A country, a region, or a global plan for multi-stop trips.
1
Pick your destination
2
Buy your data plan
Card or Apple Pay. QR code in your inbox in seconds.
3
Install before you fly
Scan the QR while you’re on Wi-Fi. A few taps. Done.
4
Land and connect
Your data starts the first time the eSIM connects abroad.
What an eSIM actually is
An eSIM is a SIM card written in software instead of plastic. Your phone already has a tiny chip inside that can store the credentials of a mobile network – the eSIM is just a profile that tells your phone, “when you connect here, use this network.” No tray, no swap, no tweezers.
Modern phones can hold several eSIMs at once. Yours can keep your home carrier active and a SimKit travel eSIM at the same time. You pick which one handles data with one tap.
What activates when
The two things people mix up most: installing the eSIM and activating the data plan. They’re different events.
- Step 3 (install) just adds the eSIM profile to your phone. Nothing is billed. Your plan hasn’t started yet.
- Step 4 (first connection abroad) is when the data plan starts. That’s the timer kicking off.
This is why you install at home on Wi-Fi: it’s admin, not activation. The clock only runs once your phone actually pulls data through the eSIM in your destination.
What stays the same
Your home number stays in your phone. iMessage and WhatsApp keep working on your usual contact. 2FA codes from your bank still arrive. You can still receive calls and texts back home, although you’ll usually want to turn off voice roaming on your home SIM to avoid bill surprises.
What changes
Mobile data gets routed through the SimKit eSIM. Your home plan stops being charged for data abroad – because it’s no longer the one carrying it. Everything that uses data (maps, ride-share, Instagram, Google Translate) runs on your SimKit plan instead. Your home carrier sees no data usage overseas, which is the entire point.
Will your phone work?
Most phones sold since 2020 support eSIM. The fastest way to check yours: run the 30-second compatibility check →
Pick a destination →