Travelling with an iPhone that has no SIM tray
It works fine, but every line has to be an eSIM, so a plastic card from an airport kiosk is not an option. Your home line stays as one eSIM and a travel eSIM goes next to it; iPhones from the 13 onwards can run two at once. The main thing is to install the travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, before you leave.
See data eSIMsWhich iPhones have no tray
Apple's SIM size article lists the iPhone Air as eSIM only. For other models it depends on where the phone was bought: the iPhone 14 and later bought in the United States have no SIM tray, and from the iPhone 17 family onwards they are also eSIM only when bought in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Guam, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the US Virgin Islands. Elsewhere, those same models keep a nano-SIM tray as well.
If you are not sure, look at the side of the phone. No tray means eSIM only. Visitors from the US with a recent iPhone are a typical case, and our guide for US visitors covers the plan side.
Apple notes that iPhone 13 models and later support Dual eSIM, so every eSIM-only iPhone can hold your home line and a travel line at the same time.
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Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
What changes when you land
The airport habit of buying a local card and swapping it in does not apply. There is nowhere to put the card. Your choices are roaming on your home line, an eSIM from a local provider, or a travel eSIM bought in advance, which is how Apple's own travel guidance frames it.
Apple also says an iPhone needs Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set up an eSIM, although some eSIM-only models can activate without Wi-Fi in certain countries. Do not count on that at the arrivals hall. Install the travel eSIM at home, where the Wi-Fi is yours and there is time to check it, and let it wait in Settings until the trip.
A Snoozim pack only starts counting at its first connection in the destination, so installing it days ahead costs nothing. The phone must be unlocked; Apple shows this under Settings, General, About, where No SIM restrictions appears next to the carrier lock line.
Two eSIMs, two jobs
Once both are installed, the arrangement is the same as on any dual SIM iPhone. Your home eSIM keeps your number for calls and SMS, including bank codes; the travel eSIM carries data. You choose the data line in Settings, Cellular or Mobile Data, then Cellular Data, and turn off data on your home line so it cannot roam.
From iOS 26, Apple adds a shortcut: a Turn On Travel eSIM notification that lets you choose Travel eSIM Only or Travel eSIM and Current eSIM. With both, the travel line handles data and your home line keeps everything else, though Apple warns you may still pay roaming fees on the home eSIM. On return, depending on the country, the iPhone should switch the travel eSIM off and your home line back on by itself.
The two-line setup guide covers the switches that keep the home line from roaming.
Bands, locks and the region you bought in
Apple says an unlocked eSIM-only iPhone can be activated with providers worldwide, and adds two checks: that the provider supports eSIM on your plan, and that the phone is compatible with the bands used where you are going. The band list for your exact model is on Apple's technical specifications page, and it takes a minute to compare.
There is one regional exception in the other direction. Apple notes that an eSIM from a mainland China provider cannot be used on a device bought outside mainland China.
If the phone came from your operator, check the lock before you buy anything. A locked iPhone rejects a travel eSIM, and an eSIM-only one gives you no physical fallback. Our guide on checking the lock shows where to look.
If the phone is lost or breaks
Apple points out that an eSIM cannot be removed if the iPhone is stolen, which protects the home line that receives your codes. The flip side is that you cannot pop the SIM into a spare phone either. If the phone dies, the lines stay with it until your operator issues a new eSIM for another device.
A travel eSIM stays on the phone where it was installed, so a backup handset would need its own plan. For most trips the practical precaution is simpler: know how to reach your operator from another device, and keep your account details where you can reach them. The guide to a lost or stolen phone abroad has the order of steps.
And do not delete an eSIM as a troubleshooting step. Apple advises against it unless your provider says so, and on a phone with no tray that line is not coming back from a drawer.
Can I buy a physical SIM abroad for an eSIM-only iPhone?
No. Without a SIM tray there is nowhere to insert it. You need an eSIM, either from a local provider or a travel eSIM bought beforehand.
Can I keep my home number and use a travel eSIM?
Yes. iPhone 13 models and later support two active eSIMs, so your home eSIM keeps your number while the travel eSIM carries data.
Do I need Wi-Fi to install a travel eSIM?
Apple says an iPhone needs Wi-Fi or a hotspot for eSIM setup, with some exceptions for eSIM-only models in certain countries. Install it at home to be safe.
Will a US iPhone work on European networks?
Apple says an unlocked eSIM-only iPhone can be activated with providers worldwide, but recommends checking band compatibility for your destination.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See data eSIMs