eSIM-only iPhones: what travellers need to know

2026-11-11 · 4 min read

If you bought your iPhone in the US from the iPhone 14 onward, it has no physical SIM tray. You can't pop in a local SIM at the airport, so the way to get local data abroad is an eSIM. The good news: it installs before you leave, and your phone can keep your home number on at the same time.

Which iPhones are eSIM-only

US models from the iPhone 14 onward have no physical SIM tray. Models sold in other countries may differ, so check your own phone: if there is no SIM tray on the side, it is eSIM-only. Apple's page on setting up eSIM on iPhone lists the details by model and region.

If you bought your phone in the US and travel internationally, this matters. Advice you may read about buying a local physical SIM on arrival doesn't apply to you.

What that means abroad

Travellers with a SIM tray have three choices on arrival: roam on their home plan, buy a local physical SIM, or use an eSIM. With an eSIM-only iPhone, the middle option is gone. That leaves:

• Your home carrier's roaming or international plan, if it has one. Check what it includes and costs before you go; our post on travel eSIMs vs international plans compares the two.
• A local carrier's eSIM, where a local carrier sells one to visitors. Availability and sign-up steps vary, and some need a visit to a store.
• A travel eSIM, bought and installed before you fly, so data starts when you land. For most trips this is the practical route.

Set up a travel eSIM before you fly

1. Check the phone is unlocked. Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock should read "No SIM restrictions". Phones bought on a carrier contract are sometimes locked; your carrier can tell you whether it can unlock yours. See is my phone carrier-locked.
2. Choose a plan for your destination on the destinations page, for example Japan or Europe.
3. Install it at home on Wi-Fi. On iPhone the eSIM installs from a link on the install page after payment, with no QR code to scan. Validity starts when your phone first connects to a network in your destination, not when you install.
4. Label the lines when iPhone asks, for example "Home" and "Travel", so the settings are easy to read later.

Our step-by-step guide to installing an eSIM on iPhone walks through each screen.

Keep your home line on

Your home carrier's eSIM stays on the phone. Leave it switched on for calls and texts if you need bank codes or want to stay reachable, but turn Data Roaming off for it (Settings → Cellular → your home line) so it doesn't use data abroad. Then set the travel eSIM as your Cellular Data line and turn Data Roaming on for it, because travel eSIMs use partner networks.

From the iPhone 13 onward, iPhone can have two eSIMs active at the same time, one of which is used for data. Apple explains this in Using Dual SIM with an eSIM. Messaging apps keep using your usual number over the travel eSIM's data; see keeping your WhatsApp number abroad.

Don't delete your home eSIM

With no physical SIM to fall back on, your home eSIM is your number. Don't delete it to make room or to fix a problem abroad. Turning a line off is enough, and getting a deleted carrier eSIM back can mean contacting your carrier from abroad. iPhone can store many eSIMs, so there is room for both; see how many eSIMs a phone can hold.

If something goes wrong

• No data after landing: check the travel eSIM line is on, Data Roaming is on for it, and it is set as the Cellular Data line. Then toggle airplane mode once. Our troubleshooting guide covers the rest.
• The eSIM never connects: you get a full refund if it never connects. Email hello@e-sim.net with your order id.
• Running low: top up from your account page. Nothing renews automatically.

Changing phones before a trip

Because eSIMs live on the phone, a new phone needs its eSIMs moved or reinstalled. Do it at home, well before you fly. New phone before a trip covers the safe order for a travel eSIM you've already installed, and the device list shows which phones support eSIM.

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