What's an eSIM?
An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your phone. Instead of swapping a tiny plastic chip, you download a data plan in seconds — so you can land in a new country and be online before you reach baggage claim.
eSIM vs. a plastic SIM
Same mobile networks, a completely easier experience. Here's how they stack up.
- Find a store or wait for delivery
- Fiddle with a tray and a paperclip
- Easy to lose or damage the chip
- Swap cards every time you cross a border
- Buy and install from your sofa in minutes
- Scan one QR code — done
- Lives safely inside your phone
- Change country & plan without swapping anything
How does it actually work?
Your phone has a small reprogrammable chip — the eSIM. When you buy a beamSIM plan, we send a profile that tells that chip which network to join and how much data you've got. Scan the QR code and your phone connects to a trusted local network at your destination, exactly like a local would.
Built for the way you travel
Set up in minutes
Buy and install over Wi-Fi before you fly. No store visits, no waiting for a SIM in the post.
Switch countries instantly
Hop borders and change plans from your phone — one device, every destination.
Keep your home number
Your eSIM runs as a second line, so calls, texts and WhatsApp stay on your normal SIM.
Nothing to lose
No tiny plastic card to drop or misplace at the airport. It lives safely inside your phone.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most phones from the last few years do — and they need to be carrier-unlocked. Here are the most common ones. Not sure? We run a quick check before you pay, so you never buy a plan you can't use.