The best eSIM for Asia depends on your route. If you visit several countries that one regional plan covers, such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore, an Asia eSIM keeps you online across all of them with a single install. If you stay in one country, or your trip includes Vietnam, Hong Kong or Taiwan, a single-country eSIM is usually the better pick. This guide shows exactly which countries our Asia plans cover, when a country plan beats them, and how to set up your eSIM before you fly.
Short on time? Here are three Asia plans for a trip across several countries. Each one lasts 30 days.
Asia 5GB · Asia 10GB · Asia 20GB · 30 days · 26 countries · data only · See all eSIMs for Asia
Which countries does the Asia eSIM cover?
Our Asia plans work in 26 countries. Here they are, grouped by area, as listed on each plan card on the Asia eSIM page:
- East Asia: China, Japan and South Korea.
- Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
- South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Central Asia and the Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
- Middle East and Turkey: Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Some popular destinations are not on the list: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Nepal and the Maldives. If one of them is on your route, you need a separate eSIM for it (more on that below). Always check the country list on the plan card before you buy.
Asia eSIM plans at a glance
- Data and days: 1 GB for 7 days. 3 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, 20 GB or 30 GB for 30 days. 50 GB for 60 days.
- Countries: the 26 countries above, with one eSIM.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE, as listed on the plan card.
- Top-ups: available, so you can add data if you run low.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in any of the covered countries. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Regional plan or single-country eSIM: which is best for you?
Start with your route. Then ask yourself how much data you need and whether you want 5G.
Several covered countries in one trip: an Asia plan
Flying Tokyo to Seoul, then on to Bangkok and Singapore? Or doing a stopover in Dubai or Doha on the way to India or Sri Lanka? If every country on your route is on the list above, one Asia plan is the simplest choice. You install it once, it lasts 30 days (60 days for 50 GB), and it connects in each country as you land. No need to switch eSIMs at every border.
One country: a single-country eSIM
If you spend your whole trip in one country, a plan for that country often makes more sense:
- More data for your money: for the same amount of data, our single-country plans usually cost less than the Asia plan. They often last fewer days, though, so compare data, days and price on the plan cards.
- 5G: our country plans for Japan, South Korea, Thailand, China, Singapore and Malaysia, among others, list 5G speed. The Asia plans list 4G/LTE.
- Plan lengths that fit: country plans start at 3 days and go up to 90 days, and to 180 days for some countries. Thailand also has unlimited data plans for 10 or 15 days.
Find your country on the Japan, South Korea, Thailand, China, India, Indonesia or Philippines eSIM pages, or browse all destinations.
Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia or Laos on your route
These countries are not covered by our Asia plans, so get a Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia or Laos eSIM for them. You can combine it with an Asia plan for the rest of your trip, or use one eSIM per country. An iPhone can store eight or more eSIMs (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone), so you install them all at home and pick the one you need when you cross a border. Our guide on managing two eSIMs shows how. Going to Vietnam? Our best eSIM for Vietnam guide compares the options in detail.
Here are three single-country plans for some of the most visited places in Asia, each with 20 GB for 15 days.
Japan 20GB · Thailand 20GB · Vietnam 20GB · 15 days · data only · eSIMs for every country in Asia
You need calls and texts
Our Asia and Asian country plans are data only. You can still call and text over data with WhatsApp, LINE, KakaoTalk, FaceTime or iMessage, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. Your home SIM stays on your phone, so you still get texts and security codes from your bank.
Other travel eSIMs for Asia
Plenty of other companies sell regional eSIMs for Asia. Two you'll often see, described with the facts on their own Asia pages:
- Airalo: sells an Asia eSIM in packages from 3 to 30 days and says it covers 18 countries and networks (Airalo: Asia eSIM).
- Holafly: sells unlimited data for Asia and lists 16 destinations, including Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Its page says the eSIM is data only, hotspot sharing is limited to 1 GB per day, and a fair usage policy can slow you down for up to a day (Holafly: eSIM Asia).
Whichever you pick, compare the country list with your route first. "Asia" means a different set of countries for every provider. Unlimited sounds great, but speed limits and hotspot caps matter if you work online or share your connection.
How much data do you need in Asia?
It depends on how you use your phone and how often you're on Wi-Fi. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Sharing your connection with a laptop or a friend's phone uses data fast, so go a size up. You can top up if you run low.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Asia?
If your phone plan is from the US, Canada, the UK or Australia, your carrier sets its own roaming prices in each Asian country, and they can add up fast. Check them before you go. A travel eSIM gives you data at a fixed prepaid price, while your home SIM stays on your phone. Turn off data roaming on your home line so it can't use data by mistake. Our guide on how to avoid roaming charges has more tips.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Asia
- Buy your plan on the Asia eSIM page or your country's page. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Asia" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Asia?
It depends on your route. For a trip across several covered countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore, an Asia plan with 5 GB to 20 GB for 30 days. For one country, a single-country eSIM. For Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia or Laos, a separate eSIM for that country.
What is the best eSIM for Southeast Asia?
Our Asia plans cover Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. If you also visit Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, add an eSIM for each of those countries.
Is there an eSIM for Asia Pacific?
Our Asia plans don't cover Australia or New Zealand. If your trip includes them, use a separate eSIM for each, from our destinations page.
Does the Asia eSIM work in Japan, China and India?
Yes, all three are on the list of 26 countries. If you spend your whole trip in one of them, compare the Asia plan with that country's own plans first.
Does the Asia eSIM work in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Vietnam?
No. These countries are not covered by our Asia plans. Use a Hong Kong, Taiwan or Vietnam eSIM instead, next to your Asia plan if you need both.
Is there an unlimited data eSIM for Asia?
Some providers sell unlimited plans for Asia, usually with a fair use policy or hotspot limits. Our Asia plans have a fixed amount of data, up to 50 GB, and you can top them up. For Thailand, we also have unlimited data plans for 10 or 15 days.
When should I install my eSIM for Asia?
Install it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. It connects automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.
