eSIM Go help: install, no signal, UAE number, refunds

Help topics

How to pay Card payment in AED, paying a seller abroad and your bank’s fees. › How to install an eSIM Step by step on iPhone and Android. › Find my order Lost the e-mail with the QR code? Get it again with the e-mail you used to buy. › Refund policy When and how you get your money back. › Contact us Write to support by e-mail or WhatsApp. ›

In detail

Pick the line that matches your situation and follow the link. Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE and do not provide service in the UAE. For anything not listed here, write to support@esimgo.ae.

Before you fly

Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly. Almost every plan counts its days from the first connection in the destination, not from the install; the country page states the rule for yours.

You have never installed an eSIM: how to install an eSIM, with the QR code or the manual code.
You have an iPhone: install an eSIM on iPhone.
You have an Android phone: install an eSIM on Android.
You doubt your phone supports eSIM: eSIM-compatible phones.
You want to delete the eSIM before the trip ends: don’t. Turn the line off instead, and contact support before you reinstall it or move it to another phone: delete or turn off an eSIM.

After you land

“No service” at home is normal, because the plan connects only in the destination. Abroad with no bars or no internet, run five checks in order, from Data Roaming on the eSIM line to the APN: eSIM not working abroad.

Your plan needs a manual APN on Android: APN settings.
You want to see how much data is left: check data usage.
You want to share data with a laptop or another phone: hotspot with a travel eSIM.

Your UAE SIM stays in the phone for calls and SMS, and the eSIM carries the data: keep your UAE number abroad. Without a roaming pack, your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won’t use mobile data abroad (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). What you pay to stay reachable:

Operator	SMS you receive abroad	Call you receive in the Gulf, per minute
e&	“Incoming SMS Free”	AED 0.808
du	no price found	AED 0.81
Virgin Mobile	“Receive AED 0.00” (India and UK rates)	AED 0.808 in Saudi Arabia

Operator rate pages, 15 Oct 2026. No operator page we read promises that bank OTP SMS will arrive abroad, so keep the UAE SIM switched on and don’t rely on it.

Payment and refunds

You pay by card, in AED, and the amount is the exact price shown at checkout. Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee: the UAE bank schedules we read on 15 Oct 2026 list 1.99% (Emirates NBD Priority Banking) to 2.99% (ADCB, most credit cards). Details: how to pay.

You can get a refund within 30 days of purchase if the eSIM has not connected to any network. The full rules are in the refund policy.

Frequently asked questions

Which guide do I read if my eSIM shows no service?

Read the eSIM not working abroad checklist: five checks in order, from Data Roaming on the eSIM line to the APN. In the UAE, no service is normal: our eSIMs connect when you land abroad.

How do I get a refund?

Ask within 30 days of purchase, before the eSIM has connected to any network. Write to support@esimgo.ae or on WhatsApp with your order number and the e-mail you used to buy.

How do I contact support?

Email support@esimgo.ae or write on WhatsApp from the contact page. Send the country, your phone model and a screenshot of the eSIM line.

Will bank OTP SMS reach my UAE number abroad?

No operator page we read promises it. Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS: e& and Virgin Mobile don’t charge for SMS you receive abroad, and we found no du price, so check with du. Calls you receive are charged per minute.

Before you buy

Will I get a phone number at my destination?

On most plans, no: the eSIM is data only. Calling apps are subject to the rules of the country you are in. For 4 destinations in the catalogue there are also plans with minutes and SMS, and the country page shows which ones.

Will my UAE SIM keep working?

It stays in your phone. The eSIM is added as a second line: data goes through it, and your UAE number stays on the phone for calls and SMS. To avoid roaming charges from your UAE operator: on an iPhone, each line has its own Data Roaming switch; turn it off on the UAE line and on for the travel eSIM. On Android it depends on the brand: if there is one switch for all SIMs, leave it on and choose the eSIM as the line for mobile data. Whether SMS, including bank OTPs, reach your UAE number abroad depends on your operator’s roaming terms.

Does my phone support eSIM?

Most recent models do, but not all, and some phones locked to an operator reject the profile. Check yours in the list of eSIM-compatible phones before you buy.

How far in advance should I buy?

You can buy and install it at home before you travel. For 200 of the 203 destinations in the catalogue, the plan starts counting only with the first connection to a network at the destination. The installation deadline and the rule for your destination are on the country page.

Do WhatsApp and Instagram work?

They work as on any mobile data connection, because the eSIM is a data connection. The exception is services that the country itself blocks.

Order and payment

How do I pay?

By debit or credit card, in UAE dirhams (exactly the AED price shown), on Stripe’s secure payment page. The seller is abroad, so your card must allow online payments to foreign sellers. The details are on the how to pay page.

Why is the price shown in dirhams?

You pay by card in UAE dirhams: your card is charged exactly the AED amount shown on the site. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee. Online and international payments must be enabled on your card.

The QR code didn't arrive. What should I do?

Check the spam and promotions folders of the e-mail address you gave with the order. If it isn’t there, use Find my order or write to support@esimgo.ae from the e-mail you used to buy.

Installation and activation

I installed the eSIM at home. Has the plan started?

Installing and activating are different steps. For 200 of the 203 destinations in the catalogue, the days start counting with the first connection to a network on the trip. The rule for your destination is on the country page.

How do I install the eSIM?

Scan the QR code from the e-mail with your phone, ideally at home on Wi-Fi. The steps are in the installation guide, with a section for Android.

Can I use the same eSIM on two phones?

No. The profile stays on the phone where you installed it. To get online on another device, buy another plan; ask us before you rely on sharing the connection from your phone.

During the trip

How do I see how much data I have left?

Your phone shows the usage of the eSIM line: on an iPhone, in Settings under Mobile Data; on Android, in the SIM settings. The order page, linked in your e-mail, can also show the balance.

My data ran out before the end of the trip. What now?

For 195 of the 203 destinations in the catalogue, you can buy more data for the same eSIM without installing a new QR code; for another 6, only GB plans can be topped up, not unlimited plans (with a daily limit). Top-ups are on the order page. Elsewhere, you buy a new plan.

Refunds

Can I get a refund or change the destination?

The conditions are in the refund policy. If you have a question about an order, write to support@esimgo.ae from the e-mail you used to buy.

The profile didn't work. What should I do?

Write to support@esimgo.ae and tell us what your phone showed.

Didn’t find your question?

Write to support@esimgo.ae or see the contact page. If your question is about a destination, the country page shows networks, plans and prices: start with the list of countries.