{"id":1459,"date":"2026-10-21T14:52:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T14:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maya.net\/connect\/what-is-an-esim-and-how-does-it-work-for-travel\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T18:45:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T18:45:56","slug":"what-is-an-esim-and-how-does-it-work-for-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maya.net\/connect\/what-is-an-esim-and-how-does-it-work-for-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an eSIM, and how does it work for travel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone, so you add a mobile plan by scanning a QR code or tapping an app instead of swapping a plastic card. For travel, you install a travel eSIM before you fly and it connects to a local network when you land; Maya\u2019s one eSIM stays on your phone and covers 165+ countries with unlimited data, priced flat by trip length from USD 9.99.<\/p>\n

The old way meant a new plan, a new checkout page and a new SIM hunt every time the plane touched down somewhere new.<\/p>\n

What is an eSIM, and how is it different from a SIM card?<\/h2>\n

An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone, so there is no plastic card to swap or lose. A regular SIM is a physical card tied to one carrier, while an eSIM lets you switch carrier profiles digitally, with no hardware and no store visit.<\/p>\n

Ericsson\u2019s 2023 blog explains the hardware: it is either a separate embedded chip called an eUICC or part of another chip, such as the modem, and the plan profiles are provisioned remotely. Your phone gets a new plan the way it gets a new app.<\/p>\n

Maya\u2019s eSIM works this way. Plans come in 3, 7, 14 and 30 days, at $9.99, $19.99, $27.99 and $49.99.<\/p>\n

How does an eSIM get onto your phone?<\/h2>\n

You download an eSIM profile over Wi-Fi or mobile data by scanning a QR code or tapping an install link in an app. Installation needs an internet connection, so do it at home or on hotel Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n

With Maya, you download the app, scan your QR code and the eSIM is installed in 2 minutes. Activation can take a minute or two, and the app confirms when it\u2019s ready. On iPhone, scan with the Camera or tap and hold the QR code and choose Add eSIM. On Android, point the Camera at the code and tap the Data Plan notification.<\/p>\n

You install it once. For each trip you buy a plan, and the plan ends when its days end. Auto Top-Up is optional and off by default, so there\u2019s nothing to cancel and no charge after unless you turn it on.<\/p>\n

How does a travel eSIM work when you land in another country?<\/h2>\n

You install the eSIM before you fly, and it connects to a local network when you land, so you skip the airport SIM counter and, typically, the roaming bill. You keep your home line on the same phone for calls and texts.<\/p>\n

When you land, switch on your Maya eSIM and select it for Cellular Data. Maya connects you to the best local network, and the plan clock starts when you switch it on. Your home carrier adds no roaming charges for data while the Maya eSIM carries it and Data Roaming is off on the home line.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Travel eSIM<\/th>\nHow plans are sold<\/th>\nUnlimited plan allowance, as published<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Maya Mobile<\/strong><\/td>\nOne 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<\/td>\nA 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<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Airalo<\/td>\nPer country, per region, or one global plan; priced in USD<\/td>\nOur unlimited data packages don\u2019t 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\u2019ll slow down (or \u201cthrottle\u201d) your internet speed to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Holafly<\/td>\nPer country, per region (Europe, Latin America, Cruise plans), and unlimited monthly\/annual global plans<\/td>\nUnlimited data means there is no fixed limit on the amount of data you can use. However, some network operators may temporarily reduce your speed after a certain amount of high-speed data usage, as explained above.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saily<\/td>\nPer country and per region, plus one global plan; by the gigabyte, unlimited, or both<\/td>\nThe 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 \u2014 fast enough for navigation, messaging, and standard browsing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nomad<\/td>\nPer country, per region and global plans; by the gigabyte<\/td>\nHow many GB of high-speed data you wish per day. You can continue to use your data at a throttled speed of 512kbps after you\u2019ve used up your daily allocation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ubigi<\/td>\nEurope and World unlimited plans; monthly, annual, one-off, lifetime; unlimited, 60GB then 2 Mbps<\/td>\nYour unlimited data plan includes 60GB of full speed data, then optimized to 2 Mbps \u2014 this Fair Use Policy ensures a stable and fair connection for all users on the network.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GigSky<\/td>\nPer country, per region, and cruise plans; by day, unlimited data with 3.5GB daily high-speed allowance<\/td>\nGet up to 3.5GB\/day at our fastest speeds: Video calls, uploads, streaming and more.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Rival entries quote or briefly summarize what each provider states about its unlimited plan, and the Maya Mobile entries give Maya\u2019s own published terms.<\/p>\n

Which phones support an eSIM, and how do you check yours?<\/h2>\n

Many recent phones support an eSIM, but a carrier-locked phone can block a new plan. The quickest check is the compatibility test in the Maya app, which takes seconds and gives a definitive answer for your exact phone.<\/p>\n

You can also check the full list at maya.net\/esim-compatible-devices. On an iPhone, open Settings > General > About. If \u201cNo SIM Restrictions\u201d appears next to Carrier Lock, the phone is unlocked (Apple Support, 2026). Only your current carrier can release it from the carrier lock. Maya needs an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone, and a phone that isn\u2019t on the list won\u2019t work with our plans.<\/p>\n

How much data does a week abroad need, and what does unlimited mean?<\/h2>\n

Maya\u2019s plans give unlimited data with a daily high-speed allowance, stated in its terms, at one flat price for the trip length you pick. A week costs $19.99.<\/p>\n

The daily allowance resets every 24 hours. Once you use it, you stay online at standard speed. Hotspot is included with every plan, and Maya\u2019s speed isn\u2019t guaranteed in any country.<\/p>\n

Your home carrier prices the same week differently. Verizon\u2019s TravelPass is $12 a day, so seven days of daily use is $84 (Verizon, 2026).<\/p>\n

Your phone also runs both lines at once. Apple\u2019s \u201cUsing Dual SIM with an eSIM\u201d page lists adding a local data plan when you travel as a use for Dual SIM, and says both phone numbers can make and receive voice calls while the iPhone uses one cellular data network at a time (Apple Support, 2026).<\/p>\n

What do travelers say went wrong with other travel eSIMs?<\/h2>\n

The top complaint is data that doesn\u2019t work on arrival: 576 to 641 of 934 complaints about five travel eSIM providers, published September 22 to October 9, 2026, were about it. A second group, 212 to 226 of those 934, was about what \u201cunlimited\u201d really means.<\/p>\n

A one-star Trustpilot review of Airalo from October 9, 2026 reads: \u201cMy data stopped working one day after I arrived even though I purchased a 5-day eSIM. I could only use my phone with free WiFi. The service is horrible and I will be requesting a refund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Atlas, our small globe with a massive passport, shrugs at lost luggage. Dead data at the arrivals gate is another matter. So we ask you to install before the flight, on Wi-Fi, and to switch the eSIM on when you land.<\/p>\n

What should you check before you buy a travel eSIM for a trip?<\/h2>\n

Check that your phone supports an eSIM and is unlocked, that the plan covers every country on your route including a cruise, and that you know when the plan ends. Maya\u2019s plan ends when its days end and does not renew unless you opt in, so there is nothing to cancel.<\/p>\n

Run through these four before you pay:<\/p>\n