In the past, there were two options for traveling with your phone turned on without going broke – buying cumbersome physical SIM cards in the country or just using your phone where there was wifi. Today, you don't have to do either. When I traveled to Florida, I tried buying an eSIM via an app on my phone, which turned out to be incredibly convenient, practical, and also cheap. But what is an eSIM and how does it work with an eSIM when traveling?
What is eSIM and how does it work?
The word eSIM stands for “embedded SIM” and is a digital solution that makes it possible to use mobile networks worldwide without physically having to change SIM cards. The SIM card is completely digital, but works just like a regular SIM card. You download an app to your mobile phone, buy an eSIM in the app for specific countries/days/data volume and activate the card. Then you can use your mobile phone as usual. Does that sound easy? It is! But there are a few things you need to consider.
Can my phone use eSIM?
The most important question is om your mobile phone can use eSIM, and there is not a simple answer.
The vast majority of mobile phones released in recent years support eSIM. However, depending on which provider you have on your regular subscription in Sweden, there may be restrictions on whether you can use eSIM or not. There are mobile phones/mobile subscriptions that are locked to one supplier and there are subscriptions there eSIM is a service that costs extraIf you are unsure – call your telephone operator and ask!
You can have dual SIM cards in your mobile phone by having a regular physical SIM card at the same time as having an eSIM on your mobile phone, so you don't need to remove your physical SIM card for the eSIM to work.
I had an unbundled mobile subscription with Telia and a fairly new iPhone, so installing eSIM worked right away for me!
Buy and top up eSIM for international travel
There are a large number of eSIM providers for international travel, but the offerings vary quite a bit. Some of the biggest providers are Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi, Saily, GigSky and Holafly – but just search for eSIM in your app store and you’ll find a ton!
The main differences between the providers and their eSIMs are:
- A country, or a region? It's cheapest with one country, but there are eSIMs for regions and actually even eSIMs that work in almost every country in the world. It will obviously be more expensive with more regions, but at the same time you can use the same data pool for the entire trip and avoid buying small amounts several times - which will probably be cheaper in the long run.
- Period of validity? Some eSIMs have a validity period from when you activate the card – for example, 30 days. Other eSIMs have no validity period, but work until the data allowance is used up. If you travel frequently to a country, it may be worth getting an eSIM with no validity period or with a long validity period.
- Data volume? You can always buy more data, but you can't return it. So think carefully before buying the biggest package. How much will you use your mobile on vacation where there is no wifi? There are eSIMs with "unlimited" data plans, but they usually have some speed limit after a certain amount of data.
- Just data or also phone calls? The most common eSIMs are only for data plans, which is enough for most travelers. Then you have access to the internet and can call with messenger/facetime/whatsup. If you want to call with a “regular phone number” you need to buy an eSIM that also allows phone calls and text messages. It costs a little more and is usually limited to the number of text messages and the number of minutes of phone calls.
When I was going to the US, I researched several providers, but ended up buying an eSIM from one of the largest and oldest providers – Airalo. It wasn’t the cheapest option, but it felt stable and they had good reviews for their customer support. I bought 2Gb of data which was enough for 15 days for €8.
How to activate eSIM on iPhone
Install the provider's app on your mobile and buy one of the packages and you've done 90% of the work. Once you've bought a package, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to activate the card. It varies for different mobiles and providers.
I received a QR code that I could then use to add a new eSIM to my phone. I needed to name the new SIM card, but then it was basically done. I installed the card at home in Sweden, but the card didn't activate until I turned it on in the country.
Important to remember:
- Turn off your primary SIM card before you hop on the plane. Otherwise, this card will be selected first when you turn on the phone.
- Once you have landed at your final destination, you ONLY turn on your new travel eSIM, but leave the primary SIM card switched off. This way, there is no risk of expensive roaming charges. It will take a few minutes for the eSIM to be activated, but then mobile data will work as usual and you can start browsing.
But I want people to be able to call me on my regular number?
You can have both your primary SIM card and your eSIM active at the same time. You can turn off mobile data on your primary SIM card (so your regular phone number and SMS work as usual) and have mobile data only from your eSIM. This can be convenient, but it can also be quite expensive. For example, receiving a phone call in the US with Telia costs 20 SEK per minute.
I only had the eSIM card activated when I was in the US, so I haven't tested having two cards activated at the same time.
How did eSIM work for me in the US?
It worked incredibly smoothly! I had a solid connection everywhere, including in the Everglades. You can track how much data you've used with your provider in their app. Considering I had wifi at the hotel, I used a lot less data than I expected, even though I was uploading videos and photos to social media during the trip. So, simply put, a THUMBS UP to use eSIM when traveling for me!
Have you tried eSIM for travel? How did it work for you? Any things to consider that I missed? Any tips on which eSIM worked best for you?
