eSIM chips and can install a data eSIM the same way. Check that the device lists an EID in its settings.
More answers in the FAQ, or browse the eSIM store.