eSIM guide · Remote work

eSIM for Digital Nomads: A Long-Stay Guide for Canadians

The quick answer Top-up: extra data, not extra days

An eSIM for digital nomads gives you mobile data in every country its plan covers, with no SIM to buy at each stop. Install it before you leave Canada, top up in the app if your plan allows it, and pick a regional or global plan for cross-border routes. Check each stop against HelloRoam's 185+ destinations.

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Starting at CA$1.44 · 1GB for 7 days

Written by HelloRoam Team Revised October 21, 2026

What changed

Added what 30, 60 and 90 days of data cost on our plans, our global plan, and how to keep data going by buying your next plan in time. Updated how to reach our support team.

Fact-checked with 11 sources How we edit

eSIM key facts for remote workers From our plans and help guides; markers link to sources

Low on data mid-stay: Top it up, puts more data on the same eSIM, where the plan allows it
Borders on a regional plan: One eSIM, keeps working in every country on its list
Your laptop on phone data: Tethering, works on every plan we sell
Your Canadian number abroad: Your SIM, stays on for calls, texts and bank codes⁽¹⁾
Help when a line won't connect: 24/7, WhatsApp or email
One eSIM for several regions: 127, destinations on the global plan
HelloRoam's reach: 185+ destinations worldwide, 212+ local networks

Coverage, top-ups and round-the-clock support decide if an eSIM fits a remote-work route

A digital nomad earns a living online while moving between countries. On that kind of trip, your phone needs data that holds up through long stays and border crossings. 6 checks show whether an eSIM can keep up.

What makes an eSIM good for digital nomads?

A good eSIM for digital nomads covers every stop on your route, takes top-ups on the same eSIM and allows hotspot use. It should also sell regional and global plans, state its fair-use terms and offer support at any hour. HelloRoam sells plans for 185+ destinations, and our global plan on its own reaches 127 destinations. Every plan we sell allows hotspot use, and support answers 24/7.

Your whole route is covered
Write down each country you plan to stay in and open its plan page. If a stop isn't on the list, the plan won't give you data there.
Add data without a new QR code
A top-up adds data to the eSIM already on your phone. You skip a fresh install and a new QR code each time you run low.
A regional plan exists for your route
With a regional plan, one eSIM works in a whole group of countries. Confirm that every stop is on its country list before you pay.
Hotspot sharing is allowed
Your phone's hotspot turns its mobile data into a Wi-Fi network that your laptop can join.⁽²⁾⁽³⁾ Check that the plan allows sharing before you count on it for client calls.
Unlimited plans show their fair-use terms
Fair-use terms set how a plan treats heavy use. An unlimited plan should say that fair-use terms apply, so read them before a month of video calls.
Support answers at any hour
You may land at midnight with no signal. Check that support answers around the clock, not only during business hours.

Your phone also has to support eSIM and be unlocked, which means it isn't tied to one carrier.⁽¹⁾ On iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About: No SIM Restrictions next to Carrier Lock means it's unlocked.⁽⁴⁾ Check whether your phone takes an eSIM before you choose a plan.

A month with 20 GB of data starts at CA$20.63 in 4 remote-work bases

Here's what 30, 60 and 90 days of data cost on our plans in each base and on our global plan. Each cell counts the plans you buy, since you buy the next one before the last one ends. Keep each new eSIM's line off until the plan before it ends, so no days overlap.

**Long-stay costs on our plans,** prices as of October 6, 2026, shown in your currency at checkout. Fair-use terms apply.
Remote-work base	Plan type	30 days	60 days	90 days
Mexico City, Mexico	20GB for 30 days	CA$51.74 1 plan to buy	CA$103.49 2 plans to buy	CA$155.23 3 plans to buy
Mexico City, Mexico	Unlimited data for 30 days	CA$96.09 1 plan to buy	CA$192.18 2 plans to buy	CA$288.27 3 plans to buy
Lisbon, Portugal	20GB for 30 days	CA$20.63 1 plan to buy	CA$41.26 2 plans to buy	CA$61.89 3 plans to buy
Lisbon, Portugal	Unlimited data for 30 days	CA$88.39 1 plan to buy	CA$176.78 2 plans to buy	CA$265.17 3 plans to buy
Chiang Mai, Thailand	20GB for 30 days	CA$22.35 1 plan to buy	CA$44.70 2 plans to buy	CA$67.05 3 plans to buy
Chiang Mai, Thailand	Unlimited data for 30 days	CA$105.78 1 plan to buy	CA$211.55 2 plans to buy	CA$317.33 3 plans to buy
Bali, Indonesia	20GB for 30 days	CA$44.01 1 plan to buy	CA$88.03 2 plans to buy	CA$132.04 3 plans to buy
Bali, Indonesia	Unlimited data for 30 days	CA$99.52 1 plan to buy	CA$199.03 2 plans to buy	CA$298.55 3 plans to buy
Global plan, 127 destinations	1GB for 365 days	CA$36.73 1 plan to buy	CA$36.73 1 plan to buy	CA$36.73 1 plan to buy

Our 1GB global plan runs 365 days: handy as a backup line for arrival days, not for a month of work.

Staying for months means buying your next plan before the current one ends

Our country plans run 7 or 30 days, and unlimited plans up to 30 days per purchase. The days start when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you install it. To stay longer, buy your next plan before the end date.

In our app, Top up adds data to the eSIM you already have, with no new QR code. You'll see it on the eSIM's card when the plan can take more data.

Follow the top-up steps in the app before the end date, because an expired eSIM can't take a top-up. For more days, buy your next plan before that date: it arrives as a second eSIM with its own QR code. Install it over Wi-Fi and keep its line off, since its days start only when it first connects. When the first plan ends, turn on the new line and its data roaming, then choose it for data.

Plan the first stretch, not the whole year: buy for your first weeks, then buy the next plan once you know your real use. Unlimited plans carry fair-use terms, so read them before a month of daily video calls.

HelloRoam app My eSIM screen showing a data gauge, the end date, today's use and a Top Up button — **Fig. 1:** My eSIM in our app: the data left, the end date and the Top Up button.

**How each plan type handles a stay of months,** from our plan details and help guides, read October 21, 2026
What matters	Country plan	Unlimited, by the day	Multi-country plan
Good for	Steady work from one base	Heavy use over set days	Routes that cross borders
Running short on data	Add data in the app, on the same eSIM	Buy your next plan before the end date	Buy another plan if its card shows no Top up
At a border	Works in its own country only, so add a plan for the next	Works only where the plan says	Keeps working in each listed country
Watch for	Some plans can't take more data	Fair-use terms apply	Check the country list first

Your eSIM is the backup line for when café Wi-Fi drops

Run big jobs on Wi-Fi, and keep the eSIM ready for calls, maps and messages when the Wi-Fi gives out.

**Fig. 2:** The travel eSIM pulls data from a local network, the hotspot passes it to your laptop,⁽²⁾⁽³⁾ and your home line stays on for SMS codes.⁽¹⁾

**Where to run everyday work tasks,** based on our data calculator's rates and our own tips, October 2026
What you're doing	Apps, for example	Where to run it
Video calls with clients	Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom	Wi-Fi when you can
System and app updates	App Store, Google Play	Wi-Fi
Browsing and research	Safari, Chrome	Mobile data works
Maps and directions	Google Maps, Apple Maps	Mobile data works
Chat and email	WhatsApp, Slack, Gmail	Mobile data works
Cloud uploads	Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud	Wi-Fi for large files
Laptop on the hotspot	Any laptop app	Mobile data, with updates paused

Sharing data with your laptop

Turn on your phone's hotspot, and your laptop, tablet or a friend's phone joins it like any Wi-Fi network.⁽²⁾⁽³⁾ Every plan we sell allows hotspot use, and each device draws on the same plan. Pause laptop updates and cloud backups first. See how a travel eSIM doubles as a hotspot.

Video calls and big uploads

Calls ride on local mobile networks, and speed changes from place to place and network to network. 5G isn't available everywhere, so look at the networks named on each plan page. Save large uploads and system updates for Wi-Fi, and switch to the eSIM if the Wi-Fi drops mid-call. To size a month of meetings, work out your data needs.

Bank codes and your Canadian number

Your home SIM keeps your Canadian number for calls, texts and bank codes, while the travel eSIM carries your data. Our plans carry data only, with no phone number of their own. WhatsApp keeps working with your home number over the eSIM's data.⁽⁶⁾

On iPhone, choose your home number as the Default Voice Line and keep that line on, so SMS codes reach you.⁽¹⁾ Set Cellular Data to the HelloRoam line, then turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching, and Data Roaming on the home line.⁽¹⁾⁽⁷⁾ Bell charges its daily fee when you make or answer a call, send a text or use data on that line, and background data counts.⁽⁸⁾ See how calls and texts work with a travel eSIM.

iPhone recording of the Default Voice Line screen, with Primary ticked above the HelloRoam line — **Fig. 4:** iPhone recording: Primary, the home line, chosen under Default Voice Line for calls and texts.

Two line cards: Personal, the physical SIM for calls and texts; HelloRoam, the eSIM for data — **Fig. 3:** Illustration of two line cards: your own SIM handles calls and texts, our eSIM handles data.

A regional plan carries one eSIM across the borders on its list

A country plan stops at that country's border. A regional plan lists a group of countries instead, and a weekend trip between two of them runs on the eSIM you already have.

Our Europe plan covers 33 destinations, including Portugal and Spain, and our Asia plan covers 19, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. The Southeast Asia plan covers only Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, so check its list before Bali or Vietnam. Mexico sits on our North America plan, and Colombia and Costa Rica on our South America plan. Before you buy, check each stop on your route against the plan's country list, and add a country plan for any stop it leaves out.

Entry rules, such as visas and electronic travel authorizations, vary from country to country.⁽⁹⁾ For a long stay, usually more than 90 days, the Government of Canada says you'll almost certainly need a visa.⁽⁹⁾ Check each destination's travel advice before you go.

A single global plan reaches 127 destinations

Crossing from one region to another? Our global plan keeps one eSIM working in every destination on its list, including Georgia, which no regional plan covers. For a month in a single base, compare its price with a country plan first.

Country plans for remote-work bases

Pick a base to see its plans:

Canadian carrier add-ons for time abroad run by the day or by the pass

Canadian carriers such as Rogers, Bell and Vidéotron bill roaming by the day or by the pass, so months abroad add up under each carrier's terms.^(8)(10)(11) Some plans already include roaming in certain countries, so check yours first.⁽⁴⁾

3 roaming add-ons from Canadian carriers

Rogers: Roam Like Home Travel Pass runs for a set number of days and draws on your own plan's data, talk and text, with no separate bucket.⁽¹⁰⁾
Bell: Roam Better adds unlimited talk and text outside Canada and uses your plan's data, for a daily fee.⁽⁸⁾
Vidéotron: Daily Traveller Pass uses your plan's minutes, texts and data, billed per 24-hour period of use, up to 10 days in the US and 20 days elsewhere per billing cycle.⁽¹¹⁾

To weigh each add-on against a travel eSIM, read our eSIM vs roaming guide.

A local SIM can make sense for months in one country

Months in one country can justify a local carrier's plan, especially if you need a local phone number.⁽⁴⁾

Many local plans come with a local phone number, and some local carriers sell them as eSIMs.⁽⁴⁾ If you buy in a store after you land, bring your passport, since local rules may mean the shop asks for ID.⁽⁴⁾

You don't have to pick one: keep the travel eSIM for arrival day and side trips, then add the local SIM once you settle in. To weigh it up, compare what each option costs.

Remote teams from Canada need one eSIM per traveller

A manager can buy an eSIM for each person on the team, and each traveller installs it on their own phone.

Buy one eSIM per traveller

Stay signed in when you buy. Each QR code and its setup steps go to your account email, so forward each one to the traveller who will use it.
Each person installs on their own phone

Installed eSIMs can't be passed between phones, so set each one up on the phone it will stay on.
Top-ups come from the buyer's account

When someone runs low, open My eSIM in your app and tap Top up on their eSIM, if the plan takes top-ups.

Ordering for a team? Send us the countries and dates, and we'll help you choose a plan for each person. Our support team is available 24/7.

If someone changes phones, support can issue a new eSIM only while theirs hasn't yet connected to a supported network at the destination. Read what happens when you change phones.

Long stays abroad: what to know about an eSIM for digital nomads

What if my eSIM plan doesn't include the next country on my route?

Buy a plan for that country before you cross the border, since an eSIM works only in the countries its plan lists. A regional plan covers every country on its list, and if your route crosses regions, our global plan covers 127 destinations on one eSIM. Check the list before you buy, and again before any side trip.

How do I keep mobile data for a few months outside Canada?

Start with a plan for your first month, and buy the next one before it runs out. Each new plan is a separate eSIM: install it early and leave its line off until the first plan ends, since its days start at its first connection. Running low before then? Tap Top up in the app, if your plan takes top-ups.

How dependable is eSIM data for a remote job?

Treat it as a backup to Wi-Fi, not your only connection. A travel eSIM runs on local mobile networks, so speed depends on the place and the network. Keep big uploads and long meetings on Wi-Fi, and switch to the eSIM when the Wi-Fi drops. Each destination page lists its plan's networks, so check yours before you leave.

How can my employer get eSIMs for our remote team?

Your employer stays signed in, checks out once per person and forwards each QR code to its traveller. Each eSIM works on one phone only. To add data later, the buyer taps Top up on that eSIM in their own app, if the plan takes top-ups. For a larger group, contact our team with the countries and dates.

Compare more before you choose a travel eSIM

Sources behind this remote-work guide

We cite Apple's and Google's help pages, WhatsApp's help centre, Rogers, Bell and Vidéotron, and the Government of Canada, never other travel eSIM sellers.

We read sources 1, 4, 5 and 7 to 10 on October 21, 2026, sources 2 and 3 on October 3, 2026, source 11 on October 10, 2026, source 6 on October 20, 2026.

1
Apple Support: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
2
Apple Support: Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad
3
Android Help: Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android
4
Apple Support: Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone
5
Apple Support: Set up eSIM on iPhone
6
WhatsApp Help Center: About data roaming charges
7
Apple Support: Use cellular data on your iPhone or iPad
8
Bell: Coverage Map & Travel Options
9
Government of Canada: Visas, biometrics and electronic travel authorizations
10
Rogers: FAQs about Roam Like Home Travel Passes
11
Vidéotron: Daily Traveller Pass

Spot an error? Tell us How we research and check these guides

Behind this guide

Written and checked by: The HelloRoam Team. Our editorial policy sets out how we research, write, check and correct every guide.
Checking the facts: Each numbered marker links to one of the 11 pages listed below: Apple, Google, WhatsApp, three Canadian carriers and the Government of Canada. Facts about our own plans carry no marker; they come from our plan details and help guides.
What you won't find elsewhere: The app screens are real, and the setup clip comes from our own iPhone recordings.
When facts change: Send any error to help@helloroam.com. We check it and fix the guide, and the date at the top changes only when we edit the content.
What our support team sees: A question we answer often is when plan days start. They start at the eSIM's first connection in your destination, so installing it early in Canada uses no days.