Global eSIM

One eSIM for 117 countries, from Reykjavík to Cape Town and from Lima to Tokyo, for trips that cross continents: a round-the-world ticket, a business trip through three regions, or a cruise calling at ports on several coasts. It sells data packs that last 30 days, with no Unlimited option, and it skips some popular stops, including Vietnam, the Maldives and most of the Caribbean, so check your route before you buy.

What three weeks of data costs on a four-country trip

Take a 21-day trip: 4 days in France, a 3-day Dubai stopover, 7 days in Thailand and 7 in Japan. Prices checked on 3 November 2026; daily charges apply to each day you use the phone abroad, per phone.

For a family of four on Verizon, that's $1,008 for the trip. Local SIMs mean four shops or counters, a passport check in the UAE, a new number each time and a SIM swap at every border. Vodafone UK charges £2.75 a day in Europe and £8 a day in Zones C and D, which include Thailand and the UAE, so for those stops its daily rates match Three's.

Who Global suits: round-the-world trips, business travel across several continents, cruises with ports of call in different regions, long layovers through several hubs, and digital nomads moving every few weeks. If every stop is in one region, a regional plan usually costs less for the same data and offers Unlimited plans, which Global doesn't. How regional plans work

When you land anywhere: an arrival checklist

The same short routine works at every airport on the route:

1. Keep the kimsim line off on stopovers you don't need data for. Your 30 days start when the eSIM first connects in any covered country, and Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Singapore and Hong Kong are all on the list. If your plan started early
2. As the plane taxis, switch Airplane Mode off, switch the kimsim line on, and turn Data Roaming on for that line only. Why roaming goes on for the kimsim line only
3. No bars after two minutes? Turn Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds, then off, so the phone searches again. When to use Airplane Mode
4. Walk past the SIM counters. You're already online for taxis and maps.

Networks and coverage

In each country this plan uses one to four local networks, listed above, and your phone shows that operator's name, not kimsim. Some countries have only one: Verizon in the USA, Optus in Australia, SK Telecom in South Korea, Turkcell in Türkiye and Etisalat in the UAE. Several in West and Central Africa are 3G only, such as the Central African Republic and Guinea-Bissau.

A few names may surprise you. In the UK, Vodafone and Three merged into VodafoneThree in 2025. In the UAE, the operator that rebranded as e& has gone back to Etisalat. In Greece, "Wind" is the old name of the network now called Nova.

In China, we can't promise that any particular app or website works, so test the ones you rely on when you land. Using kimsim in China

At sea, ships switch to their own satellite networks. EU rules apply only to land networks, so price caps stop at sea, and the EU calls those services "usually expensive". Telstra tells its customers that cruise-ship usage isn't covered by its Day Pass, and Three UK lists maritime networks outside its Go Roam destinations. Maritime networks aren't on this plan's list, so expect kimsim data in port and near the coast only.

The networks your plan uses are listed above.

Where Global fits, and where it doesn't

• Europe only? The Europe eSIM covers 33 countries, including the UK and Switzerland.
• Asia only? The Asia eSIM adds Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Macao and Bangladesh, which Global misses. The Asia Pacific eSIM adds Australia and New Zealand.
• USA, Canada and Mexico? The North America eSIM covers all three.
• Middle East only? The Middle East eSIM covers Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel and Iraq; for Dubai, add a UAE eSIM.
• Caribbean cruise? Global covers Puerto Rico only. The Caribbean eSIM covers Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Barbados and more.
• Single gaps: add a country eSIM for Vietnam, Cambodia, the Maldives, Georgia, Nepal or Monaco.

Flights, layovers and cruises

• Long layovers: a stopover of a day or more in Dubai, Doha or Singapore is worth having data for. A two-hour connection isn't, so keep the line off and use the airport Wi-Fi.
• Plans over 30 days: each pack lasts 30 days from first connection. On a longer trip, watch your usage in My eSIMs and top up onto the same eSIM. Check how much data you have left
• Cruises: use the eSIM on port days and the ship's Wi-Fi at sea. Check each port's country against the list, since many Caribbean islands aren't on it.

Apps worth having

• Ride-hailing changes by country: Grab in Thailand, Bolt in many European cities, Uber taxis in Japan, and DiDi in 28 Australian cities. Set each account up at home, because sign-up often sends a text code to your usual number.
• Maps: download offline areas for every country before you leave Wi-Fi.
• Calling apps: messages work everywhere, but calls don't in some countries on this plan. The UAE only allows internet calls through licensed or approved apps, and WhatsApp and FaceTime have not been on the approved lists. Egypt has blocked internet calls on mobile networks on and off for years, and a ban the regulator said in late 2024 it planned to lift was still in place in mid-2025. In Saudi Arabia, FaceTime and several other calling apps have been allowed since September 2017, but WhatsApp calls were left out; users reported them working from February 2025 with no official announcement. We haven't tested calls on our plans in these countries. Keep your WhatsApp number working abroad
• Banking: keep your home line on for texts, so one-time codes still reach you. Calls and texts with a data-only eSIM

SIM and phone rules

Buying a local SIM in each country means a new set of rules each time. In Germany, prepaid providers must check your passport or ID before the line works. In Saudi Arabia, stc says you must visit a branch on arrival to activate its visitor SIM. Türkiye limits a foreign phone on a Turkish SIM to 120 days unless it's registered, and Egypt charges customs duty on phones used with Egyptian SIMs, with foreigners on non-Egyptian SIMs exempt.

A travel eSIM installed at home is a foreign line roaming on local networks, so it skips the shop, the passport check and the phone registration. It's data only, so your home number stays in the phone for calls and texts. Your phone must be unlocked and support eSIM. Check your phone works with eSIM

Common mistakes

• Assuming "global" means everywhere. Vietnam, the Maldives and most Caribbean islands aren't covered. Check every stop. How regional plans work
• Starting the plan on a layover. Most big hubs are covered, so a connection can start your 30 days early. If your plan started early
• Leaving Data Roaming on for your home line, especially at sea. Satellite networks on ships aren't capped. Why roaming goes on for the kimsim line only
• Buying Global for one region. A Europe or Asia plan covers the same trip for less.
• No way to call for help. A data-only eSIM can't dial emergency numbers, so keep your home line on or use any local phone.

More on travelling with one eSIM

• What is an eSIM? A plain-English guide for travellers
• How much data do I need for a week abroad?
• eSIM vs roaming: which is cheaper for your trip?

How we put this page together

We checked carriers' roaming price pages, operators' own pages, government and immigration sites, the UK Foreign Office, EU roaming guidance and the other sources noted above on 1–3 November 2026, and reused sourced facts from our country pages. We haven't measured speeds or coverage ourselves, or tested calling apps on our plans in the Gulf or Egypt, so coverage notes are general guidance, not a map. kimsim sells the eSIMs on this page.