eSIM Providers in New Zealand: One NZ, Spark, 2degrees and Skinny

Yes, eSIM is available in New Zealand. All three mobile networks, One NZ, Spark and 2degrees, offer eSIM, and so does Skinny, which runs on Spark's network. Visiting? You have two routes. One NZ, Spark and Skinny sell eSIM plans for visitors that you can buy online and activate when you land, and they come with a New Zealand number. A travel eSIM is data-only, and you install it at home before you fly. This guide covers the mobile service providers in NZ, what each one says about eSIM, coverage and how to set up a travel eSIM.

Just visiting? These New Zealand eSIMs cover trips from one week to one month. You install them at home and they connect when you arrive.

Data-only plans for New Zealand · 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days · See all New Zealand eSIMs

Mobile service providers in NZ

New Zealand has three mobile networks. Other mobile providers in NZ are brands that use one of these networks.

• One NZ: the network formerly known as Vodafone NZ.
• Spark: its own network, also used by Skinny. Skinny is a division of Spark and uses Spark's 4G and 5G network (Skinny: About us).
• 2degrees: its own network, also used by Warehouse Mobile, whose site says its network is powered by 2degrees (Warehouse Mobile).

All three networks have switched off 3G. The NZ Telecommunications Forum confirmed the last 3G networks closed in April 2026, so phones that rely on 3G can no longer connect, not even to call 111 (TCF: 3G shutdown complete nationwide). Your phone needs 4G or 5G to work in New Zealand.

eSIM providers in New Zealand

Here is what each provider says about eSIM on its own website, checked in November 2026.

One NZ eSIM

One NZ offers eSIM on Pay Monthly plans and on its Prepay plans: Prepay Plus, MyFlex, Pay and Go and Travel. It also offers eSIM for SIM swaps and for wearables like Apple Watch through OneNumber. To install it, you tap the notification you get in a One NZ store or scan the QR code in your welcome email. On an iPhone, you can switch from a physical SIM to eSIM with Apple's Quick Transfer (One NZ: eSIM).

For visitors, One NZ sells a Travel eSIM online for stays of up to 90 days. You buy it before your trip and call 777 to activate it once you land. The plans include data, minutes and texts in New Zealand, with a New Zealand number (One NZ: Travel SIM).

Spark eSIM

Spark offers eSIM for phones, tablets and watches. You can buy a plan with eSIM online. Existing customers can switch to eSIM in a Spark store, and Spark also supports moving from a SIM card to eSIM on the phone itself. Spark says it can't guarantee eSIM works on devices that weren't bought from Spark (Spark: Understand eSIM).

For visitors, a Spark eSIM is free, while a Spark SIM card is not, and both come with a New Zealand number. Your phone must be unlocked (Spark: Set up with Spark while visiting NZ). Spark's NZ Travel Packs also come as an eSIM. You buy online, get the QR code by email and can install it before you fly. It only activates when you arrive in New Zealand, and validity ranges from 15 to 90 days. Once the eSIM is installed, Spark treats it as used, so there is no refund if your plans change (Spark: Set up eSIM Travel Pack).

2degrees eSIM

2degrees offers eSIM on Prepay and Pay Monthly plans. New customers can choose eSIM at online checkout and get the instructions by email, or set it up in a 2degrees store. For watches, 2degrees supports selected Samsung Galaxy wearables on its Sidekick plans (2degrees: Help with eSIM). Moving from a physical SIM to eSIM, or from another provider, is done in a 2degrees store and can take up to 2 hours. On an iPhone, Apple's Quick Transfer is the exception (2degrees: Set up your eSIM).

For visitors, the 2degrees Unlimited Travel SIM is a physical SIM card, not an eSIM. You pick it up at select airports and 2degrees stores, or order it online, and buy days of use to suit your trip (2degrees: Unlimited Travel SIM).

Skinny eSIM

Skinny offers eSIM on its plans. You choose eSIM when you buy a plan in the Skinny online shop, and existing customers can transfer their SIM to eSIM (Skinny: eSIM).

For visitors, Skinny lets you buy a plan on eSIM up to 60 days before you activate it in New Zealand. You get a QR code by email and a new NZ number. When you land, you turn the eSIM on and call 456 to activate it. Skinny also has a 7-day plan for holidays (Skinny: Travelling to NZ).

Warehouse Mobile

Warehouse Mobile runs on the 2degrees network. Its help pages we checked don't mention eSIM, so ask Warehouse Mobile before you count on one.

NZ eSIM options for visitors: local or travel eSIM?

Here is how the two routes compare:

• Local eSIM from One NZ, Spark or Skinny: you get a New Zealand number with calls and texts. You can buy online before your trip, but you activate it in New Zealand, by calling a short code or when the eSIM first connects.
• Travel eSIM: data only, with no New Zealand number. You buy it online, install it at home and it connects when you land. You keep your home line on your phone for texts and security codes, and you call through WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps.

Need a local number to call New Zealand businesses or book tours by phone? A local eSIM fits. Mostly need maps, messages and bookings? A travel eSIM is enough. New to eSIM? Start with what an eSIM is.

Mobile coverage in New Zealand

• Towns and main roads: Spark says you can use 4G nationwide on its network and links to its coverage map (Spark: Set up with Spark while visiting NZ).
• Remote areas: in the bush or on long hikes, you can lose signal on any network. 2degrees says so too: if you go too far out into the bush, where it has no towers, you might lose coverage (2degrees: Unlimited Travel SIM). Download offline maps before a road trip.
• Satellite texting: One NZ customers can text anywhere in NZ where they can see the sky, on eligible phones and plans. It warns that Android phones bought outside New Zealand may not be compatible (One NZ: Travel SIM).
• Emergency calls: One NZ notes that phones bought outside New Zealand may not be able to make 111 emergency calls. Check before you head somewhere remote.

Travel eSIMs for New Zealand

At SimOptions, every plan on the New Zealand eSIM page covers New Zealand only. Here is what you get:

• Plans for every trip length: from 1 GB for 3 days up to 100 GB for 180 days.
• Data only: no phone number, no calls and no texts.
• Top-ups: available if you run low.
• Automatic start: the eSIM activates when you reach New Zealand, so you can install it days before you fly.

Comparing options? See our list of the best eSIMs for New Zealand. Going on to Australia? See the eSIM providers in Australia. Planning the whole trip? Our New Zealand trip guide helps with the rest.

How to set up a travel eSIM for New Zealand

Before you fly

1. Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, your phone supports eSIM. More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
2. Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Scan the QR code from your email. On iPhone, you can also tap and hold the QR code and choose Add eSIM (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone). Step by step: how to install an eSIM.
3. Label the line "New Zealand" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.

When you land

1. Turn on the travel eSIM line if it is off.
2. Make it your data line. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and choose the travel eSIM (Apple: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM). On a Pixel, use Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (Google: Use dual SIMs on Pixel).
3. Turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM. On iPhone, it's under Settings > Cellular, then the travel line, then Cellular Data Options (Apple: Use cellular data on iPhone).
4. Keep data roaming off on your home line if your plan charges for roaming in New Zealand.

Not connecting? See the correct roaming settings for an eSIM, or find an eSIM for your next destination.

FAQs

Is eSIM available in New Zealand?

Yes. One NZ, Spark, 2degrees and Skinny all offer eSIM. Travel eSIMs that cover New Zealand work too, as long as your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.

Who are the mobile providers in NZ?

There are three networks: One NZ, Spark and 2degrees. Brands like Skinny, on Spark's network, and Warehouse Mobile, on the 2degrees network, also sell mobile plans.

Does One NZ have eSIM?

Yes, on Pay Monthly and Prepay plans, and as a Travel eSIM for visitors staying up to 90 days. You activate the Travel eSIM by calling 777 after you land.

Does Spark have eSIM?

Yes, for phones, tablets and watches. Visitors can get a free Spark eSIM or an NZ Travel Pack on eSIM that activates when they arrive.

Does 2degrees have eSIM?

Yes, on Prepay and Pay Monthly plans. You can choose eSIM at online checkout or in a store. Its Unlimited Travel SIM for visitors is a physical SIM card.

Can I get a New Zealand eSIM before I arrive?

Yes. One NZ, Spark and Skinny sell visitor eSIMs online that you activate in New Zealand. A travel eSIM can be installed at home and connects when you land.

Will my phone work in New Zealand?

It needs 4G or 5G, because all 3G networks closed in 2026. For a local SIM or eSIM, it also needs to be unlocked.

Do travel eSIMs for New Zealand include a phone number?

The New Zealand plans at SimOptions are data-only. For a New Zealand number, choose a local eSIM from One NZ, Spark or Skinny.