Travel eSIM guides
Before you buy
Phone compatibility, start rules, data types and multi-country trips.
When to install and activate a travel eSIM
When to install and turn on a travel eSIM so its days aren’t used up before your trip.
Working out how much data to buy for a trip
Work out how much data to buy for a trip from your own phone’s usage.
Buying eSIMs for a multi-country trip
Whether to buy one multi-country eSIM or one per country when your trip crosses borders, and how to count travel days.
Choosing a travel eSIM plan by data type and trip length
How daily, total and unlimited data plans work, how many days to buy for a trip, and what to pick when no length matches.
Japan's mobile networks compared: docomo, au (KDDI), SoftBank, Rakuten, IIJ
Which Japanese network a travel eSIM connects to, how the networks differ, what independent speed tests found, and what the IP exit means.
Travelling to China: when to install your eSIM, where your IP is, and how to pay
What to sort out before a trip to mainland China: installing an eSIM, where your traffic exits and whether ChatGPT works, paying with Alipay and WeChat Pay, visa-free entry and the online arrival card.
Turkey's 120-day phone rule (IMEI registration) and travel eSIMs
What Turkey's IMEI registration rule says, who has to register and what it costs in 2026, what it means for travel eSIMs, and why to buy your eSIM before you fly.
Best eSIM for Japan: compare plans for your trip
Compare Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily and Simvito for Japan by data, hotspot, networks and IP location, using dated official sources.
Best eSIM for Europe: compare coverage and plan limits
Compare Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily and Simvito for Europe, including country lists, UK and Switzerland coverage, hotspot and total cost.
Best eSIM for Asia: compare plans for your route
Compare Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily and Simvito for Asia by actual country coverage, validity, hotspot, IP location and package cost.
Entry requirements
Visas, travel authorizations and arrival cards, by destination.
Visit Japan Web guide: immigration and customs QR code, tax-free
What you need for Visit Japan Web, how to register immigration and customs, how to show the QR code on arrival, and the tax-free changes from November 2026.
South Korea entry requirements: K-ETA, e-Arrival Card, Q-CODE
Whether your passport needs a K-ETA for South Korea, how the e-Arrival Card works and who fills in Q-CODE. Based on official information as of October 2026.
Bali arrival checklist: All Indonesia card, visa on arrival, tourist levy and your phone
What to do before landing in Bali: the All Indonesia arrival card, e-VOA, the Bali tourist levy, whether your phone needs IMEI registration, and paying by QR.
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC): who fills it in and when
Who must submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, who is exempt (including Singapore citizens), when to submit it and what happens at the immigration counter.
Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): free, within 3 days, official site only
Who must fill in Thailand's TDAC, the three-day window, the official tdac.immigration.go.th site, fake sites that charge a fee, and the 30-day visa-free stay from 15 September 2026.
Vietnam e-visa: official .gov.vn sites only, 90 days, multiple entries
Who needs a Vietnam e-visa, the two official .gov.vn sites, the US$50 multiple-entry fee, choosing entry points, transfers in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and look-alike visa sites.
UK ETA: £20, valid for 2 years, who needs one
Who needs a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation, the £20 fee since 8 April 2026, how long it lasts, applying on GOV.UK or the UK ETA app, and when transit passengers need one.
SG Arrival Card: who submits it, when, and the MyICA app
Who must submit Singapore's free SG Arrival Card, the three-day window, the official ICA site and MyICA app, arriving by land from Johor Bahru, and how to spot sites that charge.
Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC): the 7-day window and who needs a visa
When to submit Taiwan's online arrival card, submitting for a group, visa-free stays by passport, and the online permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents.
Hong Kong entry: no arrival card, visa-free stays and SIM registration
Hong Kong dropped arrival cards in 2024. Visa-free stays by passport, India's pre-arrival registration, Taiwan residents, and real-name SIM registration.
ESTA for the US: who needs it, cost, and avoiding agent sites
Who applies for an ESTA, where to apply, what it costs and how long it lasts, plus EVUS for Chinese 10-year visa holders and data for when you land.
Canada eTA: who needs one, when you don't, and the CAD 7 fee
Canada's eTA is only for flying in or connecting through a Canadian airport. Cost, validity, who's exempt, and arriving by land or sea.
Mexico entry: visa-free passports, the digital FMM and the US-visa rule
Who can visit Mexico without a visa, why holders of a US, Canadian, UK, Japanese or Schengen visa skip the Mexican one, and the FMM by air and by land.
Australia ETA, eVisitor or visitor visa: which one you need
Every visitor to Australia needs permission before flying. The ETA app and its AUD 20 charge, the eVisitor for EU and UK citizens, the visitor visa, and the arrival card.
NZeTA and the visitor levy: what New Zealand asks before you fly
Who needs an NZeTA, what it and the NZD 100 visitor levy cost, the free traveller declaration, and the NZeTA route for Chinese visitors coming from Australia.
EES and ETIAS: Europe's new border checks for visitors
The Entry/Exit System records fingerprints and a photo at the Schengen border since 2026. ETIAS isn't running yet. What to expect, and fake ETIAS sites.
UAE entry: visa on arrival, passport validity and tourist SIMs
Who gets a free visa on arrival in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the six-month passport rule, passports that apply in advance, and the operators' visitor SIMs.
Philippines eTravel: free arrival registration and visa-free stays
Register on eTravel free before arriving in the Philippines, avoid look-alike sites, check your visa-free stay, and how local SIM registration works for tourists.
Installing
Install steps, when to install, and what to do if installation fails.
Install a travel eSIM on iPhone
Install a travel eSIM on iPhone and set it as your data line, including when the QR code is on the same iPhone.
Install an eSIM on Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel
Install a travel eSIM on Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel and set it for mobile data, including when the QR code is on the same phone.
Moving to a new phone: transferring your eSIM, and why a travel eSIM stays put
How eSIM Quick Transfer moves your number to a new iPhone, moving between Android and iPhone, why a travel eSIM stays on the phone it was installed on, and what to check on a used phone.
Connecting abroad
Mobile data, data roaming, APN and speed.
Data, validity and top-ups
Checking usage, running out of data and adding data or days.