5 min read
Installing and activating your travel eSIM
The general rule: install the eSIM before you leave, activate it when you arrive. The exceptions, and each provider’s deadlines, are in the table below.
The steps
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked by your carrier.
- The day before you leave, on Wi-Fi, install the eSIM with the QR code or the provider’s app: it takes two minutes.
- When you arrive, choose the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line.
- Keep your usual SIM on to receive texts (bank codes), with its mobile data off.
- Do not delete the eSIM before the end of your trip: reinstalling it is not always possible.
When validity starts, provider by provider
| Provider | Validity starts | Time to activate | Identity check |
|---|---|---|---|
| GigSky | On first connection at your destination, in all 24 countries | 1 year, in all 24 countries | No: Japan Not stated in 23 countries |
| GoMoWorld | When you start it in the app, in all 24 countries | No deadline, in all 24 countries | No: India Not stated in 23 countries |
| Jetpac | On first connection at your destination, in all 23 countries | 3 months, in all 23 countries | No, in all 23 countries |
| Nomad | On first connection at your destination in 23 countries On installation (unlimited), on first connection at your destination (data): Thailand | 60 days in 23 countries 60 days (unlimited), 30 days (data): Mexico | No, in all 24 countries |
| Orange Travel | On first connection at your destination, in all 24 countries | 6 months in 6 countries Not stated in 18 countries | Yes, after 31 days, in all 24 countries |
| PlanJapan | On first connection at your destination, in Japan | 60 days (unlimited), 180 days (data), in Japan | Not stated, in Japan |
| Ubigi | On first connection at your destination, in all 24 countries | 6 months, in all 24 countries | Not stated, in all 24 countries |
| Yesim | On first connection at your destination, in all 24 countries | 180 days in 20 countries 90 days: China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea | No, in all 24 countries |
Based on each provider’s pages, country by country (checked on October 20, 2026). “Not stated”: the provider does not say.
Pitfalls to avoid
- With Nomad, validity can start on installation: install the eSIM just before you leave.
- The time to activate after purchase ranges from 30 days (Nomad) to 1 year (GigSky): do not buy too early.
- With Orange Travel, an identity check is required beyond a certain length of stay: keep your passport handy.
- With GoMoWorld, the plan starts when you launch it in the app: remember to do it when you arrive.
Updated: October 21, 2026