URL: https://esimgo.ae/how-to-install-esim/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.ae)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.ae/author/
Updated: 15 Oct 2026

# How to activate eSIM: QR code at home, connect on landing

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](/how-to-install-esim/iphone/) and [Android](/how-to-install-esim/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](https://www.eand.ae/en/c/mobile/esim.html) 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](/order/find/) 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](/glossary/#sm-dp), 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](https://www.eand.ae/en/c/mobile/standard-roaming-rates.html) (15 Oct 2026), du [roaming FAQ](https://www.du.ae/personal/mobile/roaming) (15 Oct 2026), Virgin Mobile [country rates](https://www.virginmobile.ae/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](/help/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](/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](/refund-policy/) within **30 days** of purchase. No signal after landing: [eSIM not working abroad](/help/esim-no-signal/).

## FAQ

### 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.

## Sources

Apple Support UAE, pages 118669 and 109037: support.apple.com/en-ae (15 Oct 2026). Samsung UAE, Galaxy eSIM pages: samsung.com/ae/support (15 Oct 2026). e&: eSIM page and standard roaming rates, eand.ae (15 Oct 2026); du: du.ae (15 Oct 2026); Virgin Mobile UAE: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026).