English
An eSIM for the United Kingdom is a digital data plan for the phone you already own. There is no physical SIM card, no airport lines, and no passport needed. Your plan is ready on your SIMAREA account before you even leave home.
It works safely alongside your normal SIM. You keep your own number for calls and important text messages. Your data goes through the SIMAREA plan. Just turn off data roaming on your home SIM to avoid high bills.
Every plan here uses more than one partner network. Your phone joins one when you arrive and can switch to another if the signal weakens.
If you stay longer, top up your current plan with more data. You do not need to buy a new one.
What it is not: a local phone number. If you need one for verification codes, see virtual numbers for the United Kingdom.
UK eSIM for travel
5GMobile data for the United Kingdom on EE and 3, as a fixed plan or a day pass. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi; on most plans the days only begin when your phone first connects in the UK.
The unlimited plan is the day pass we feature for the United Kingdom: after its daily full-speed allowance it keeps you connected at a lower speed, and it is billed per day for the days you choose. Fixed plans are one price for the term shown. Nothing on this page is an estimate.
How to get mobile data in the United Kingdom
Install it at home before you go. Some plans here start counting at installation, so check the line under the price for the plan you pick.
Pick eSIM plan
Choose how long you are there. The day pass is billed per day, so the term is yours to set.
Pay, then scan
Charged from your balance, which you top up with crypto. Your QR code is in your dashboard once the order is paid.
Turn it on when you arrive
Turn on data roaming for your SIMAREA plan when you arrive, and it joins a partner network.
What to know about an eSIM for the United Kingdom
The specifics that decide whether a travel eSIM is useful once you're actually there.
More than one network
Every plan here lists more than one partner network. If one gets weak, your phone can switch to another.
Set up before you go
No SIM card store, no passport check. Install it at home, then turn on data roaming for it when you arrive.
Hotspot sharing
Share your internet with a laptop or a friend, if your plan and phone allow it.
Keep your own number
The eSIM is just for internet. Your normal SIM still receives calls and important bank codes. You can use both at once.
Keep using the same eSIM
Staying longer? Top up the same plan with more data from your dashboard. No need for a new QR code.
If it does not work
Not installed or connected yet? Ask for a refund within 30 days of buying it. Installed but not working on any of its networks? Support helps, and refunds you if it cannot be fixed.
UK eSIM networks: EE and 3
Every UK plan on this page runs on the same two British networks, EE and 3. Both are listed on each plan, so your phone can register on either of them, and there is no network to pick at checkout.
5G here depends on the network rather than on the plan. EE is listed as 5G, while 3 is listed as 4G on these plans. Connected to EE, you get 5G where EE has it and 4G/LTE elsewhere; on 3 you stay on 4G/LTE. If you want 5G and your phone keeps choosing 3, turn off automatic network selection in its settings and pick EE yourself.
The Europe plans and the global plan also reach the UK, but not always on these two networks. The section on trips beyond the UK explains which.
Which IP address websites see: France, the Netherlands, or the UK
The IP address a website sees comes from the country where your mobile traffic leaves for the internet. For every UK plan on this page, the catalog lists three such exit countries: France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Depending on the exit in use, a site may see a French, Dutch, or British address on the same plan, so a British IP isn't something to count on.
Maps, messaging, email, and ordinary browsing don't care. A UK bank app, a British streaming service, or a site that sets prices by country might. Read the IP address row under Technical specs for the plan you select, and if a British IP matters for something you rely on, ask support before you pay. Support replies around the clock, 24/7.
How to choose an eSIM for UK travel
No UK plan is right for every trip. Answer these questions in order and the choice gets short:
- How many days? Fixed UK plans last 7, 15, or 30 days, and one lasts 180 days, sized for a semester or a long work placement. The day pass covers as many days as you choose at checkout.
- How much data? Fixed plans start at 100 MB for a week, which is stopover territory, and go up to 50 GB. Not sure what you use? The trip data calculator works it out from your habits.
- A daily allowance or one data bucket? The UK day pass refills 1 GB at full speed every day; a fixed plan gives you one amount for the whole term, to spend unevenly if you like. The next section compares the two.
- Could the trip run longer? Every UK plan on this page can be topped up on the same eSIM, the day pass included.
- Is the UK the only stop? A UK plan covers the United Kingdom and nowhere else. With Ireland or continental Europe on the route, start with the Europe plans, and check that the one you pick lists every country you'll visit.
The UK day pass and what "unlimited" means
Search for an unlimited UK eSIM and you usually land on a day pass. The UK day pass here works like this: you get 1 GB a day at full speed, and once that's used the connection drops to 512 Kbps until the day resets. You choose the number of days at checkout, and they start at your first connection in the UK, not when you buy, so buying a few days early costs you nothing.
512 Kbps is usually enough for messages, email, and maps, and too slow for most video. That makes the pass a good match for days of navigating, booking, and messaging, with video calls saved for hotel Wi-Fi. If you stream or upload a lot on the go, a fixed plan is the steadier choice: 10 GB or 20 GB for 30 days has no daily cap, so a heavy day doesn't slow you down as long as data is left.
Like the fixed UK plans, the day pass runs on EE and 3 and can be topped up on the same eSIM.
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and beyond
A UK plan's coverage is the United Kingdom as a whole, and that includes Northern Ireland as well as Great Britain. The Republic of Ireland is a different destination, with its own Ireland plans.
If the trip crosses into Ireland or continental Europe, one Europe eSIM can do the job of two plans: every plan on the Europe page includes both the UK and Ireland, though not all of them include France or the Netherlands. Their UK networks vary by plan. The Europe day pass and most of its fixed plans use O2, Vodafone, and 3; only the 35-country plans use EE and 3 alone, the same pair as the UK plans; the 31-day plans list all four. Open the Plan details tab on the plan you select to see every country it covers.
When the UK is one stop among many, the global eSIM covers it as well, on O2, Vodafone, and 3.
Does a UK eSIM come with a phone number?
No. A UK eSIM carries data only, with no +44 number, and your own SIM keeps your usual number for calls and texts.
When you need a British number, rent a UK number separately from the eSIM. It is yours for a term from one day to twelve months, receives SMS from any sender, and can't make calls or send texts.
UK eSIM: questions before you go
Can I set up the UK eSIM before I leave home?
Yes, and it's the easier way: install it over Wi-Fi a few days before the flight. On every UK plan except the 100 MB one, the days begin only when your phone first connects to a British network, so the wait costs nothing. The 100 MB plan counts from installation, so install that one close to departure.
Does a UK eSIM work in Ireland?
In Northern Ireland, yes, because it's part of the United Kingdom. In the Republic of Ireland a UK plan has no coverage. South of the border, you need an Ireland plan or a Europe plan, which lists both countries.
Which UK plan fits a semester or a long stay?
The 50 GB plan for 180 days. It starts counting at your first connection in the UK, and if the data runs out before the 180 days do, you top it up on the same eSIM instead of buying a new one.
Can I top up the UK day pass?
Yes. The day pass and every fixed UK plan on this page take top-ups on the same eSIM, with no new QR code. The Add more row of the Plan details tab confirms it for the plan you've selected.
Will a UK eSIM work on a phone from a US carrier?
Only if the phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. A phone locked to its carrier can refuse another carrier's eSIM, so check both before you buy: an installed eSIM can't be refunded, even when the phone turns out to be incompatible.
My UK trip was canceled. Can I get my money back?
If the eSIM is still uninstalled and has never connected, yes. Write to support within 30 days of the purchase and you're refunded on request. Once it's installed or has been used, it isn't refundable. The refund policy has the full terms.
Invite Friends. Earn 7% on Every Deposit.
Every time a friend tops up, you get 7% of it. For life, not just once.
The SIMAREA app is on its way
Check your data, top up and manage every eSIM from your phone.
UK eSIM: install at home, connect when you land
Choose a fixed plan or a day pass above. If Ireland or continental Europe is on the route, compare the Europe plans before you buy.