The best eSIM for Chile is a data plan sized to your days there, installed on Wi-Fi before you fly. A SimOptions Chile eSIM does that: it runs on the WOM network in 4G/LTE, activates when you land in Chile and comes in sizes from 1 GB for 3 days to 60 GB for 90 days. It has no Chilean phone number, so you call through WhatsApp or FaceTime. It also skips two local rules: since August 2026, every Chilean prepaid line must be registered with an ID or passport, and a phone bought abroad that runs on a Chilean SIM is blocked after 30 days unless you register its IMEI.
Which is the best eSIM for Chile?
Short on time? These Chile plans are data-only and 4G/LTE. Pick the size from the days you stay: one week, two weeks or a month.
SimOptions Chile eSIMs · data only · 4G/LTE · See all eSIMs for Chile · All destinations
What to look for in an eSIM for Chile
- Coverage: check that Chile is on the plan's country list. A Chile plan suits a trip that stays in the country. Crossing into Argentina, Bolivia or Peru? See the section on regional plans below.
- Data and days: both are on the plan page. A small plan fits a few days in Santiago. For two weeks with maps, booking apps and video calls, look at a bigger one.
- Speed: our Chile plan details list 4G/LTE speed.
- A local number: most travel eSIMs are data-only. If you must call hotels or tour operators on a Chilean number, you need a local line, with the ID check that comes with it.
- Setup before you fly: you get a QR code by email and install it on Wi-Fi at home. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked (see how to check eSIM compatibility).
How much data do you need in Chile?
These are the sizes on our Chile eSIM page, with what each one lasts:
- Chile 1GB and 3GB: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days. A stopover or a short visit.
- Chile 5GB and 10GB: 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days. A week with maps, messages and photos.
- Chile 20GB: 20 GB for 15 days. Two weeks, with some video.
- Chile 50GB: 50 GB for 30 days. A month, or if you work from your phone.
- Chile 60GB: 60 GB for 90 days. A long stay or a slow trip down the country.
If you run out of data, top-ups are available. Not sure how much you need? Pick the bigger size. Our guide to eSIM data plans shows how to estimate it, and how to reduce data usage abroad helps you make it last.
How does a Chile eSIM connect?
Our Chile plans connect to the WOM network. You don't pick it yourself: the plan's settings use automatic network selection, with data roaming turned on for the eSIM. The eSIM activates by itself when you reach Chile, and you have 1 year to start using it.
Signal still varies by place, whichever eSIM you use. It can be weak or absent on remote roads, in the desert and on trails deep in the national parks. Download offline maps before you head out (Google Maps: download areas offline).
Local eSIM or travel eSIM?
Chile's carriers do sell eSIMs, but mostly to their own customers. Here is what they say on their own pages.
- Entel offers its eSIM at no cost with an Entel mobile plan. You request it when you sign up or in the Entel app, after an identity check (Entel: eSIM).
- Movistar sends the eSIM QR code by email when you sign up for one of its mobile plans (Movistar: eSIM).
- WOM lets you buy its Plan Zero prepaid on wom.cl and ask for an eSIM, with an identity check (WOM: Plan Zero with eSIM).
- Claro activates its eSIM in its stores across Chile, for customers with an active Claro mobile plan (Claro: eSIM activation).
Two Chilean rules matter if you go local:
- Prepaid registration: since August 20, 2026, every prepaid mobile number must be linked to a person. Carriers record your name, address and ID or passport number, and the check is needed both to activate a line and to top it up (SUBTEL: prepaid registration).
- IMEI registration: a phone brought from abroad works on a Chilean SIM for 30 days from its activation on the network, then it is blocked unless you register it. Phones used in roaming or on Wi-Fi need no registration (Multibanda: I'm a foreigner, Multibanda: FAQ).
A SimOptions Chile eSIM connects in roaming, so neither step applies to it. You buy it online, scan a QR code at home and don't visit a shop after you land.
Choose a local eSIM if you stay for months and need a Chilean number. Choose a travel eSIM if you want data the moment you land, without an ID check or IMEI paperwork. You can keep your home number active next to it (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM), see how to set up a dual eSIM. Our guide to eSIM providers in Chile covers each carrier and both rules in detail.
Travel eSIM or roaming with your home carrier?
Most readers of this guide come from the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia. Before you travel, check whether your home plan includes Chile and what it costs per day or per gigabyte. Apple's advice is the same: check with your carrier whether international roaming is included or sold as a travel pass (Apple: Use eSIM while traveling). If it isn't included, a data-only travel eSIM is usually the simpler choice. We compare both in international roaming vs travel eSIM.
Which eSIM for Santiago, Patagonia or Easter Island?
You don't need a different eSIM for each region. A Chile plan covers the country, so it is the same eSIM in Santiago, Valparaíso, San Pedro de Atacama and Torres del Paine National Park, in the Magallanes region of Patagonia (CONAF: Torres del Paine National Park). Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is part of Chile too: its national park is run by CONAF, Chile's national parks service (CONAF: Rapa Nui National Park).
Signal is a different matter. On remote trails in Patagonia, plan for stretches without it. For Easter Island, we could not confirm network coverage on the island itself, so save your bookings, tickets and maps offline before you fly there.
The usual data uses on a Chile trip are maps, messages, translation and booking buses, tours or rides. These need little data, so a 10 GB plan may be enough for a week. Video calls, streaming and uploading videos from the Atacama or Patagonia use much more, so go for 20 GB on a two-week trip.
Visiting Argentina, Bolivia or Peru too?
Many Chile trips cross a border: into Argentina on a Patagonia route, into Bolivia from the Atacama, or up to Peru. A regional plan can be simpler than a new eSIM at every border. Our South America plan covers 10 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. It is 4G/LTE and data-only, in sizes up to 20 GB for 15 days. When we checked, a Chile-only plan of the same data size cost less than the regional one, so choose a regional plan only if you really cross borders.
Check the country list of any plan before you buy. Our best eSIM for South America guide compares the options, and best eSIM for Argentina and best eSIM for Peru cover the next stops for many trips.
South America plans · 10 countries including Chile · 4G/LTE · data only · See the South America eSIMs · Argentina eSIMs · Peru eSIMs · Bolivia eSIMs
How do you get an eSIM for Chile?
- Check your phone: it must support eSIM and be carrier unlocked. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look for "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (Apple: Unlock your iPhone).
- Buy and install on Wi-Fi: you get a QR code by email. Our install guide walks you through it.
- Turn on the eSIM when you land: turn on data roaming for the Chile eSIM, and use it as your data line so your home line doesn't run up roaming charges. Our guide to the correct roaming settings for an eSIM shows how.
New to buying one? Read how to buy an eSIM online. Not sure what an eSIM is? See what is an eSIM.
FAQ
What is the best eSIM for Chile?
It depends on your trip. For data only, a Chile eSIM sized to your days is a simple choice: 10 GB for a week, 20 GB for two weeks, 50 GB for a month. If you need a Chilean number, you need a line from a local carrier, with an ID check. For several countries, look at the South America plan.
Can I get an eSIM for Chile before I travel?
Yes. Buy it online, install the QR code on Wi-Fi at home, and it activates when you reach Chile.
Does a travel eSIM for Chile include calls or a local number?
No. SimOptions Chile and South America plans are data-only, with no phone number. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime for calls, or get a line from a local carrier for a Chilean number.
Do I need to register my phone's IMEI to use an eSIM in Chile?
Not with a travel eSIM. According to Multibanda, phones used in roaming or on Wi-Fi need no registration. Registration is only needed to use a Chilean SIM or eSIM for more than 30 days.
What is the best eSIM for Chile and Argentina?
The South America plan covers both, plus Bolivia, Peru, Brazil and more. Install it at home and it keeps working when you cross the border.
Does the Chile eSIM work on Easter Island?
Easter Island is part of Chile, and a Chile plan covers Chile. We could not confirm network coverage on the island itself, so save your bookings and maps offline before you fly there.
Does my phone need to be unlocked?
Yes. A carrier-locked phone may not accept an eSIM from another provider. Ask your carrier to unlock it before you travel, see how to unlock your phone.
