eSIM guide · Remote work
eSIM for Digital Nomads: Long Stays and Remote Work
An eSIM for digital nomads gives you mobile data in each country its plan covers, with no SIM shop visit at each border. Install it before you leave, top up a country plan in the app when you run low, and pick a regional or global plan for routes across borders. Check each stop against HelloRoam's 185+ destinations.
Plans from $1.03 · 1GB, 7 days
eSIM key facts for digital nomads From our plans and help guides; markers link to sources
- Running low on a long stay
- Top-up, adds data to the same eSIM, no new QR code
- Crossing borders on an eSIM
- 1 eSIM, on a regional plan, in each listed country
- A laptop on your eSIM data
- Hotspot, allowed on all our plans
- Your number with a travel eSIM
- Home SIM, keeps calls, texts and bank codes(1)
- Help with a travel eSIM
- 24/7, WhatsApp and email
- One eSIM across regions
- 127, destinations on our global plan
- HelloRoam covers
- 185+ destinations, 212+ networks
A nomad route needs coverage, top-ups and support from one eSIM
A digital nomad works online while living in different countries. On that kind of trip, your phone needs data that keeps working across long stays and border crossings. 6 checks show whether an eSIM can do that.
Which eSIM is best for digital nomads?
A good eSIM for digital nomads covers every stop on your route, lets you top up 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 alone reaches 127 destinations. Every plan allows hotspot use, and support answers 24/7.
How travel eSIM sellers price a month in Thailand
We checked what each seller charges for 30 days of data in Thailand, on its own price page. Prices change often, so check the seller's page before you buy.
| Seller | 20 GB, 30 days | Unlimited, 30 days | Hotspot | Phone number | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HelloRoam | $15.99 | $75.68 | Yes | Not included | You want a 20 GB or unlimited month with a laptop hotspot |
| Airalo | $18 | $49 | Not stated | Not included | You want a widely used app that sells both 20 GB and unlimited months |
| Holafly | Not sold | $73.90 | Yes, up to 1GB a day | Not stated | You want unlimited data and only light hotspot use |
| Roamless | $17.95 | $47.70 | Yes | Not included | You want pay-as-you-go data from a balance that does not expire |
| Saily | $19.99 | $48.99 | Not stated | Not included | You want the option to add a US phone number |
We sell HelloRoam eSIMs, so we checked each price on the seller's own page on the date shown. Read our conflict-of-interest policy.
- 1
Every country on your route is covered
List each country you will stay in, then open its plan page. A plan works only in the countries it names, so a missing stop means no data there.
- 2
You can top up the same eSIM
A top-up adds data to the eSIM you already have. You skip a new install and a new QR code each time your data runs low.
- 3
A regional plan fits routes that cross borders
A regional plan covers a group of countries on one eSIM. Check that every stop on your route is on its country list before you buy.
- 4
Hotspot use is allowed
The phone's hotspot shares its mobile data with your laptop.(2) Some carriers limit tethering, so check that the plan terms allow sharing before you count on it for work.(3)
- 5
Unlimited plans state their fair-use terms
Fair-use terms are the rules a plan sets for heavy use. An unlimited plan should say that fair-use terms apply and show them. Read them before a heavy month of calls, so nothing surprises you.
- 6
Support answers in your time zone
You may land late at night with no data. Check that support answers around the clock, not only in office hours.
Your phone also needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, meaning it is not tied to one carrier.(1) On iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About: No SIM Restrictions next to Carrier Lock means it is unlocked.(4) Check eSIM support on your phone before you pick a plan.
A month with 20 GB of data costs from $14.76 in 4 nomad bases
Here is 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: 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.
| Base | Plan | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai (Thailand) | 20GB, 30 days | $15.99 1 purchase | $31.98 2 purchases | $47.97 3 purchases |
| Chiang Mai (Thailand) | Unlimited data, 30 days | $75.68 1 purchase | $151.36 2 purchases | $227.04 3 purchases |
| Mexico City (Mexico) | 20GB, 30 days | $37.02 1 purchase | $74.04 2 purchases | $111.06 3 purchases |
| Mexico City (Mexico) | Unlimited data, 30 days | $68.75 1 purchase | $137.50 2 purchases | $206.25 3 purchases |
| Lisbon (Portugal) | 20GB, 30 days | $14.76 1 purchase | $29.52 2 purchases | $44.28 3 purchases |
| Lisbon (Portugal) | Unlimited data, 30 days | $63.24 1 purchase | $126.48 2 purchases | $189.72 3 purchases |
| Bali (Indonesia) | 20GB, 30 days | $31.49 1 purchase | $62.98 2 purchases | $94.47 3 purchases |
| Bali (Indonesia) | Unlimited data, 30 days | $71.20 1 purchase | $142.40 2 purchases | $213.60 3 purchases |
| Global plan (127 destinations) | 1GB, 365 days | $26.28 1 purchase | $26.28 1 purchase | $26.28 1 purchase |
Our 1GB global plan lasts 365 days. It suits a backup line for arrival days, not a month of work.
A long stay 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 in your destination, 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 takes more data.
Follow the top-up steps for the app before the end date, because an expired eSIM cannot take a top-up. For more days, buy your next plan before that date: it comes as a second eSIM with its own QR code. Install it over Wi-Fi and keep its line off, because its days start only when it first connects. When the first plan ends, turn on the new line and its data roaming, then pick it for data.
Plan the first stretch, not the whole year: buy for your first 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 | Country data plan | Unlimited plan | Regional plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | 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 | Buy a new plan before the end date | Buy a new plan if its card has no Top up |
| Crossing a border | 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 |
| Note | Some plans cannot take more data | Fair-use terms apply | Check the country list before you buy |
Mobile data works as your backup office line
Use Wi-Fi for big jobs, and keep the eSIM ready for calls, maps and chat when the Wi-Fi drops.
Local network 3G to 5G, by place
On this phone
Your phone Data in, hotspot out
Your laptop Joins the hotspot
| Work task | Example apps | Better on |
|---|---|---|
| Video calls | 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 is fine |
| 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 friend's phone, which join it like any Wi-Fi network.(2)(3) 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
Video calls run on local mobile networks, and speed changes by place and network. Not every destination has 5G, so check the networks on its plan page. Send big uploads and system updates over Wi-Fi, and keep the eSIM for calls when the Wi-Fi drops. To size a whole trip, estimate how much data a week of calls uses.
Bank codes and your home number
Your home 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 home number over the eSIM's data.(6)
On iPhone, pick your home number at 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) Verizon and AT&T charge a day when you make or answer a call, send a text or use data on that line, and Verizon counts background data too.(8)(9) See how calls and texts work with a travel eSIM.
A regional plan keeps one eSIM working across borders
A regional plan covers a group of countries, so a weekend across the border stays on the same eSIM when both countries are on the plan. A country plan works only in its country.
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 is 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 destination has its own entry, exit and visa rules for US citizens. USAGov points to the State Department's country pages, which list them.(10) Check yours before you go. If Portugal is your base, read a Portugal visa guide for Americans.
One global plan covers 127 destinations
Moving between regions? Our global plan keeps one eSIM working in every destination on its list, including Georgia, which no regional plan covers. For a month in one base, compare its price with a country plan first.
Bases for remote work
Your US phone plan has its own rules for long stays abroad
AT&T's day pass costs $12 a day.(9) AT&T charges no more than 10 daily fees per line in one bill period, so a long stay costs at most $120 in day pass fees on each bill.(11) Some plans already include roaming, so check yours first.(12)
- Verizon
- TravelPass · $12 a day charges only on days you use the phone in a TravelPass country.(8)
- Verizon
- International Monthly Plan · $100 a month can renew each month, and speeds drop to 3G after its high-speed data.(12)
- AT&T
- International Day Pass · $12 a day charges a daily fee only on days you use the phone in an included destination.(9)
Verizon's Unlimited plans include Mexico and Canada. If over half of your talk, text or data use in a 60-day period is in Canada or Mexico, Verizon may remove or limit service there.(12)
To compare each option with a travel eSIM, read our eSIM vs roaming guide.
A local SIM can suit a long stay in one country
Months in one country can justify a plan from a local carrier, especially when you need a local 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: depending on local rules, the shop may ask for ID.(4)
You can keep both: the travel eSIM for arrival day and border trips, the local SIM once you settle. Before you choose, compare local SIM and eSIM costs.
Each person on a remote team needs their own eSIM
A team lead can buy an eSIM for each employee, and each traveler installs it on their own phone.
Check out once for each traveler
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 will use it.
Install it on the phone that will use it
Each eSIM works on one phone only. Once installed, it cannot move to another phone.
Top up from the buyer's account
When a traveler runs low, open My eSIM in your app. Tap Top up on their eSIM, if the plan takes top-ups.
Buying for several people? Tell us the countries and dates, and we will help you buy a plan for each person. Support answers 24/7.
Contact us about a team orderIf someone changes phone, support can issue a new eSIM only while theirs has not yet connected to a supported network in the destination. Read what happens when you change phones.
Questions about eSIMs for digital nomads
What do I do when my next country is not on my eSIM plan?
Add a plan for that country before you cross the border, 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 country list before you buy, and again before a side trip.
How do I keep mobile data for 60 or 90 days abroad?
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, since its days start when it first connects. If data runs low, tap Top up in the app before the end date, if the plan takes top-ups. For months in one country, compare a local SIM.
Is eSIM data reliable enough for remote work?
eSIM data can carry remote work when you use it as a backup line beside Wi-Fi. A travel eSIM runs on local mobile networks, and speed changes by place and network. Keep Wi-Fi for big uploads and long calls, and switch to the eSIM when the Wi-Fi drops. Each destination page lists the networks its plan uses, so check yours before you go.
Can a company buy eSIMs for a remote team?
Yes, a company can buy eSIMs for a remote team. Stay signed in, check out once for each traveler and forward each QR code to the person who will 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 several people at once, 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 center, the US carriers' own pages and USAGov. For the comparison table only, we cite each seller's own price page.
Sources 1, 2, 4, and 6 to 12 read on ; sources 3 and 5 on .
- 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
Verizon: International Plans: TravelPass
- 9
- 10
USAGov: Visa requirements for U.S. citizens traveling abroad
- 11
- 12
