What is an eSIM, and how is it different from a regular SIM?
Last updated October 14, 2026
An eSIM does the same job as a SIM card — it tells your phone which network to connect to — but it's built into your phone's software instead of being a physical piece of plastic you swap in and out.
Most modern phones have an eSIM chip built in. When you buy a Globeelink plan, we send you a digital profile that connects your phone to a local network in your destination country.
The practical differences from a physical SIM
No physical card to receive in the post, lose at the airport, or accidentally swallow.
You can set up your travel eSIM from home, days before you fly. There's no urgent kiosk visit when you land.
Your home SIM stays in your phone. The travel eSIM sits alongside it, so you don't lose access to your home number or messages.
Setup uses the setup email we send you. No tools, no SIM tray, no risk of damaging anything.
If your phone supports eSIM (most phones from the last few years do), the experience is genuinely simpler than a physical SIM. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, our compatibility checker will tell you before you buy.
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