Introduction
When traveling abroad, you must be careful about communicating with the SIM card you always use in your country. For example, they may be costly or offer another plan that allows you to connect overseas.
Google Maps and the like will be essential in unfamiliar places, and many people will probably use WhatsApp or LINE to make phone calls, so communication means can be a lifeline.
I introduce eSIM as a convenient solution in such a situation.
What is eSIM?
eSIM stands for Embedded SIM, meaning an embedded SIM card. So it is embedded in the device and does not need to be removed or put in. So it is convenient because taking the SIM in and out is unnecessary.
And here’s the critical part: you have to have a phone model that supports eSIM to use it. So, if you are interested, first check if your model is compatible with eSIM. I am currently using an iPhone 11 Pro, which is supported.
Please look at the following page for a list of models compatible with eSIM.
What devices support eSIM?
Comparison of eSIM with other means (mobile WIFI, regular SIM card)
I’ll explain the advantages of eSIM over mobile WIFI or a regular SIM card (this assumes you buy a SIM card for your destination country on Amazon.com or something before you travel abroad).
First of all, with mobile WIFI, it is a hassle to go to the rental office and return it. Also, you have to charge your mobile WIFI, which can be a bit cumbersome when you want to travel light. With an eSIM, on the other hand, you don’t have to return the mobile WIFI, and you don’t have to carry anything extra with you.
When using a regular SIM card (from the country you are traveling to), you need to be careful to keep your previous SIM card (the one you usually use in your country) when replacing it. In many cases, you may want to use the SIM card immediately after arriving at the destination, but it is quite a hassle to remove the phone case and replace the SIM card when you get to the airport. Also, obtaining a SIM card for the country in advance is necessary, which is a hassle.
What is Airalo?
Airalo offers eSIMs for various countries, with support for over 190 countries.
Please check the links below for more information on which countries are supported.
Below is another summary of the countries and regions supported by each area (information as of 2022.08.01).
North America | United States of America, Canada, Greenland |
Central and South America | Aruba, Argentina, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Antilles, British Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Curaçao, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Colombia, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands Chile, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Haiti, Panama, Bermuda Islands, Paraguay, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Brazil, French Guiana, Venezuela, Belize, Peru, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bolivia Honduras, Mexico, Montserrat |
Asia | India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Laos, China, China (Macau), Taiwan, Japan, East Timor, Korea, Hong Kong |
Middle East | Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Cameroon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Bahrain, Palestine, Jordan |
Europe | Iceland, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, United Kingdom, Italy, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Austria, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Greece, Kyrgyz, Croatia, Kosovo, Gibraltar, Jersey Island, Georgia Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, Norway, Hungary, Finland, Faroe Islands, France, Bulgaria, Belarus, Belgium, Poland Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Macedonia, Malta, Isle of Man, Moldova, Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Romania, Luxembourg, Russia |
Oceania | Australia, Guam, Samoa, Tonga, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, French Polynesia |
Africa | Algeria, Uganda, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Seychelles, Senegal, Tanzania, Chad Tunisia, Togo, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Benin, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Morocco, Liberia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Reunion, South Africa |
Price Image
As an idea of prices, an example from India is given below. It varies from country to country, so please research the country you are going to. In India, it’s $5 for 1GB (valid for 7 days) and $13 for 3GB (valid for 30 days).
One thing I want to add is that some people might misunderstand. The expiration date (e.g., 7 days) shown in the following image does not mean from the time of purchase. It means 7 days after connecting locally. So, for example, if you are going to India from Jan 7th, you can buy it on Jan 1st to have enough time before that, or you can buy it on Jan 6th just before you go. If you have a free wifi connection in India, you can buy it after you arrive in India.
Airalo Apps
If you actually want to use it, having the Airalo app on your phone would be helpful. Below are links to the iPhone and ANDROID apps, respectively.
With this, you can check the remaining communication capacity at any time.
Referral code
If you are a new registrant, please use the following referral code. You can save $3 when you register and make a new purchase.
Referral code:SHUTOR0121
Limited-time promo code (Until 31 August, 2023)
New Customers Promotion (an additional 15% discount)
code: AUGUST15
Existing Customers Promotion (an additional 10% discount)
code: AUGUST10
Limited-time promo code (From 1 September to 30 September 2023)
New Customers Promotion (an additional 15% discount)
code: SEP15
Existing Customers Promotion (an additional 10% discount)
code: SEP10
Limited-time promo code (From 1 November to 30 November 2023)
New Customers Promotion (an additional 15% discount)
code: NOV15
Existing Customers Promotion (an additional 10% discount)
code: NOV10
Airalo Tutorial
I found a tutorial by Airalo and will post it.
Supplemental: Top-up
If you are new to this, this story may need clarification, so if you are confused, please skip over it. If the eSIM you purchased is rechargeable, you can recharge the amount of data again later.
For example, let’s say you initially purchase a 5GB eSIM. After that, if you use it a little too much and it is not enough, you can charge the amount of data to that eSIM. For details, please take a look at the following page of airalo.
How can I top up an eSIM?
Popular eSIMs in August ‘23
・Europe 10 GB – 30 Days : 37USD (As of 2023.08.25)
・USA 10 GB – 30 Days : 26USD (As of 2023.08.25)
・Asia region 10 GB – 30 Days : 37USD (As of 2023.08.25)
・Canada 10 GB – 30 Days : 35USD (As of 2023.08.25)
Turkey 20 GB – 30 Days : 26USD (As of 2023.08.25)
Summary
If you have a smartphone that supports eSIM, I recommend using an eSIM when traveling abroad.
Airalo is recommended as a provider of eSIM.The price is reasonable, and you can quickly check the remaining communication capacity at any time with the app, so you can use it confidently.