eSIM guide · Remote work
eSIM for Digital Nomads: Working Online Through a Long OE
An eSIM for digital nomads gives you mobile data in every country its plan covers, so you skip the SIM queue at each border. Install it on Wi-Fi in NZ, add data in the app if your plan takes top-ups, and use a regional or global plan across borders. Check each stop against HelloRoam's 185+ destinations.
Prices start from NZ$1.77 · 1GB for 7 days
eSIM key facts for digital nomads From our plans and help guides; markers link to sources
- Low on data mid-trip
- Add data, on the same eSIM, with no new QR code, if your plan takes top-ups
- eSIM lines carrying data at once
- 1, An iPhone uses one data network at a time(1)
- Active eSIMs on supported iPhones
- 2, One for your home number, one for the trip(2)
- Phones each eSIM can be installed on
- 1, It can't move once installed
- eSIM support hours
- 24/7, WhatsApp or email
- One eSIM for a multi-region trip
- 127, destinations in reach of our global plan
- HelloRoam reaches
- 185+ destinations, 212+ networks
An eSIM for working on the road needs coverage, top-ups and support at any hour
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 is up to it.
What's the right eSIM for working while travelling?
The right eSIM for a nomad 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, spell out its fair-use terms and offer support at any hour. HelloRoam sells plans for 185+ destinations, and our global plan alone reaches 127 destinations. Every plan allows hotspot use, and support answers 24/7.
- 1
Each stop is on the plan's country list
Go through your route stop by stop on each country page. If a country isn't on the plan's list, the eSIM won't connect there.
- 2
Top-ups land on the eSIM you have
A top-up adds data to the eSIM you already have, if its plan takes one. You skip a new install and a fresh QR code each time your data runs low.
- 3
A regional plan fits a border-hopping route
A regional plan keeps one eSIM working across the borders of the countries it lists, so a month in several countries stays on one line.
- 4
Your laptop can share the data
All our plans let you share data with your laptop. Apple describes Personal Hotspot as a temporary, portable Wi-Fi network built from the phone's mobile connection.(3) On Android, the same feature is called a hotspot or tethering.(4)
- 5
Fair-use terms are spelled out up front
With unlimited data, fair-use terms apply. Check them before a month of daily video calls on the road.
- 6
Someone answers at any hour
You might land late at night with no data. Pick a provider whose support answers around the clock, not just in office hours.
Your phone also needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, meaning it isn't tied to one provider.(1) On iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About: No SIM Restrictions next to Service Provider Lock means it's unlocked.(2) Check eSIM support on your phone before you pick a plan.
A month with 20 GB of data costs from NZ$25.34 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'd buy, since you buy the next one before the last one ends. Leave each new eSIM's line off until the plan before it finishes, so no days overlap.
| Base for the stint | Plan we sell | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia (Bali) | 20GB for 30 days | NZ$54.06 1 plan needed | NZ$108.11 2 plans needed | NZ$162.17 3 plans needed |
| Indonesia (Bali) | Unlimited data for 30 days | NZ$122.22 1 plan needed | NZ$244.45 2 plans needed | NZ$366.67 3 plans needed |
| Thailand (Chiang Mai) | 20GB for 30 days | NZ$27.45 1 plan needed | NZ$54.90 2 plans needed | NZ$82.35 3 plans needed |
| Thailand (Chiang Mai) | Unlimited data for 30 days | NZ$129.91 1 plan needed | NZ$259.83 2 plans needed | NZ$389.74 3 plans needed |
| Portugal (Lisbon) | 20GB for 30 days | NZ$25.34 1 plan needed | NZ$50.67 2 plans needed | NZ$76.01 3 plans needed |
| Portugal (Lisbon) | Unlimited data for 30 days | NZ$108.56 1 plan needed | NZ$217.12 2 plans needed | NZ$325.68 3 plans needed |
| Mexico (Mexico City) | 20GB for 30 days | NZ$63.55 1 plan needed | NZ$127.10 2 plans needed | NZ$190.65 3 plans needed |
| Mexico (Mexico City) | Unlimited data for 30 days | NZ$118.02 1 plan needed | NZ$236.04 2 plans needed | NZ$354.05 3 plans needed |
| Global: 127 destinations | 1GB for 365 days | NZ$45.11 1 plan needed | NZ$45.11 1 plan needed | NZ$45.11 1 plan needed |
Our 1GB global plan lasts 365 days, so treat it as a backup line for travel days, not a month of work.
A long OE means buying the next plan before the last one ends
Our country plans run 7 or 30 days, and unlimited plans up to 30 days a purchase. The days start when the eSIM first connects where you land, not when you install it. To stay longer, buy the next plan before the end date.
In our app, Top up adds data to the eSIM you already have, with no new QR code. It shows on the eSIM's card when the plan can take more data.
Follow the app's top-up steps 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 leave 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 mobile data.
Plan the first stretch, not the whole trip: buy for your first few weeks, then buy the next plan once you know how much you use. Unlimited plans carry fair-use terms, so read them before a month of daily video calls.
| What changes | One-country plan | Unlimited plan | Regional plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handy for | Steady work in one base | Heavy use for set days | Routes that cross borders |
| When it runs low | Top up data in the app, on the same eSIM | Grab the next plan before this one ends | If its card has no Top up, buy a fresh plan |
| Crossing into a new country | Works only in its country, so add a plan for the next one | Works only where the plan says | Keeps working in every listed country, same eSIM |
| Heads-up | Some plans cannot take more data | Fair-use terms apply | Check the country list before you buy |
Mobile data can back up your Wi-Fi for work
Use mobile data for calls, maps and messages on the move, and save the heavy jobs for Wi-Fi.
Network overseas 3G to 5G, by place
On this phone
Your phone Data in, hotspot out
Your laptop Connects to your hotspot
| Work you're doing | Apps like | Do it over |
|---|---|---|
| Video calls for work | Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime | Wi-Fi when you can |
| App downloads and updates | App Store, Google Play | Wi-Fi |
| Web browsing | Chrome, Safari | Mobile data does the job |
| Maps | Google Maps, Apple Maps | Mobile data is fine |
| Messaging and email | WhatsApp, Gmail | Mobile data is fine |
| File uploads | Google Drive, iCloud | Wi-Fi for big files |
| Laptop on your hotspot | Any app on the laptop | Mobile data, updates paused |
Hotspot for your laptop
Your phone's hotspot shares its eSIM data with your laptop, tablet or a mate's phone, which join it like any Wi-Fi network.(3)(4) 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.
Video calls and uploads
Calls run on whichever local network the eSIM finds, from 3G to 5G, so quality changes from place to place. Test the connection where you'll work before a big call. Do large uploads and app updates on Wi-Fi. Work out a week of call data before you choose a plan size.
Bank codes and your home number
Your NZ SIM keeps your 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 NZ number over the eSIM's data.(5)
On iPhone, choose your NZ number as the default and keep that line on, so SMS codes reach you.(1) Set Mobile Data to the HelloRoam line, then turn off Allow Mobile Data Switching and Data Roaming on your NZ line.(1)(6) One NZ, Spark and 2degrees charge a day when you make or answer a call, text or use data on that line, and Spark counts background data too.(7)(8)(9) See how calls and texts work with a travel eSIM.
One eSIM over many borders needs a regional plan
Plans come in two shapes. A country plan stops at that country's border. A regional plan carries one eSIM over the borders of every country on its list. A route through several of those countries needs just the one line.
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. Check every stop against the plan's country list before you buy, and add a country plan for any stop it misses.
Each country you enter sets its own visa rules.(10) Whether you need a visa can depend on why you travel, such as working while you're away.(10) Check visa and entry rules with the immigration authorities of each country before every move.(10) Start with SafeTravel, the official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas.(11)
A global plan reaches 127 destinations on one eSIM
Hopping between regions? Our global plan keeps one eSIM working in every destination on its list, including Georgia, which none of our regional plans covers. For a month in one base, compare its price with a country plan first.
Bases for remote work
How a New Zealand phone plan handles months overseas
In their Daily Roaming destinations, One NZ, Spark and 2degrees charge for each day you make or take calls, send texts or use data on your NZ plan.(7)(8)(9) On a trip of several months, those days add up. Check your own plan's roaming terms before you go.
3 roaming options from NZ networks
- One NZ
- Daily Roaming On most Pay Monthly plans, a daily fee per device for each day you use it, valid until midnight NZ time.(7)
- 2degrees
- Daily Roaming A fixed daily rate, even on Prepay, charged on each day you use your phone, by NZ time.(8)
- Spark
- Daily Roaming A daily fee on eligible Pay Monthly plans, not Prepaid or Kids, that starts with any call, text or data, background data included.(9)
One NZ's Daily Roaming runs for up to 90 days in a row.(7) On a longer trip, check what your plan charges after that.
Our eSIM vs roaming guide sets each NZ option beside a travel eSIM.
A long base in one country can justify a local SIM
Months in one country can justify a plan from a local network, especially if you need a local number.(2)
Some local networks sell their plans as eSIMs, set up with a QR code or their own app.(2) Buying in a shop after you land? Take your passport, as the shop may ask for ID, depending on local rules.(2)
A travel eSIM still covers your first days after landing and the legs between countries. Compare what each option costs before you settle.
Remote teams need one eSIM per person and per phone
A team lead can buy an eSIM for each person, and each traveller installs it on their own phone.
One checkout per traveller
Stay signed in at checkout. Each QR code and its setup steps land in your account email, so forward each one to the person who'll use it.
One eSIM per phone, installed where it's used
Install each eSIM on the phone its owner will carry, because it can't be shifted to a different phone later.
The buyer's account handles top-ups
Someone running low? Open My eSIM in your app and tap Top up on their eSIM, if the plan takes top-ups.
Buying for several people? Kitting out a whole group or business? Our team can sell you plans for several people in one go. We answer 24/7.
Contact us about a team orderIf someone changes phone, support can issue a new eSIM only while theirs hasn't yet connected to a supported network in the destination. Read what happens when you change phones.
Answers on long stays, borders and remote teams
How do I keep data going when I cross into a country my plan doesn't cover?
Before the border, buy a plan for the country you're heading to, because your eSIM works only in the countries its plan lists. A regional plan covers every country on its list. If your route crosses regions, our global plan covers 127 destinations on one eSIM. Check the list before you buy, and again before a side trip.
How do I keep mobile data for a long stint overseas?
Buy your first month's plan, then the next before it ends. Each new plan is a new eSIM: install it early and keep its line off, as its days start when it first connects. Low on data sooner? Tap Top up before the end date, if your plan takes top-ups. For months in one country, compare a local SIM.
Is eSIM data solid enough to work remotely overseas?
Treat eSIM data as your second connection, with Wi-Fi as the first. The eSIM uses local networks from 3G to 5G, depending on the country. Quality changes from place to place, so test it where you'll work. Run video calls on Wi-Fi when you can and save big uploads for Wi-Fi too. Your phone's hotspot can share the data with your laptop, and all our plans allow that.
Can a business buy eSIMs for its team overseas?
Yes. Stay signed in, check out once for each traveller and forward each QR code to the person who'll use it, since each eSIM works on one phone only. To add data later, tap Top up on that eSIM in your own app, if the plan takes top-ups. For a bigger group, contact our team.
More comparisons before you choose an eSIM
Sources we checked for this guide
We cite Apple's and Google's help pages, WhatsApp's help centre, the roaming pages of One NZ, Spark and 2degrees, and SafeTravel.
Sources 3 to 8, 10 and 11 last read , sources 1, 2, 9 and 12 last read .
- 1
Apple Support (NZ): Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
- 2
Apple Support (NZ): Use eSIM while travelling internationally with your iPhone
- 3
Apple Support (NZ): Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad
- 4
Android Help: Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android
- 5
WhatsApp Help Center: About data roaming charges
- 6
Apple Support (NZ): Use mobile data on your iPhone or iPad
- 7
One NZ: International Roaming to countries with a daily rate
- 8
2degrees: International Roaming
- 9
Spark: Roaming
- 10
SafeTravel: Passports and visas
- 11
SafeTravel: Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
- 12
Apple Support (NZ): Set up eSIM on iPhone
