eSIM for iPhone: Compatible Models, Setup and Using It Abroad

Heading to Europe? A HelloRoam Europe eSIM installs the same way on an unlocked iPhone, and one plan keeps your data working as you cross borders.

Compare eSIM plans by destination before you travel.

Every iPhone since the XS and XR supports eSIM

Apple lists the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later as the models that support eSIM. That is every iPhone launched since 2018, up to the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max that Apple introduced in 2026. What changes from model to model is how many eSIMs can run at once, and whether there is a SIM tray.

iPhones sold in the UK keep a nano-SIM tray alongside eSIM, so the iPhone 17 is not eSIM-only here. The exception is iPhone Air, which has no SIM tray in any country. Phones bought abroad can differ: Apple says iPhone 14 and later models bought in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM, and iPhone 17, 17e and 18 Pro models also have no tray in Canada, Japan, the UAE and several other countries. For iPhones bought in mainland China, Apple says only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and Air support eSIM.

Apple says an iPhone can hold eight or more eSIMs, though only two lines run at a time. You can keep plans for different trips on the phone and switch between them in Settings.

To check your own iPhone, dial *#06#: O2 says that if an EID number appears, the phone supports eSIM. Then open Settings, General, About. Apple says an unlocked iPhone shows “No SIM Restrictions” next to Network Provider Lock.

If it is locked, Apple says only your network can unlock it, and that can take a few days. Ofcom banned UK mobile companies from selling locked handsets from 17 December 2021, so a lock is most likely on an older iPhone. Travelling with an Android phone or a tablet as well? See which other devices support eSIM.

Five ways to add an eSIM to an iPhone

Your network or travel provider decides which of these routes you can use:

• QR code. Open Settings, tap Mobile Service, then Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, and scan the code your provider sent. If the code will not scan, Apple says you can enter the details manually. On iOS 17.4 or later you can instead tap and hold a QR code in your email app or browser, then tap Add eSIM, so you do not need a second screen.
• A link or an app. Some providers send a link to tap on iOS 17.4 or later, or let you install the eSIM from their own app.
• eSIM Quick Transfer. This moves your number from your old iPhone without calling your network. Both iPhones need iOS 18.4 or later, the same Apple Account and Bluetooth on, and they must be close together. Apple lists Three, EE, O2, Sky Mobile and Vodafone as UK networks that support it.
• Convert your current SIM. On those networks you can turn the plastic SIM in your iPhone into an eSIM. Go to Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM, pick the number on the physical SIM and tap Convert to eSIM. Apple says the physical SIM stops working once you do.
• eSIM Carrier Activation. If you buy an iPhone from a network, it can assign the eSIM to the phone, which then activates as you set it up.

Whichever route you use, the iPhone needs an internet connection to download the eSIM, usually Wi-Fi. Apple says eSIM-only models can activate without Wi-Fi in some countries.

Set up a travel eSIM at home, then switch it on when you land

A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan for the country or region you are visiting. Apple notes that worldwide providers sell these plans for over 190 countries or regions, so you can sort one out before you leave.

1. Check the phone. It must support eSIM and show No SIM Restrictions next to Network Provider Lock.
2. Install it at home on Wi-Fi. Use the QR code, link or app your provider sends. Then label the new line, for example Travel, so you can tell it apart from your UK line.
3. Switch it on when you land. In Settings, Mobile Service, turn the travel line on and choose it under Mobile Data. Turn on Data Roaming for that line if your provider's steps say so. On iOS 26 and later, a Turn On Travel eSIM prompt may appear when you arrive and walk you through it.
4. Keep your UK line from roaming. Turn off Data Roaming on your UK SIM. Leave Allow Mobile Data Switching off, so the iPhone does not fall back to UK data when the travel signal dips.

A HelloRoam plan's days start the first time the eSIM connects to a supported network at your destination, so you can install it days before you fly. Our step-by-step iPhone install guide shows each screen.

Your UK number stays on while the travel eSIM carries data

Both lines can make and receive calls and texts, but Apple says an iPhone uses one mobile data network at a time. Set the travel eSIM as your data line and keep the UK SIM as your default voice line. Texts to your usual number, such as bank security codes, then still reach you.

Keeping the UK line on is not always free. Apple warns that you might still pay roaming fees on your home line, so check what your network charges for calls and texts abroad.

Two side effects are worth knowing. Apple says that when Data Roaming is on for the line that carries your data, your other number loses Visual Voicemail and MMS picture messages. And if you turn the UK line off and use only the travel eSIM, FaceTime and iMessage keep working on your home number.

Fixes for an eSIM that will not connect

Apple's support pages suggest these checks. After each one, see if your provider's name appears in the status bar:

• Turn Aeroplane Mode on for about 30 seconds, then off, and let the iPhone choose a network.
• Open Settings, Mobile Service and check the travel line is on, with Data Roaming on. If it is, turn the line off and back on.
• Make sure Settings, General, Date & Time is set automatically.
• Restart the iPhone.
• Look for a network provider settings update in Settings, General, About.

Ask your provider before you delete an eSIM to start again, because the code may not work twice. O2 says a new eSIM QR code can only be used once. A HelloRoam QR code also works only once, so contact HelloRoam's 24/7 support rather than deleting and reinstalling.

Your UK plan may already cover the trip

When we checked the networks' roaming pages in October 2026:

• O2 Pay Monthly plans included EU roaming at no extra cost, up to 25GB, in O2's Europe Zone.
• EE listed a £2.72 daily charge for the EU, or a 7-Day Pass for £16.50, on plans that do not already include EU roaming.
• Vodafone charged £2.75 a day in Europe if your plan does not include European roaming and you have not bought a pass.
• Outside its EU zone, EE listed a £6 24-Hour Pass in Zone 1, which includes the USA, Turkey and Thailand, on plans that do not include Zone 1 roaming. Zone 3, which includes Japan, had an £8 24-Hour Pass with 500MB of data.

Prices and zones change, so check your own network's roaming page before you go. A travel eSIM is worth pricing up when your plan does not cover the destination, or when a daily charge would run for the whole trip.

See what UK networks charge for roaming for a fuller comparison, and estimate your trip's data use before you choose a plan size.

eSIM on iPhone has a few drawbacks

• You need a connection to install it. The download needs Wi-Fi or mobile data, so install a travel eSIM before you leave home.
• A locked iPhone cannot use it. Apple says your iPhone cannot be locked to a network if you want to use another provider's eSIM.
• A new phone needs a transfer. Quick Transfer works only where your network supports it, and some travel eSIMs cannot move to a new phone at all, so check with your provider before you upgrade.
• Worldwide travel plans are data plans. Apple describes them as prepaid data plans, so calls and texts to your own number still go through your UK line.

In its favour, Apple says an eSIM is more secure than a physical SIM, because it cannot be removed if your iPhone is lost or stolen.

Matching roaming, a travel eSIM or a local SIM to your trip

A travel eSIM suits trips where your UK plan has no roaming included, longer stays where a daily charge would add up, and routes through several countries on one regional plan. It matters less for a short EU break on a plan that already includes roaming, such as O2 Pay Monthly.

A local SIM card bought on arrival is the other route. Apple's advice is to swap it in for your UK SIM and keep the original safe for the trip home, and it needs an unlocked iPhone with a SIM tray. Local networks that sell eSIMs may ask for ID such as your passport, depending on local rules. In Dubai, the airport SIM desks ask for your passport and UAE visa, as our guide to Dubai tourist SIMs explains.

For the wider picture, our guide sets out the options for using your phone abroad, from roaming to local SIMs.