How to Use an eSIM When Travelling Abroad

Travelling used to mean one of two bad choices: pay your home carrier's roaming rate, or hunt for a local SIM card in an airport arrivals hall. An eSIM removes both. You buy it at home, install it before you leave, and land already connected.

This guide covers the whole journey — what an eSIM is, how to check your phone takes one, and the three mistakes that account for almost every "it isn't working" message we receive.

What an eSIM actually is

An eSIM is a SIM card built into your phone's hardware. Instead of a plastic card you push into a tray, you download a profile over Wi-Fi. That profile holds the same information a physical SIM would: which network to join, and what you have paid for.

The important part for travellers is that it is a second line, not a replacement. Your home SIM stays exactly where it is, still receiving calls and texts on your usual number. The eSIM carries data only. You are not giving anything up.

Step 1 — check your phone takes an eSIM

Two things have to be true, and the second catches more people than the first.

It has to support eSIM. Broadly, iPhone XS and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, and most flagship Android phones from 2020 onwards. Check if your phone is compatible

It has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought the phone outright it almost certainly is. If it came as part of a contract, it may not be, and an eSIM will install and then refuse to connect. Your carrier can unlock it, usually free, usually within a day — but not while you are standing in an airport. Check this first, not last.

Step 2 — pick the plan that matches the trip

This is where most people over-buy. The question is not "how much data do I need?" but "how many days am I away, and how much do I need each day?"

Roamaly sells two shapes, and the right one depends on the trip. A Day Pass is priced per day, so a four-day city break and a three-week tour are different purchases rather than the same bundle bought twice. A fixed bundle gives you a total valid for a period, pooled across the whole trip rather than reset each morning.

Europe is a good illustration: the catalogue carries **15 Europe plans — 5 Day Passes and 10 fixed bundles — starting at $2* for a 500 MB day (catalogue read 27 October 2026)*, and one plan covers 34 countries: Austria through to the United Kingdom, including Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, which are not in the EU.

That matters if your trip crosses a border. One Europe plan is simpler than three country plans, and usually cheaper. Eu 30 eSIM Plans

If you are weighing an eSIM against buying a local SIM when you arrive, the trade-offs are set out in full here: Esim Vs Physical Sim

Step 3 — buy, and read the email properly

Checkout is a card payment through Stripe. The eSIM is provisioned in seconds, and the email that arrives carries two things: a QR code, and — on iPhone — a direct install link.

Keep that email. It is the only copy of your QR code. If you delete it, the profile can be reissued, but that is a support conversation you do not want to be having at a departure gate.

Step 4 — install at home, on Wi-Fi

Install before you fly. This is the single most useful thing in this guide.

Installing an eSIM needs an internet connection, and the moment you most need the eSIM is the moment you are least likely to have one. Install it on your home Wi-Fi, days ahead if you like. The plan stays dormant until it first connects to a network at your destination, so installing early costs you nothing.

iPhone: tap the install link in your email, or Settings → Mobile Service → Add eSIM → Use QR Code.

Android (Samsung, Pixel and most others): save the QR image to your photos, then Settings → Connections → SIM Manager → Add eSIM. Some Android builds will not scan a QR code from the same screen, which is why saving the image first is worth doing.

Step 5 — switch it on when you land

When you arrive, open your mobile data settings and do two things: set the Roamaly eSIM as your mobile data line, and turn data roaming on for that line.

That second step surprises people. The eSIM is a foreign network from your phone's point of view, so roaming has to be enabled for it — even though roaming charges are exactly what you are avoiding. Your home line stays where it is, and you can leave its own data switched off so nothing leaks onto it.

Give it thirty seconds to attach. If nothing happens, toggle flight mode once.

The three things that actually go wrong

The phone was locked. Everything installs, nothing connects. Check before you travel.

Data roaming was left off. The commonest cause by far, and a ten-second fix.

The wrong line is set as data. The eSIM is installed and active, but the phone is still trying to use the home SIM for data. Both lines can be on at once; only one carries data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my own number while using a travel eSIM?

Yes, and this is the main advantage over a local SIM. Your home SIM stays in the phone and keeps receiving calls and texts. The eSIM handles data only.

What if I run out of data?

Buy another plan and install it the same way, or top up an eligible eSIM from your dashboard. Both take a couple of minutes.

Does one eSIM work in several countries?

Regional plans do. The Europe plan covers 34 countries on one profile. Country plans cover one. Check the plan's own page for the list before you buy.

How early can I install it?

As early as you like. The plan does not start counting until it first connects at your destination.

Can I use the eSIM for a hotspot?

On most plans and most phones, yes — tethering works the same as it does on your home line. Check the plan page for the destination you are buying.