Japan and Korea account for the largest share of orders, and both have a wrinkle worth knowing before you buy. In Japan the handset decides: the SoftBank profile is built for iPhone, while Android users need the dual-network KDDI and SoftBank plan. In Korea there is a single sensible answer, the SKT plan, whose unlimited tier genuinely is not throttled.
| Region | Destinations | Why people choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Japan / Korea | Japan (SoftBank, KDDI dual, KDDI native unlimited), Korea (SKT) | Native carrier signal; unthrottled unlimited tiers |
| China / Hong Kong / Macao | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and a regional profile for all three | Google, LINE and Instagram work with no VPN |
| Southeast Asia | Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia / Bali, India | Leading domestic carrier in each country; Singapore and Malaysia cross over |
| Europe | 42-country regional plan, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Russia | One profile across borders on multi-country trips |
| Middle East / Turkey | Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia | 1-day tiers for Dubai layovers; Cappadocia coverage |
| Australia / New Zealand | Australia, New Zealand | Nationwide coverage for long driving routes |
| North America | United States | Connects directly to AT&T and Verizon |
| Russia | Russia | Not covered by the European regional plan — needs its own profile |
The QR code is sent to your contact email within about ten minutes of payment. You then scan it whenever you are ready to install.
Install on your departure day while your phone still has internet — airport Wi-Fi is fine, since an eSIM cannot be installed offline. Activation starts the day count, so activate on arrival. Thailand is the exception: install it only after you land in Thailand.
Most profiles must be activated within 30 days of delivery or they expire, so ordering roughly a week before departure is ideal rather than months ahead. Vietnam has a shorter 15-day window.
Most iPhones from the XS onward and most recent Samsung, Google Pixel and other flagship Android handsets. Dial *#06# — if an EID appears, your device supports it. It also needs to be carrier-unlocked. iPads, tablets, contract-locked, jailbroken and rooted devices are not supported.
Do not take the smallest tier. Maps, messaging, translation and social media add up faster than expected, so around 3GB a day is a safer target — and where a destination offers a total-data plan, that is usually our first recommendation, because a heavy day will not leave you stuck. Choose unlimited if you stream video, upload a lot of photos or share the connection with a laptop. Road trips need more than city breaks because navigation runs continuously.
Further reading:
Browse all destinations: All eSIM plans