For people working away

eSIM for Digital Nomads: Months of Data While You Work Away

In short Top-up = extra data, same eSIM

An eSIM for digital nomads keeps you on mobile data in each country its plan covers, with no SIM shop at every border. Install it before you leave Ireland, top up a country plan in the app when you run low, and use a regional or global plan across borders. Check each stop against HelloRoam's 185+ destinations.

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Plans start at €0.89 · 1GB, 7 days

From the HelloRoam Team Page updated 21 October 2026

Latest changes

Added what 30, 60 and 90 days of data cost on our plans, our global plan, and how to buy your next plan before the last one ends. Updated how to reach our support team.

Facts checked with 12 sources Our editorial rules

Long stays on one eSIM, in short Plan facts from our help guides, roaming rules from the EU and phone facts from Apple.

Running short of data while you're away: Top-up in the app, adds data to the eSIM you have, with no new QR code
EU roaming check window: 4 months, time and use abroad set against time and use at home.⁽¹⁾
eSIMs for a whole regional route: 1, across the borders of the countries the plan covers
Lines an iPhone uses for data at once: 1, your Irish line can stay on for texts.⁽²⁾
eSIM help from our team: 24/7, WhatsApp or email
One eSIM for every region: 127, destinations covered by our global plan
HelloRoam: 185+ destinations, 212+ mobile networks

Six checks before you trust an eSIM with months of remote work

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

Which eSIM features matter most for digital nomads?

The right eSIM for a nomad covers every stop on your route, takes top-ups on the same eSIM and lets you use a hotspot. It should also sell regional and global plans, spell out its fair-use terms and answer support questions at any hour. HelloRoam sells plans for 185+ destinations, and our global plan alone reaches 127 of them. Every plan allows hotspot use, and support answers 24/7.

Cover for every stop
Open the plan page for each country you'll work from. For a regional plan, read its country list before you buy, not after you land.
More data goes on the same eSIM
A top-up adds data to the eSIM you already have, so you skip a new install and QR code each time your data runs low. Not every plan takes one.
A regional plan fits your route
A regional plan keeps one eSIM working as you cross the borders of the countries it covers, so a route through several of them stays on one line.
Hotspot use is permitted
Hotspot sharing is fine on every plan we sell. An iPhone's Personal Hotspot makes a temporary Wi-Fi network from its mobile data for other devices to use.⁽³⁾
Clear terms on unlimited plans
On an unlimited plan, fair-use terms apply, so read them before you plan a month of daily video calls on mobile data alone.
Someone answers at your hour
A connection problem at 2am still needs an answer. Check that support replies around the clock, whatever time zone you're working in.

Your phone also needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, meaning it isn't tied to one network.⁽²⁾ On iPhone, Settings > General > About shows No SIM Restrictions next to Network Provider Lock when it's unlocked.⁽⁴⁾ Check eSIM support on your phone before you pick a plan.

20 GB for a month starts at €12.76 across 4 nomad 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, because 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.

**What months away cost on our plans,** prices as of 6 October 2026; checkout shows them in your currency. Fair-use terms apply.
Your base	Plan to buy	30 days	60 days	90 days
Lisbon (Portugal)	20GB, 30 days	€12.76 1 purchase	€25.51 2 purchases	€38.27 3 purchases
Lisbon (Portugal)	Unlimited data, 30 days	€54.66 1 purchase	€109.32 2 purchases	€163.97 3 purchases
Chiang Mai (Thailand)	20GB, 30 days	€13.82 1 purchase	€27.64 2 purchases	€41.46 3 purchases
Chiang Mai (Thailand)	Unlimited data, 30 days	€65.41 1 purchase	€130.82 2 purchases	€196.23 3 purchases
Bali (Indonesia)	20GB, 30 days	€27.22 1 purchase	€54.43 2 purchases	€81.65 3 purchases
Bali (Indonesia)	Unlimited data, 30 days	€61.54 1 purchase	€123.08 2 purchases	€184.61 3 purchases
Mexico City (Mexico)	20GB, 30 days	€32.00 1 purchase	€63.99 2 purchases	€95.99 3 purchases
Mexico City (Mexico)	Unlimited data, 30 days	€59.42 1 purchase	€118.84 2 purchases	€178.26 3 purchases
Our global plan (127 destinations)	1GB, 365 days	€22.71 1 purchase	€22.71 1 purchase	€22.71 1 purchase

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

On a long stay, buy 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 on, buy the next plan before the end date.

In our app, Top up puts more data on the eSIM you already have, with no new QR code. You'll see it on the eSIM's card when the plan takes 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, switch on the new line and its data roaming, then pick it for data.

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

My eSIM screen in the HelloRoam app with a gauge showing 1.00 GB remaining of 1 GB, the expiry date and a Top Up button — **Figure 1.** Our app's My eSIM screen puts the data left, the expiry date and the Top Up button in one place.

**Plan types compared for months on the road,** from our own help pages, checked 21 October 2026.
What you'll want to know	Single-country plan	Unlimited eSIM	Regional eSIM
Suits you if	Staying put in one country	Big daily use, one base	Routes through several covered countries
When data runs short	Top up data in the app, if the plan allows	Buy the next plan before it ends	Buy another plan if the card shows no Top up
When you cross a border	Works only in the one country it covers	Check which countries the plan lists	One eSIM across every country it lists
Worth knowing	A few plans take no extra data	Fair-use terms apply	Countries listed on the plan page

Remote work on phone data: hotspot, calls and your number

Working away on mobile data comes down to three jobs: sharing data with your laptop, keeping calls steady and getting bank codes on your Irish number.

**Figure 2.** Data arrives on the travel eSIM and reaches the laptop through Personal Hotspot,⁽³⁾ while your Irish line stays on for calls and texts.⁽²⁾

**Which work tasks suit mobile data,** our guide to where each task runs well, checked October 2026.
The task	Apps you might use	Run it on
Meetings on video	Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet	Wi-Fi, or mobile data as backup
Team chat	Slack, WhatsApp	Mobile data copes
Email	Gmail, Outlook	Mobile data
Large file uploads	Google Drive, Dropbox	Wi-Fi only
Software updates	iOS, Android, Windows, macOS	Hotel or café Wi-Fi
Calls home	WhatsApp, FaceTime	Mobile data, or Wi-Fi
Bank codes by text	SMS on your Irish number	Irish line, switched on

Getting your laptop online

Your phone's hotspot shares its eSIM data with your laptop, tablet or a friend's phone, which join it like any Wi-Fi network.⁽³⁾⁽⁶⁾ All our plans allow hotspot use, and every device draws on the same plan. Pause laptop updates and cloud sync first. See how a travel eSIM works as a hotspot.

Calls, meetings and uploads

Video calls run over whichever local network your eSIM joins, from 3G to 5G depending on where you are, so quality varies. Try a test call before an important meeting. Leave big uploads and laptop updates for Wi-Fi and keep your plan for calls. To size the data for a week of meetings, estimate a week of video calls before you buy.

Bank codes and your Irish number

Your Irish SIM keeps your number for calls, texts and bank codes, while the travel eSIM carries your data. Our plans carry data only, with no number of their own. WhatsApp keeps working with your Irish number over the eSIM's data.⁽⁷⁾

On iPhone, pick your Irish number at Default Voice Line and keep that line on, so SMS codes reach you.⁽²⁾ Set Mobile Data to the HelloRoam line, then turn off Allow Mobile Data Switching and Data Roaming on the Irish line.⁽²⁾⁽⁸⁾ Outside the EU, a call, text or data on that line can start Vodafone's RED Roaming fee for the day, and data can start a Three day pass.^(9)(10) See how calls and texts work with a travel eSIM.

iPhone Default Voice Line screen with Primary ticked and the HelloRoam line listed below it — **Figure 4.** Filmed on iPhone: Default Voice Line stays on Primary, so calls and texts use your home SIM.

Two overlapping cards: Personal, physical SIM for calls and texts, and HelloRoam, eSIM for data — **Figure 3.** Illustration of two line cards: your own Irish SIM for calls and texts, our eSIM for data.

Crossing borders on a long route without changing eSIM

Plans for a single country stop at its border. Pick a regional plan and one eSIM carries on through every border on its list, so group your route by region before you buy.

Our Europe plan covers 33 destinations, Portugal and Spain among them, 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 every stop on your route against the plan's country list, and add a country plan for any stop it misses.

Each country sets its own entry and stay rules, and they can change. Before you book, read the Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice for each place on your route, which covers its entry requirements.⁽¹¹⁾

Our global plan stretches to 127 destinations

Moving between regions? Our global plan keeps one eSIM working in every destination on its list, Georgia included, which no regional plan covers. For a month in a single base, compare its price with a country plan first.

Country plans for long-stay bases

Tap a country to see its plans.

What your Irish plan does on a stay of several months

Roam Like at Home lets you use your Irish plan at home prices in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova.⁽¹⁾ It's meant for periodic travel: if you stay and roam longer in another EU country than at home over four months, your network may add a surcharge.⁽¹⁾ Outside the EU, ComReg warns that roaming charges can be significant even with minimal use.⁽¹²⁾

2 Irish network roaming options for trips outside the EU

Vodafone: RED Roaming Outside Europe, one daily fee covers calls and texts home and a daily data allowance, charged only on days you use the phone abroad.⁽⁹⁾ It isn't offered in countries covered by the EU rules.⁽⁹⁾
Three: Roaming Day Pass Starts when you make a data connection on the mobile network and renews after midnight Irish time once you connect again.⁽¹⁰⁾

To weigh each option against a travel eSIM, see our guide to roaming and eSIMs.

When a local SIM makes more sense than a travel eSIM

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

Many local plans come with a local phone number, and some local networks sell them as eSIMs.⁽⁴⁾ If you buy in a shop after you land, bring your passport: depending on local rules, the shop may ask for ID.⁽⁴⁾

A travel eSIM still covers your first days after landing and any trips across borders. To compare costs, see budget options for staying connected.

Buying eSIMs for a team that works away from Ireland

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

Stay signed in and check out once per person

Stay signed in when you buy. Each QR code and its setup steps go to your account email, so forward each one to the person who'll use it.
One phone per eSIM

One eSIM serves one phone, and once it's installed it stays on that phone.
The buyer tops up from their own account

If a colleague runs low, the buyer opens My eSIM in their app and taps Top up on that eSIM, where the plan takes top-ups.

Kitting out a team? Send us the countries and dates, and we'll help you sort a plan for each person. Our team answers 24/7.

Email us about team plans

If someone changes phone, 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.

Questions from people working away

What should I do if my eSIM doesn't cover the next country I'm visiting?

Buy a plan that covers that country and install it before you reach the border, since a travel eSIM works only where its plan reaches. For a route that zigzags over borders, pick a regional plan that lists every stop. If your route crosses regions, our global plan covers 127 destinations on one eSIM.

How do I keep data for a stay abroad of 60 days or more?

Buy a plan for your first month, then buy the next one before it ends. The next plan is a new eSIM, so install it early and keep its line off until the first plan ends, as its days start when it first connects. If data runs low, tap Top up before the end date, where the plan allows.

Is eSIM data good enough for video calls and remote work?

It can be, when the local network is strong where you work. A travel eSIM runs on local networks, and speed changes by place and network, so treat it as your backup line beside Wi-Fi. Keep big uploads for Wi-Fi and run a test call before an important meeting. Each destination page lists the networks its plan uses.

Can a company get eSIMs for a team working abroad?

Yes. Stay signed in, check out once for each person and forward each QR code to the colleague who'll use it, since each eSIM works on one phone. To add data later, tap Top up on that eSIM in your own app, where the plan allows. For several people at once, contact our team.

Further guides worth a look before you buy

Sources behind this guide, with dates

We cite the European Commission, ComReg, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Vodafone Ireland, Three Ireland, Apple's and Google's help pages and WhatsApp's help centre.

Sources 1 to 6 and 8 to 12 reviewed on 21 October 2026; source 7 reviewed on 20 October 2026.

1
European Commission: Roaming: connected anywhere in the EU at no extra charge
2
Apple Support: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
3
Apple Support (Ireland): Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad
4
Apple Support: Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone
5
Apple Support: Set up eSIM on iPhone
6
Google Android Help: Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android
7
WhatsApp Help Center: About data roaming charges
8
Apple Support: Use cellular data on your iPhone or iPad
9
Vodafone Ireland: Get support for all your roaming questions
10
Three Ireland: Roaming FAQs
11
Department of Foreign Affairs: Travel Advice By Destination
12
ComReg: Roaming

Spot a mistake? How we write, check and correct our guides

Why you can rely on this guide

Who wrote this guide: The HelloRoam Team, who sell travel eSIMs and answer setup questions every day.
How we fact-check: Each numbered marker links to one of the 12 pages listed here, from the European Commission, ComReg, the Department of Foreign Affairs, two Irish networks, Apple, Google and WhatsApp. Facts about our own plans carry no marker: they come from the plan details and help guides we publish.
Only on this page: A real iPhone clip from our own setup tests, plus screens from our app and our own illustrations.
When things change: Prices, rules and phone lists change. If you spot something wrong, email help@helloroam.com and we'll check it and put it right. The date at the top changes only when we edit the page.
Straight from our support team: Two questions our support desk hears again and again: whether the eSIM comes with a number (it's data only) and when to install it (at home, before you go).