How to activate eSIM: QR code at home, data abroad

Install on iPhone iPhone XR, XS and later · 4 steps You need Wi-FiQR code from the e-mail Install on Android Samsung, Pixel and others · 4 steps You need Wi-FiMenus differ by brand

The difference that can cost you money

Installation: at home, on Wi-Fi The profile appears on your phone. For destinations where validity counts from first use, the paid days do not start yet.

Activation: at your destination The profile's first registration on the local network. For 200 of the 203 destinations in the catalogue, the days start counting only from that point; for the rest, the country page says so.

Purchase QR code by e-mail · after payment
Installation profile on your phone · in advance
Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts

You can install the profile at home in advance. The plan’s validity starts only when your phone first registers on a network at your destination.

iPhone in 4 steps

1. Open the option to add an eSIM On Wi-Fi, go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM or Set Up Cellular (with UK English the menu is called Mobile Data).

2. Scan the QR code Tap Use QR code and point the camera at the QR code from your order, opened on another screen or printed. If the QR code is in an e-mail on the same iPhone (iOS 17.4 or later), touch and hold the code, then tap Add eSIM.

3. Label the new line Give the new line a label, for example Travel. Calls and SMS stay on your UAE line. Our eSIM does not work in the UAE, so leave mobile data on your UAE line until you land.

4. When you land, switch data to the travel line Go to Settings → Cellular, tap Cellular Data and choose the travel line. Then tap the travel line, Cellular Data Options, and turn on Data Roaming for that line only.

Menu names change with the iOS version and the phone’s language. eSIM is available from the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR onwards.

Android in 4 steps

The order is the same as on an iPhone, but Samsung, Pixel and other brands name each option their own way. That is why the path follows what each section does, not exact names. On Android, eSIM support depends on the model, the system version and the market the phone was sold for.

Android, step 0. Check compatibility

Look for “Add eSIM” in the SIM settings Or find the exact model in our phone list. Without eSIM support, the profile cannot be installed. ›

Bought the phone outside the UAE? Check the exact model and the version sold in the UAE in our phone list.

Android, step 1. Add the profile

Settings Network & internet SIMs

Add SIM Set up an eSIM

UAE SIM on

This is how it looks on a Pixel. On a Samsung, the section is usually Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM. Names depend on the system version and the region.

Android, step 2. Choose the lines

Settings Network & internet SIMs

Mobile data Travel eSIM

Calls UAE SIM

SMS UAE SIM

Internet goes through the travel eSIM, while calls and SMS stay on your UAE line.

Android, step 3. Turn on roaming

Settings Network & internet SIMs Travel eSIM

Use SIM

Roaming

This is how it looks on phones with one switch per SIM. If your Android has a single switch for all SIMs, leave it on and choose the eSIM as the line for mobile data. Roaming switched off on the eSIM is the most common reason for having no internet on arrival.

Frequently asked questions

How to activate eSIM before a trip?

Install eSIM from the QR code in your order e-mail on home Wi-Fi before you fly. After you land, choose it as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it only. The plan’s days start at that first connection.

When should I install my travel eSIM: before or after I fly?

Before, on home Wi-Fi. On 327 of our 348 plans you can install up to 365 days after purchase, and on most plans an early install costs no days.

Can I install the eSIM in the UAE and activate it abroad?

Yes. Our eSIMs do not provide service in the UAE, so it stays idle at home and connects when you land.

Do I need data roaming on for the travel eSIM?

Yes, for the eSIM line only. Keep it off on your UAE line, where e&, du and Virgin Mobile block data abroad without a pack.

What do I do if the QR code does not work?

Use manual activation: enter the SM-DP+ address and the activation code from the Manual setup box on your order page.

How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?

Look for an “Add eSIM” option in the SIM settings, or find the exact model in our phone list. Without eSIM support, the profile cannot be installed.

My phone supports eSIM, but the option isn't in the menu

Check the exact model and the version sold in the UAE in our phone list.

Where is the option on my phone?

It depends on the interface. On a Samsung it is usually Settings → Connections → SIM manager; on a Pixel, Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. Names change with the system version, so look for the section by what it does.

What about other Android brands?

Menus differ from brand to brand and between system versions, and we do not list them model by model. Before you buy a plan, look for an “Add eSIM” option in the SIM settings or find the exact model in our phone list.

Other guides

Does your phone support eSIM? How to check on the phone in a minute, and the list of models by brand. › How much data to take Calculator by trip length and how you use the internet. › Can't find the e-mail with the QR code? Get your order again with the e-mail you used to buy. › Help and FAQ Short answers about installation, validity and payment. ›

If the network doesn’t appear

Turn aeroplane mode on and off On, then off, so the phone searches for the network again.

Check data roaming on the travel line On an iPhone, each line has its own switch: turn it on for the travel line. On Android, if there is one switch for all SIMs, leave it on and choose the eSIM for mobile data.

Restart the phone This solves many activation problems.

Check whether the destination needs a manual APN Each country page says when the APN must be entered by hand. › Write to us Write to support@esimgo.ae with your order number, the country and city, your phone model and a screenshot. ›

How many profiles fit and what to do with old ones

Working at the same time: two lines Apple says two eSIMs can be active at the same time on supported iPhone models: for example, your UAE line for calls and SMS and the travel profile for internet.

Installed but switched off Extra profiles can stay on the phone; you choose in Settings which lines are on.

Before deleting, write to us Don't delete the travel eSIM before your trip ends: turn the line off instead. To reinstall it or move it to another phone, write to us first.

After the trip, the order is: check that the plan’s validity has ended, and only then delete the profile to free up space for your next destination. If a new profile won’t install, write to us before deleting anything.

In detail

How to activate eSIM for a trip: install eSIM from the QR code in your order e-mail on home Wi-Fi. After you land, choose it as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only. Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile SIM stays in the phone for calls and SMS. Step-by-step taps: iPhone and Android.

Install at home, connect when you land

When to install the eSIM: at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly. Activation on arrival happens when the eSIM first connects to a network abroad. On most plans the days count from that moment, so an early install costs no days. On 327 of our 348 plans you can install up to 365 days after purchase (catalogue, 15 Oct 2026).

Some plans for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Suriname and Mayotte start their days at install. Israel plans install up to 90 days after purchase; 18 plans, including Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, have no window set, so install those close to the trip.

This is a travel line, not your own operator’s eSIM. The e& eSIM page covers an eSIM for your own e& number and lists no travel eSIM for trips abroad: “Can I request an eSIM while roaming? No, you will need to be in the UAE to request an eSim.” (15 Oct 2026). Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE and do not provide service in the UAE, so one installed at home stays idle until you land.

Where your QR code and activation code are

Your QR code is in the order e-mail, sent once payment is confirmed. The order page shows the same QR code, activation code and SM-DP+ address. No e-mail? Get your order again with the e-mail you used to buy.

The order page has a Download QR code button and a Manual setup box with the SM-DP+ address, the activation code and the full activation string, each with a copy button. A second phone, or someone travelling with you, needs its own eSIM with its own QR code.

A phone can’t scan its own screen: show the QR code on a laptop. With one phone, on iOS 17.4 or later tap and hold the QR code and tap Add eSIM (Apple Support UAE, 15 Oct 2026). On Android, open the order page on that phone, tap Copy activation code and paste it on the add-eSIM screen.

Data roaming

Turn on data roaming for the eSIM and keep it off for your UAE line. Without a roaming pack, e&, du and Virgin Mobile block mobile data abroad (15 Oct 2026), so your UAE line gets no data and the eSIM carries it.

Setting	Travel eSIM	Your UAE line
Mobile data line	Selected	Not selected
Data roaming	On	Off
Calls and SMS	Not used	On

Switch to the eSIM when you land, not at home. On an iPhone, open Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and choose the travel line. Back in Cellular, tap the travel line, tap Cellular Data Options and turn on Data Roaming (Apple Support UAE, 15 Oct 2026). If your Android phone has one roaming switch for both SIMs, leave it on and keep mobile data off on the UAE line.

Snapshot 15 Oct 2026	Mobile data abroad without a pack	Incoming SMS	Incoming call, per minute
e&	Blocked; text UBLOCK to 1010 for 24 hours of pay-as-you-go data	“Incoming SMS Free”	AED 0.808 (GCC), AED 4.25 (rest of world)
du	“data usage is blocked”; no pay-as-you-go data	price not found	AED 0.81 (GCC), AED 1.25 (postpaid, other zones)
Virgin Mobile	“There’s no Pay As You Go rates available”	“Receive AED 0.00”	AED 0.808 (Saudi Arabia), AED 4.00 (UK, India)

Sources: e& standard roaming rates (15 Oct 2026), du roaming FAQ (15 Oct 2026), Virgin Mobile country rates (15 Oct 2026); Virgin Mobile: Saudi Arabia, UK and India only.

Keep the UAE SIM on for SMS; no operator page we read promises that bank OTP messages arrive abroad. See keep your UAE number.

The QR code doesn’t scan

If the QR code doesn’t scan, use manual activation: type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code from the Manual setup box on your order page. Both must match exactly; stay on Wi-Fi until it downloads.

iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan > Enter Details Manually (Apple Support UAE, 15 Oct 2026). Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code > Enter activation code; on some models the menu reads SIM Card Manager > Add Mobile Plan (Samsung UAE, 15 Oct 2026). Paste the codes with the copy buttons, and check that your phone has eSIM: eSIM-compatible phones.

Don’t delete the eSIM to try again; turn the line off instead. To reinstall it or move it to another phone, write to support@esimgo.ae with your order number first. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase. No signal after landing: eSIM not working abroad.

Ready to install? Choose your destination Pay by card in AED. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See countries

Not sure how much data to take? Work it out from your trip length and how you use your phone.