eSIM for international travel
doctorSIM sells prepaid data eSIMs for around 150 destinations: nothing is added to your carrier bill, and your QR code is emailed the moment you pay.
- Set it up at home, connect when you land
- Prepaid data, nothing added to your bill
- 4.2 out of 5 from over 27,000 Trustpilot reviews
Choose your destination
100+ destinations available
An eSIM is a digital SIM that gives you a prepaid data plan for the country you're visiting, without switching on your carrier's international service. You buy it online, scan a QR code and you're connected the moment you land.
How your eSIM works
Pick your destination
Search the country you're traveling to and choose the data plan that fits your trip.
Your QR code arrives instantly
It's emailed to you as soon as the payment clears, so nothing ships and nothing waits at the airport.
Scan it and go
Install the profile from your phone settings on Wi-Fi, then turn the eSIM on after you land.
What is a travel eSIM?
A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan that downloads onto your cell phone as a digital SIM profile before you leave, so you land with data already working. Nothing ships to you and nothing goes in the SIM tray: you scan a QR code over Wi-Fi, the profile installs next to the line you already have, and it starts counting the first time it connects at your destination.
A travel eSIM is a data-only line. Your regular number stays active for calls and texts, while browsing, maps, WhatsApp, iMessage and FaceTime all run over the eSIM connection.
What doctorSIM does as an eSIM provider
- Check the country before you pay: the destination directory lists around 150 eSIM destinations one by one, so you can confirm yours is covered before you buy anything.
- Check the phone before you pay: the compatibility checker lists the supported models brand by brand.
- QR code emailed the moment your payment clears: nothing ships, nothing waits at the airport and there is no store to find after you land.
- Prepaid, so nothing hits your monthly statement: you pay once, before the trip, instead of adding international usage to the bill you already have.
- Data only, hotspot included, rechargeable: every plan leaves your regular number free for calls and texts, shares the connection with a laptop or tablet, and can be topped up from your doctorSIM account without reinstalling anything.
- Rated 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 27,000 reviews (August 2026).
Travel eSIM or your carrier's international plan?
Carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile sell international service as an add-on or as part of a premium plan, billed on top of what you already pay every month. A travel eSIM works the other way around: you pick the destination and the amount of data before you go, pay for it once, and your regular line stays on the phone for calls and texts.
| What matters | Travel eSIM | Carrier international plan | Local SIM card |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Prepaid before the trip, nothing added afterward | Added to your monthly statement | Prepaid at the counter overseas |
| When it is ready to use | Installed before you fly; live the first time it connects abroad | As soon as you switch it on with your carrier | Only once you have landed and found a store |
| Do you keep your number? | Yes, it runs next to your regular line | Yes | No, you get a local number instead |
| What you do on landing | Switch the eSIM profile on and allow data roaming for that profile | Nothing | Find a store, buy the card and deal with the paperwork |
| If your trip covers more than one country | It works in the destinations the plan lists and stops outside them | Depends on the countries your carrier includes | Tied to the country that issued it |
What you need before you buy
- A phone that supports eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Pixel 3 or newer, and most higher-end Android phones from 2018 onward. The fastest test is to dial *#06# in the phone app: if a code labeled EID shows up next to the IMEI, the phone supports eSIM.
- A carrier-unlocked phone: a phone still locked to a carrier will refuse an outside eSIM profile even when the hardware supports it. If you are not sure, ask your carrier to confirm before you buy.
- Wi-Fi for the installation: you need a connection to download the profile, which is exactly what you will not have walking off the plane.
- Your destination on the provider list: an eSIM only works where the plan says it works, so open the destination directory before you pay rather than after.
How do you install a travel eSIM?
Install it at home and turn the data on after you land, not the other way around. The installation needs an internet connection, and a connection is exactly what you are missing at the airport.
- Buy the plan for the country you are visiting and open the email with the QR code. Save it so it opens without a connection.
- Install the profile at home over Wi-Fi: open Settings, go to Cellular or Connections, add an eSIM and scan the QR code.
- Leave the new profile’s data turned off, so the plan does not start counting before you travel.
- After you land, switch the eSIM profile on and turn on data roaming for that profile. This is the step travelers miss: without it your phone stays offline even though the profile installed correctly.
- Set the eSIM as the default line for cellular data and leave your regular SIM on for calls and texts, so people can still reach you on your own number.
Which plan should you pick?
Pick the country first and the amount of data second. Most destinations offer both unlimited plans and fixed-data plans, and several countries also have regional or Global plans that cover more than one destination on a single eSIM. Unlimited plans carry a fair use policy: 1 GB a day at full speed, then the connection continues at 512 kbps, enough for messaging, maps and email. What is on sale, including the exact allowances and validity, changes from one destination to the next, and the plan cards on each destination page are the only place with the sizes and the validity that apply today. Start from the list of eSIM destinations, open the country you are traveling to and compare the cards there.
27,000 reviews of doctorSIM
Hassle Free & Super Fast Top-ups.
We have been using DoctorSIM for topping up our SIM cards for many years now, and we have consistently had an excellent experience.
The service has always been fast, reliable, and professional, with very reasonable rates and an impressive range of networks available globally. This is a real advantage compared with many other providers in the same business.
On one occasion, we accidentally entered an incorrect SIM/telephone number when making a top-up. As the funds could not be applied, DoctorSIM promptly processed a full refund back to the card we had originally used for the payment. Their response was quick, professional, and hassle-free.
And our most recent experience says it all: we topped up a SIM just a few moments ago, and the funds were credited within approximately three seconds. You simply cannot ask for much better service than that.
All in all, DoctorSIM has consistently delivered a first-class service over the years. We have no hesitation in recommending them 100% and will certainly continue using their services.
i love dr sim
i love this system its fast, user friendly, ive never come across any problems with it and honestly its just so useful and practical, i use it to buy my friend data every so often to help him out, but theres so many other features its so cool!! and i trust that they wont steal my info and sell it or anything too i love dr sim!!!!!!
very nice and smooth experience
very nice and smooth experience. First top to TIM Brasil didnt work because TIM is bad provider. The money stayed in between. So I asked DoctorSIM to change the top up to VIVO (another number of mine) and the money were delivered in 5 minutes to VIVO number, so I could use the data and so on. DoctorSIM works perfectly with top ups.
Traveling with an eSIM: common questions
What is a travel eSIM, and how is it different from my regular SIM?
A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan your phone downloads as a SIM profile, instead of a card you slide into a tray. Everything else works the same way: you buy the plan for the country you are visiting, a QR code arrives by email, you scan it from your settings over Wi-Fi, and the new line shows up alongside the one you already have. With doctorSIM the QR code is emailed as soon as the payment clears, so the phone is ready well before you leave for the airport.
Does my cell phone support eSIM, and does it have to be unlocked?
Dial *#06# in the phone app: if a code labeled EID shows up next to the IMEI, your phone supports eSIM. As a rule of thumb that means iPhone XS or newer, Pixel 3 or newer and most higher-end Android phones released from 2018 onward. It also has to be carrier-unlocked, because a phone still locked to a carrier will refuse an outside profile even when the hardware supports it. doctorSIM has an eSIM compatibility checker that lists the supported models brand by brand.
How does a travel eSIM compare with my carrier's international plan?
A travel eSIM is prepaid and destination-based, so you choose the country and the amount of data before the trip and pay for it up front rather than adding international usage to your monthly bill. Your regular line stays on the phone, so you can keep it active for calls and texts and let the eSIM carry the data. The trade-off is that an eSIM only works in the destinations its plan lists, so it is worth checking the country before you pay.
Need help with your eSIM?
Installation guides, compatibility, issues and refunds in our help centre.
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