How To Get an International eSIM for Travel | Easy Guide 2025

Travelling is all fun and games until you land in a new country, turn on your phone, and get that dreaded “Welcome abroad” text from your provider warning you about roaming fees. I once racked up a bill just by checking a map in Rome – let’s just say it hurt more than the price of my gelato habit. That’s where international eSIMs come in. They’re easy, digital, and actually designed for travellers who don’t want to spend their trip worrying about data. In this guide, I’ll walk you through what an eSIM is, how to get one, what it costs, and a few tips to keep your data (and your wallet) in good shape while you explore the world.

What Is an eSIM and How Does It Work for International Travel?

If you’ve ever fumbled around with a tiny SIM card at the airport, you’ll understand why eSIMs are quickly becoming the smarter choice for international travel. An eSIM is a digital version of a SIM card that’s built right into your phone, so instead of swapping bits of plastic, you just download a plan directly. For me, that’s been a game-changer when travelling across multiple countries. With an eSIM you can buy a plan online, scan a QR code, and you’re connected in minutes. It’s simple, quick, and no shop queues involved.

Difference Between eSIM and Physical SIM Cards

The biggest difference between an eSIM and a traditional SIM card is convenience. With a physical SIM, you have to find a store, buy the card, and sometimes even fumble with that little ejector tool. With an eSIM, you skip all that. At ZenSim we’ve made it easy to top up across multiple countries, and you can even grab regional eSIMs that cover big chunks of the world like Europe or Asia. Pricing is right there to compare online, and once you’re ready, you just scan a QR code and your plan installs in seconds. No travel stress, no plastic, just data ready to go.

Why Travellers Are Switching to eSIMs

From my experience, travellers are moving to eSIMs for heaps of reasons. There’s no need to worry about losing or damaging a physical card, and you can switch between plans without ever touching your phone’s SIM tray. The flexibility is brilliant - say you’re in Italy one week and heading to Spain the next, you can activate a plan as you land. The setup is fast, you don’t have to hunt down a kiosk in a new city, and you’re online straight away. It just makes travel smoother, and once you try it, going back to physical SIMs feels a bit old school. Did we mention you can even add top ups for stop over countries say if you’re travelling to Europe and stopping in Singapore or Dubai you can add those stop overs to the same eSIM – how good is that.

How To Get an eSIM for International Travel

The good news is getting an eSIM for international travel is really simple. You don’t need to be a tech genius or spend hours figuring it out. These days you can purchase one with just a few clicks from our travel eSIMs page. Once you’ve got it, you’ll be ready to connect as soon as you touch down. Below are the most common ways people get set up, along with some tips I’ve found handy from both my travels and what we see most often at ZenSim.

Buying an eSIM Online Before You Travel

This is my go-to method because it takes the stress out of arriving in a new country. You can pick your plan online, pay securely, and have your eSIM delivered instantly to your inbox as a QR code. I usually recommend installing it before you leave unless your plan includes the country you’re already in. For example, if you have a global plan, it’s best to wait until the day of travel or just before departure so you don’t burn any days early. The nice part with ZenSim is that once it’s installed, we send you clear instructions twice over email, so when you land, it’s just a matter of checking your settings and you’re online right away.

Getting an International eSIM Through an App

Apps make managing eSIMs even easier. Our ZenSim app is currently for existing customers only, so the first step is to purchase your eSIM from our travel eSIMs page. Once you have your login, you can use the app to top up data, purchase additional eSIMs that often cover multiple countries, or just keep an eye on your usage and billing. Personally, I find it handy to track how much data I’ve used when I’m streaming on long bus rides or working remotely abroad. Everything is in one place, which means less juggling between emails and settings.

Purchasing an eSIM at Your Destination

Some travellers prefer to buy an eSIM after they land, and while that can work, it often comes with a few hurdles. In many countries, you may need to show your passport, navigate language barriers, or stand in a queue at the airport shop. On top of that, you usually can’t compare pricing easily, so you might end up overpaying for less data. And if you run into problems later, support can be tricky to track down. When you buy online, you know exactly where to go for help, and with ZenSim you even get 10% off if you’re already a customer. For me, that peace of mind (and the discount) makes pre-purchasing the smarter choice most of the time.

How To Buy an International eSIM Step by Step

Buying an eSIM for your travels doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the whole process usually takes just a few minutes once you know what to look for. Here’s a simple walk through that I often recommend to friends and customers alike. It covers choosing a provider, finding the right plan, and making sure everything is installed and ready to go before you head off.

Choose a Trusted eSIM Provider

Not all eSIM providers are created equal, so it’s worth doing a little homework before you buy. First, make sure the provider actually covers the countries you’re visiting, and check if they offer regional bundles like Europe or Asia that give you more flexibility. Reviews are another big clue – at ZenSim we’re proud to hold a 4.9 out of 5 rating, and I can say first-hand that we take support very seriously. Also, keep an eye on transparency around limits. Some providers quietly restrict hotspot usage or set daily caps without making it clear. With us, there are no hotspot restrictions and our unlimited plans are speed capped at 3GB per day, which we’re upfront about. And of course, pricing matters – compare carefully so you know you’re getting value.

Select the Right Plan for Your Trip

The next step is choosing a plan that matches your trip length and how much data you’ll actually use. If you’re going away for about a month, I usually suggest 20GB to Unlimited depending on whether you’re a heavy user. For shorter trips like two weeks or less, 10 to 20GB is normally plenty for maps, social media, and some streaming. If you’re heading off for longer than 30 days, no need to stress – you can easily top up through our app for as many extra days as you like. I personally like to give myself a bit of buffer with data so I don’t end up rationing on the last few days of a trip (though you can always add a sneaky 5GB top up if need be).

Install and Activate the eSIM on Your Device

Once you’ve chosen your plan, the final step is installation. Typically this involves scanning a QR code sent to your email or setting it up through an app. The bit that sometimes trips people up is the difference between “install” and “activate”. Installing means you’re adding the eSIM profile to your phone before you leave. On iPhones, you might see a warning like “unable to activate” if you’re not overseas yet – don’t panic, that’s completely normal. Activation happens automatically once you land in your destination country. You won’t need to re-scan the code, log into an app, or fiddle with settings beyond what we send you in our setup email. Just make sure those settings are in place on arrival, and your phone will do the rest.

Any issues, you can see our eSIM connectivity troubleshooting guide for more help or of course reach out to us.

Quick tip: It can be handy to print out the settings instructions email we send you.

Should I Get an eSIM for International Travel?

The short answer – hell yes! In most cases an international eSIM makes a lot more sense than the alternatives. Let’s be real for a moment: roaming is expensive AF and we all know it. In Australia, carriers will happily sell you roaming packs that don’t offer much (or support many countries), or charge a daily roaming fee anywhere between $5 and $15. If you’re away for two weeks, that adds up fast. Most of our travel eSIM plans cost far less than that and give you more freedom, better coverage (like in over 200 countries), and less stress. So the question isn’t really why you should get one – it’s why you’d bother paying more for less.

Advantages of Getting an International eSIM

We’ve touched on the perks already, but a quick recap never hurts. An international eSIM is incredibly convenient – you buy online, scan a QR code, and you’re set before you even leave home. There’s no need to line up at kiosks, no fiddling with tiny bits of plastic, and no risk of losing your original SIM card. Flexibility is another big win: you can switch between plans or top up as you travel without needing to find a shop. On top of that, support is easy to access if something goes wrong. For me, that combination of convenience, price, and peace of mind makes it an obvious upgrade from traditional roaming.

Situations Where a Local SIM Might Be Better

That said, there are rare cases where a local SIM can still make sense. The big one is if you need to make traditional voice calls or send SMS messages. Most travel eSIMs are data-only, which means no phone number for calls. You can get by perfectly well using apps like WhatsApp or Messenger for communication, but if you absolutely need to dial a local number, an eSIM won’t do that. A small tip though – in most countries you can still receive security SMS codes on your home SIM without paying for roaming. That’s handy for things like bank logins. And if you really need to make a quick call, you can usually enable roaming from your home provider for just a day to get it done.

How To Know if Your Phone Supports an International eSIM

The easiest way to check if your phone supports an eSIM is to head over to our eSIM compatibility checker. It’s a quick tool that will tell you straight away if your device is good to go. As a general rule, the big brand flagships have been supporting eSIMs for a while now. iPhones from the XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and above, and Google Pixel 4 and newer are all covered. If you’ve got a phone newer than those base models, chances are very high it’s eSIM ready. And just so you don’t stress, if you buy an eSIM from us and it turns out your phone isn’t compatible, we’ll refund you. So you can check, buy, and travel with confidence.

International eSIM compatibility caveats

The only thing to be wary of is if your phone is carrier locked or if you happen to have purchased a phone made for the Chinese mainland market. These are edge cases, but many phones purchased say in the USA directly from a carrier may be locked and you will need to get them to unlock it.

Similarly if you purchased a phone from a Chinese importer (like Kogan.com in Australia) there is a chance it may not be compatible so if you run into issues even on a newer phone there’s a couple of things to look out for. We can help you work this out if you send us a message of course.

How Much Does It Cost To Get an International eSIM?

The cost of an international eSIM depends on a few factors – how many days you need, how much data you’ll use, and which countries or regions you’re travelling through. Because of that, there’s no one-size-fits-all price tag. The easiest way to find the right plan for your trip is to head to our travel eSIMs page and search for the country or region you’ll be visiting. From there you can compare options side by side and pick what fits your travel style and budget.

Tips for Using an International eSIM While Travelling

Once you’ve got your eSIM set up, there are a few easy things you can do to make sure your experience is smooth and your data lasts the whole trip. Here are a couple of my favourite tips that I use whenever I’m travelling abroad.

Monitor Your Data Usage

Keeping an eye on your data usage is a simple way to avoid any surprises. With ZenSim, you can track this directly in the app, which makes it easy to see how much you’ve used at a glance. We’re also working on adding usage notifications that will ping you once you reach certain thresholds, so soon you won’t even have to check. Until then, a quick look every now and then is usually enough to stay on top of things, unless you purchased unlimited in which case you don’t need to worry about it!

Save Data With Smart Travel Hacks

A few small tricks can help your data stretch further. Download offline maps before you leave your hotel, connect to WiFi when it’s reliable, and close background apps that might be sneaking data while you’re not looking. If you notice you’re burning through data faster than expected, check your phone’s built-in data tracker – it will show you exactly which apps are using the most. I’ve caught a few sneaky culprits that way while travelling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting an eSIM for International Travel

To wrap things up, here are some of the most common questions we get asked about eSIMs for international travel. If you’re still unsure about anything, this should help clear things up.

How do I buy an eSIM for travel?

The easiest way is online. You can head straight to our travel eSIMs page, choose your country or region, and purchase in just a few clicks. Your eSIM will arrive instantly via email as a QR code, and you can install it on your phone in minutes.

Can I get an international eSIM as a tourist?

Yes – that’s one of the main reasons eSIMs are so popular. You don’t need to be a local or sign a contract. Simply purchase online, install the eSIM before you leave (or on arrival if it’s a global plan), and you’ll be connected without the hassle of hunting for a SIM card in a new country.

Is an eSIM cheaper than roaming?

Almost always, yes. Roaming charges from traditional carriers are some of the most expensive ways to use data abroad, often $5 to $15 per day in Australia. With an international eSIM, you can usually get a plan for a fraction of that cost with better flexibility and more data.

Do I need ID to buy an international eSIM?

No ID is needed when buying an eSIM online. That’s one of the key advantages compared to picking up a SIM card locally at your destination, where you’ll often be asked to show your passport. Online, it’s a simple checkout and instant delivery.

Can I use WhatsApp and calls with a travel eSIM?

Yes, you can use WhatsApp, Messenger, FaceTime, and other internet-based calling and messaging apps just like normal. Travel eSIMs are data-only, so they don’t come with a phone number for traditional calls or SMS. For most travellers, using apps covers everything you need, and you can still receive verification SMS codes on your regular number without paying for roaming in many cases with most mobile providers.

Summary

Travelling with an international eSIM really does make life simpler. No more queues at airport kiosks, no surprise roaming bills, and no fiddly bits of plastic to lose in your hotel room. Instead, you get instant connectivity, the flexibility to top up as you go, and the peace of mind that support is just a message away if you need it. For me, the difference has been night and day – I spend more time enjoying the trip and less time stressing about how to stay connected. If you’re planning your next adventure, check out our travel eSIMs page and see how easy it can be. Your future self (and your wallet) will thank you.