The best eSIM for students abroad is a data plan for the country you study in that lasts as long as your stay. For a semester or a year, look at the long plans: 60 GB for 90 days or 100 GB for 180 days in countries like the USA, the UK, Spain, France or Italy. You install it on Wi-Fi before you fly and it switches on when you land. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Keep your home number on the same phone for bank codes and family.
Which eSIM is best for studying abroad?
Most travel eSIMs are built for a one or two week trip. A semester abroad, an exchange or a gap year needs something different:
- Long validity. Look for 90 or 180 days, so you don't buy a new plan every week.
- Enough data for daily life. Maps, messages, your university apps, video calls home and the odd stream add up over months.
- The right country. A plan for your host country covers your daily life there. Plan your weekend trips to other countries on top of that.
- Top-ups. If you run out before the end of the term, you add data instead of starting again.
- A phone that works with it. It must support eSIM and must not be locked to your home carrier.
Our long plans tick these boxes. They are data-only, top-ups are available, and they activate automatically when you reach the country they cover. Once you have it, you have 1 year to start using the eSIM before it expires, so you can buy it well before term starts.
How long should your eSIM last?
Match the plan to your time abroad, not to your flight:
- A summer school or short course: a 30-day plan, such as 50 GB for 30 days, is usually enough.
- A term or a semester: 60 GB for 90 days covers about three months. 100 GB for 180 days covers about six months.
- A full academic year: start with a 180-day plan and top up or buy a second one for the rest of the year.
Going with Erasmus+? The European Commission says a long-term study period abroad lasts from 2 to 12 months, and short-term blended mobility from 5 to 30 days (Erasmus+: Studying abroad). So a 90 or 180-day plan fits most exchanges.
How much data do students need?
It depends on how much you rely on Wi-Fi. If you have Wi-Fi in your room and on campus, mobile data is mostly for maps, messages, music and calls on the way. If your accommodation has no reliable Wi-Fi, or you work from your phone, you need much more.
- You mostly use Wi-Fi: 60 GB for 90 days is about 20 GB a month.
- You use mobile data every day: 100 GB for 180 days gives you more than 16 GB a month over six months, and you can top up.
- You stream and share your connection a lot: pick the bigger plan and plan on top-ups.
Save data where you can. On an iPhone, Low Data Mode restricts background network use. Apple says you turn it on in Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data Options (Apple: Use Low Data Mode). Our guides on how to reduce data usage abroad and eSIM data plans have more tips, and you can track what's left on iPhone or Android.
Long-stay eSIMs by study destination
These are the plans we sell for a semester or longer in some of the most popular study countries. All are data-only and run for 90 or 180 days.
Studying in the USA
USA 60GB lasts 90 days and USA 100GB lasts 180 days. Both are 4G/LTE. Read more in our best eSIM for the USA guide, or compare the local carriers in eSIM providers in the USA.
USA 60GB (90 days) or USA 100GB (180 days) · data only · See all eSIMs for the USA
Studying in the UK
United Kingdom 60GB lasts 90 days and United Kingdom 100GB lasts 180 days, both with 5G. For local options, see eSIM providers in the UK.
United Kingdom 60GB (90 days) or 100GB (180 days) · data only · 5G · See all eSIMs for the UK
Studying in Spain, France or Italy
Each of these countries has its own 100 GB plan for 180 days, and a 60 GB plan for 90 days. A country plan only works in that country. The France and Italy plans are 5G, the Spain plan is 4G/LTE. More in our guides to the best eSIM for Spain, France and Italy.
Spain 100GB, France 100GB or Italy 100GB · 180 days · data only · Spain · France · Italy
Other study destinations
We also sell 60 GB for 90 days and 100 GB for 180 days in Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, South Korea and Singapore. In Canada and Japan, the longest plan is 60 GB for 90 days. Somewhere else? Find your destination.
Studying in Europe with your home SIM: does roaming cover you?
If your SIM is from an EU country, "roam like at home" lets you use it in other EU countries at domestic prices. It also applies in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. But it is meant for travel, not for living abroad. The EU says you count as roaming as long as you spend more time at home than abroad, or use your phone more at home than abroad (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs).
That matters on an exchange. Your operator can check your roaming over a 4-month period. If you spent more time abroad than at home and roamed more than you used it at home, it can ask you to explain, and you have 14 days to answer. If nothing changes, it can charge a capped roaming surcharge. Operators may also set a fair use data limit for roaming on cheap plans. So for a full semester abroad, a plan for your host country is the safer choice.
If your SIM is from the UK, the UK government says surcharge-free roaming in EU and EEA countries is no longer guaranteed, so check your operator's roaming policy before you go. UK law keeps a default limit on roaming data spend of GBP 45 per monthly billing period, with alerts at 80% and 100% of use (GOV.UK: Mobile roaming after EU Exit). Coming from outside Europe? Roaming is often expensive, see international roaming vs a travel eSIM.
Weekend trips and travel after term
Your host country plan stays on your phone for the whole semester. For a weekend in another country, add a short plan for that trip. You can keep several eSIMs on one phone and pick which one uses data. In Europe, a Europe plan covers many countries with one eSIM, so you don't buy a new plan at every border. Check the country list on the plan page before you buy, and read how to use an eSIM in Europe and our best eSIM for Europe guide.
Europe 5GB or 10GB (7 days), Europe 20GB (15 days) · data only · See all Europe eSIMs
Travel eSIM, local SIM or both?
A travel eSIM is data-only, so you don't get a local phone number. You call and text over WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps. That is enough for most students, especially for the first weeks.
A local plan gives you a local number, which can help with a part-time job, a flat contract or local services. Apple notes that carriers may ask for ID such as your passport, and that a postpaid account for a long stay can need proof of local residency, a bank account or a credit card (Apple: Use eSIM while traveling internationally). You often won't have those on day one, so a travel eSIM gets you online while you sort them out.
Either way, keep your home line. Bank security codes and family calls still reach your home number. Apple says that if you use only your travel eSIM for data, FaceTime and iMessage keep working on your home line. Learn how to run both in how to set up a dual eSIM, and why a number can matter in Europe eSIM with phone number.
Will your phone work with an eSIM?
Check this before you buy:
- iPhone: Apple says you need an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone).
- Google Pixel: Google says a Pixel 3a or later can use one physical SIM and one eSIM, and a Pixel 7 or later can use 2 eSIM profiles at once if your carrier allows it (Pixel Phone Help).
- Other Android phones: check your model on the maker's page, or follow our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Carrier lock: to use another carrier's eSIM abroad, your phone must be unlocked. On an iPhone, Apple says to open Settings, General, About: "No SIM Restrictions" next to Carrier Lock means it's unlocked. If yours is locked, see how to unlock your phone and ask your carrier before you leave.
Phone not compatible? Read what to do if your phone doesn't support eSIM.
Set it up before you fly
- Buy the plan for your host country a few days before you travel.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi. Apple says your iPhone needs a Wi-Fi network or hotspot to set up an eSIM. Our install guide walks you through it.
- Keep data roaming on for the travel eSIM line, as shown in the plan's settings.
- Land and connect. The plan activates automatically when you reach the country it covers.
Problems on arrival? See why an eSIM won't activate or what to do when your eSIM stops working abroad.
FAQs
Should I get a local SIM or a travel eSIM for a semester abroad?
Start with a travel eSIM, so you're online the moment you land. If you later need a local number, add a local plan. Many phones can keep both.
Can I activate an eSIM after landing abroad?
Yes, but it's easier at home. Install it on Wi-Fi before you fly. Our plans then activate automatically when you arrive in the country they cover.
What is the longest eSIM plan for students?
In many study countries, our longest plan is 100 GB for 180 days, and top-ups are available. In Canada and Japan, it's 60 GB for 90 days.
Do I get a phone number with a student eSIM?
Not with our country and Europe plans. They are data-only, so you call and text through apps. Your home number can stay active on the same phone.
Can I use my home SIM for an Erasmus semester?
An EU SIM roams at home prices while you spend more time at home than abroad. For a long stay, your operator can check your use over 4 months and may add a surcharge, so a host country plan is safer.
Does a country eSIM work on trips to other countries?
No. A country plan only works in that country. For trips, add a regional plan such as a Europe plan, or a plan for the country you visit.
Can I buy my eSIM long before term starts?
Yes. You have 1 year to start using the eSIM, and the plan starts when you reach the country it covers.
