A global eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone that carries one plan across many countries, with no physical card to swap. You need one when a trip crosses borders or you don’t want to hunt for a local SIM on arrival; our Global eSIM covers 165+ countries from USD 9.99 for 3 days.
A global eSIM is one plan for many countries, no SIM swaps
A global eSIM lets you buy and use data abroad without changing physical cards, and a single plan works across many countries instead of just one. Our Global eSIM covers 165+ countries on one plan.
The eSIM is installed once. After that, the trip is about where you’re going, whether that’s a main square or a mountain pass with no signs in your language.
How does a global eSIM work once it is on your phone?
Install it once, then switch it on when you land. Your plan’s days begin counting at the moment you turn the Maya eSIM on in your phone settings.
On iOS, open the Maya Mobile app and go to Home. Select the eSIM, choose Installation Instructions, tap Install eSIM Now, and follow the on-screen prompts. The default options are fine to accept.
To verify it on an iPhone, open Settings and tap Cellular (Mobile Data in the UK). Tap Cellular Data and select the eSIM plan, then go back to Cellular and tap the eSIM plan.
After you land, turn the Maya eSIM on and choose it as your Cellular Data line. The eSIM stays on your phone after the plan expires, so there’s nothing to delete or reinstall between trips.
Plans are flat-priced by length: 3 days costs $9.99, 14 days costs $27.99 and 30 days costs $49.99. John C. gave Maya Mobile five stars on Trustpilot in May 2026: “Ridiculously simple and great service. Bought, connected, used, done. The whole Maya experience was exactly what I wanted. Easy, good value for money, fast connection speeds, no interruptions. It just worked!!! Thank you Maya, I’ll purchase again for sure.”
Done. The rest of the trip is yours.
When do you need a global eSIM instead of a local SIM?
You need one when a trip crosses several borders, or when you’d rather skip the local-SIM hunt on arrival. Keep your home SIM active alongside the travel eSIM if you want 2-factor authentication codes or bank texts to keep arriving, and check your home carrier’s roaming rates first to avoid surprise fees.
Your home carrier is the other option. AT&T’s International Day Pass costs $12 a day on land in included destinations for unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, when added to an Unlimited Plan (AT&T, International Day Pass). For cruise use on land and sea it’s $20 a day, with unlimited talk and text plus 500MB of data per day (AT&T, International Day Pass).
Cruise ships are their own case. Princess Cruises says cellular data used on the ship or in certain ports of call may result in charges from your cell phone provider, and suggests planning ahead with a home carrier cruise day pass, an eSIM data plan or a Princess Wi-Fi package (Princess Cruises, 2026).
Our answer is the Global + Cruise plan, a separate purchase from the Global eSIM. It covers 20+ cruise lines and 165+ countries, including Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line, with unlimited data at sea.
Which phones work with a global eSIM?
The compatible-device list in our help center names the models, and you can check your own phone before you buy. It lives at maya.net/esim-compatible-devices.
Apple coverage runs from the iPhone XR/XS series through the iPhone 17 series, including iPhone Air, SE 2 (2020) and SE 3 (2022). Google Pixel models range from the Pixel 3 up to the Pixel 10 Pro, including the 3a, 4a, 6a, 7a, 8a and 9 Pro XL variants. The list also names Samsung Galaxy, Oppo, Motorola, Huawei, Nokia, Honor, Microsoft and Xiaomi devices, plus compatible iPads.
Two checks come before you buy. Your phone must support eSIM technology, and dialing *#06# shows whether an EID number appears. It must also be free of carrier locks to use the Maya eSIM.
What does unlimited data mean on the Maya Mobile Global eSIM?
Our Global eSIM gives unlimited data with a Daily Quota, the daily high-speed allowance set out in our terms. The Daily Quota is part of the plan from day one.
The allowance runs at up to 4G LTE or 5G where available on local networks. After that allowance is spent, you stay connected at standard speed until the day ends.
The allowance refreshes by itself every 24 hours, measured from the activation date. Each new day starts with the high-speed allowance back in place, so you can plan your maps and uploads around it.
What should you look for in a global eSIM plan?
Look for coverage that matches your route, a price you know before you leave, and clear terms on what happens when the days end. Our plan is a one-time purchase that ends when its days end, unless you turn on Auto Top-Up, which is opt-in and off by default.
Plans run for 3, 7, 14 or 30 days. If Auto Top-Up stays off, the plan simply ends on its expiry date and nothing more is charged.
If you turn it on, Auto Top-Up buys the same plan again when the current one expires, charged to the payment method on file at the same duration and price as the original purchase. It is not a subscription. You can turn it off any time from My eSIM in the app or at maya.net, and it takes effect immediately.
Clear install instructions matter too. A one-star Trustpilot review of aloSIM from August 13, 2026, by Osman D., reads: “No Russian manuals available. I purchased aloSIM for my family while they were traveling, but none of them could set up the eSIM. As an experienced Windows and Android user, I could have probably figured it out by trial and error, but my family couldn’t. It’s way too complicated with English-only instructions. Plus, after my payment successfully processed, the app still asked me to buy the plan again. # update since you are planning to add Russian instructions, I’ll give aloSIM another try. My family is heading to Turkey at the end of August, and if everything goes well, I’ll update my review to 5 stars.”
For refunds, email [email protected] or use the in-app chat.
Which travel eSIM should you buy for a trip across several countries?
Our Global eSIM is one plan priced by trip length from USD 9.99, covering 165+ countries.
| Travel eSIM | How plans are sold | Unlimited plan allowance, as published |
|---|---|---|
| Maya Mobile | One Global eSIM for 165+ countries, unlimited data at a flat price by trip length: USD 9.99 for 3 days, USD 19.99 for 7 days, USD 27.99 for 14 days, USD 49.99 for 30 days | A daily high-speed data allowance (the Daily Quota) at up to 4G LTE or 5G where local networks offer it, reset every 24 hours; unlimited data at standard speed once the Daily Quota is used |
| Airalo | Per country, per region, or one global plan; priced in USD | Our unlimited data packages don’t have a fixed total data cap. However, to keep the network running fairly for everyone, when you use more than 3GB in a day, we’ll slow down (or “throttle”) your internet speed to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day. Your full high-speed connection will automatically be restored when your daily allowance next resets. Your daily allowance resets every 24 hours, counted from the time you activated your eSIM. |
| Holafly | Per country, per region (Europe, Latin America, Cruise plans), and monthly global plans: Light, 25GB of data, $ 49.90USD/month; Unlimited, $ 64.90USD/month; Ultra, $ 90.95USD/month | Unlimited data plans are subject to a fair use policy, which may temporarily reduce speed in cases of unusually high usage to maintain network quality for all users. |
| Saily | Per country and per region, plus one global plan; by the gigabyte, unlimited, or both | The Unlimited plan gives you 5 GB per day at full 4G/5G speed, then keeps you online at 1 Mbps for the rest of the day — fast enough for navigation, messaging, and standard browsing. |
| Nomad | Per country, per region and global plans; by the gigabyte and unlimited | Once the daily allowance of 2 GB is used, data speeds are reduced (throttled) for the rest of the day. Depending on the specific plan, this reduced speed is approximately 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps. |
In this table, the rival columns quote each provider’s own published wording or briefly summarize it, while the Maya Mobile row comes from maya.net.
How Maya keeps one eSIM on your phone for every trip
Pick your trip length, pay one flat price, and go. The Global Unlimited 30-day plan is USD 49.99.
You pay one flat rate whichever of the 165+ countries you are in. In the Philippines, for example, the Global Unlimited Data plan works on the same eSIM, with no additional purchase.
Maya is installed once and stays on your phone permanently. For each trip you only buy a new plan, with no reinstalling. If the trip runs long, buy another plan from the Maya app.
FAQ
Why must my phone be free of carrier locks before I install a travel eSIM?
Using Maya requires a carrier-lock-free, eSIM-compatible device, so a phone must be free of carrier locks to use the Maya eSIM. If yours is locked under a contract or payment plan, contact your carrier to have the lock removed first.
How do I keep my home number for bank texts while using a global eSIM?
Keep your primary home SIM active alongside your travel eSIM, and you’ll still receive 2-factor authentication and bank SMS messages. Verify your home carrier’s roaming rates first to avoid surprise fees. eSIM plans are data plans only, so they come with no phone number for calling or SMS. Some carriers may charge international SMS fees even when you use Wi-Fi calling over the eSIM data connection, though this is not common.
How do I check whether my phone supports eSIM?
Dial *#06#. If an EID number appears, your phone supports eSIM technology.
When should I install my travel eSIM before I fly?
Install it before you fly. On arrival, switch on the Maya eSIM and select it for Cellular Data, setting it as your primary Cellular/Mobile Data plan if you installed it earlier. The plan clock starts when you enable the eSIM in phone settings, and your daily high-speed allowance refreshes every 24 hours counted from the activation date.
What happens when my plan’s days run out?
If Auto Top-Up is off, the plan ends on its expiry date and nothing more is charged. There is no automatic recurring charge unless you turn on Auto Top-Up, the optional feature that buys the same plan again when the current one expires. Need more days? Buy another plan from the Maya app.
What if my global eSIM won’t connect when I land?
Once you’ve followed the steps and confirmed the eSIM is not installed, Maya support will help, so get in touch with them. If the eSIM can’t be installed because the device is incompatible or carrier-locked, a full refund less payment processing fees is available when no data was consumed and the request is within 30 days of purchase. The Money Back Guarantee also covers a cancelled trip, an extra or unneeded data plan, and an eSIM that is unused or consumed no data. Complete refund terms are in the Terms of Service.
What should I check with my home carrier before I travel?
Check your home carrier’s roaming rates. If you keep your home SIM active next to the travel eSIM for 2-factor codes or bank texts, those rates are where surprise fees come from.
Do I need a new eSIM for every trip?
No. Maya is installed once and stays on your phone permanently, with no reinstalling. For each trip you only buy a new plan.
Maya puts one eSIM on your phone, installed once, with unlimited data and a daily high-speed allowance across 165+ countries.
