Your Guide To Using eSIM For International Travel

If you’re a frequent international traveller who always buys a new physical SIM card upon arrival, a recent advancement in travel technology might simplify your journey. Enter eSIM—a cutting-edge, increasingly popular innovation that is now available on select phone models and poised to become a standard feature. Here’s everything you need to know about eSIM.

What Is An eSim?

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a SIM card built into a device. Instead of being a separate card you can remove, it's software on a chip fixed inside the device. If the eSIM is compatible with eUICC technology, it can be reprogrammed with new SIM details. If not, the eSIM has a fixed information set during manufacturing and can't be changed. Some phones may not support eSIMs, may have an unchangeable eSIM, or may have one that can be reprogrammed for different carriers that support the technology. Phones might use physical SIMs, eSIMs, or both.

Benefits Of Travelling With eSIM

eSIMs are more secure than physical SIM cards because they can’t be removed if your iPhone is lost or stolen. With an eSIM, you don’t need to carry or switch physical SIM cards, which can be lost or take time to arrive in the mail.

Deactivating Regular Sim And Activating eSim For Travelling

• Before activating your eSim card, you need to necessarily deactivate your regular SIM card.

• Backup your contacts, messages and any other data present on the device

• Notify your designated network provider of your upcoming travel plans and ask them to deactivate your SIM.

• Once deactivated, remove the SIM card from your phone and store it safely until later. To activate the eSim, contact your network provider to get a QR code.

Limitations Of Using eSim

Since digital SIMs are a relatively new technology and have yet to gain popularity, not all devices have built-in digital SIM processors, and not all carriers support them. However, their usage is slowly rising, and we are bound to see a decline in this limitation in the coming years.

Things To Remember

You need to use your data strategically while travelling; this defines the data plan that you will purchase. 5 GB of data should be sufficient if you use the internet within a normal range. 10 GB of data should be enough if you are a heavy user, but if you are a gamer or stream regularly, you may need to buy advanced plans.

To protect your data while travelling, it is advisable to use a Virtual Private Network and ensure that the file-sharing option is turned off. Do not access unauthorised websites. If you follow these few basic rules, your travel technology experience is bound to be smooth.