Activating a travel eSIM takes three things: install the plan on your phone, switch it on, and turn on data roaming so it connects abroad.
The whole process happens on your screen in a few minutes, with no card to insert and nothing to collect. It is the easiest way to get online abroad without swapping SIM cards or paying roaming fees. Below you will find the exact steps for both iPhone and Android, plus the two settings that trip most travellers up.
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Go to your home screen and open Settings.
Scroll down and tap Cellular.
Tap Add eSIM.
Tap Use QR Code.
Scan the QR code from the email we sent you, or open it in the Vignetim app.
Tap Continue to activate the eSIM on your phone.
Your new Vignetim eSIM now appears under SIMs. Make sure it is turned on.
Tap Cellular Data to choose which line provides your internet.
Select your Vignetim eSIM (Secondary) for cellular data and switch off Allow Cellular Data Switching.
Under SIMs, select your Vignetim eSIM (Secondary).
Switch on Data Roaming.
Go to your home screen and open Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Tap SIMs & mobile network.
Tap Download new SIM.
Wait while your phone checks network info. This can take a few minutes.
Tap Set up an eSIM.
Your phone checks network info once more. Keep the screen open and wait.
Scan the QR code from the email we sent you, or open it in the Vignetim app.
Wait while your phone downloads and sets up the eSIM.
When setup finishes, tap Finish.
Your new eSIM now appears under Downloaded SIMs. Make sure it is turned on and set as your SIM for mobile data.
Tap your new eSIM, then tap Data Roaming.
Tap OK to allow data roaming.
Select All Network and tap OK. Your eSIM is ready to use.
Two minutes of prep prevents almost every activation problem. Check these first:
Dial *#06#; if an EID number appears, you are ready. Most phones released since around 2018 qualify (iPhone XS and newer, recent Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel 3 and newer). If you are unsure, our guide to what an eSIM is explains the compatibility check in more detail.
A phone locked to one operator cannot use a travel eSIM. A quick call to your operator confirms it.
Installing an eSIM downloads a profile to your phone, so a solid connection matters. Install at home before you travel.
After you buy a plan, the QR code and details arrive by email and appear in the Vignetim app.
The fastest route is the Camera. Open the Camera app, point it at your QR code, and tap the Cellular Plan Detected banner that appears. If you prefer to do it from Settings, follow these steps:
Open Settings and tap Cellular (or Mobile Service).
Tap Add eSIM (older versions say Set Up Cellular).
Tap Use QR Code, then scan the QR code from your email or the Vignetim app. No QR to hand? Tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your confirmation email.
Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan.
If you are asked for a confirmation code, enter the one your provider gave you.
Name the new line something like "Travel" and your home line "Personal" so you can tell them apart.
Choose which line to use for mobile data. Pick the new travel eSIM. Keep your home line for calls and texts so your number stays reachable.
To confirm it worked, go to Settings › Cellular and make sure the new line, listed under eSIMs, is switched on.
Android menus vary a little by brand, but the flow is the same: open the SIM settings, download the eSIM, and scan your QR code. Make sure you are on Wi-Fi first.
Open Settings and go to Network & internet (on Samsung, Connections).
Tap SIMs, then Download a SIM instead. On Samsung, tap SIM manager, then Add eSIM.
Tap Next, then scan the QR code from your email or the Vignetim app. If scanning is not available, choose to enter the code manually and paste the details from your email.
Tap Download and wait a few seconds while the profile installs. Stay on Wi-Fi and do not close the screen until it finishes.
When prompted, name the eSIM (for example "Travel") and confirm.
To check it installed, return to Settings › Network & internet › SIMs (or SIM manager). Your travel eSIM should now sit alongside your normal SIM.
This is the single most common reason a new eSIM shows no data abroad. A travel eSIM uses partner networks in your destination, so it needs data roaming switched on for that line.
Turning it on for your travel eSIM does not affect your home SIM, and it will not trigger your home operator's roaming charges as long as your home line's roaming stays off.
Settings › Cellular › tap your travel eSIM line › turn on Data Roaming
Settings › Connections › Mobile networks › turn on Data roaming (with the eSIM selected)
Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › tap your eSIM › turn on Roaming
Then set your travel eSIM as the line for mobile data, and you are connected.
If your eSIM is installed but you have no data once you arrive, work through these in order:
For the eSIM line (see above). This solves most no-data cases.
In your cellular or SIM settings, set mobile data to the travel eSIM.
Switch it on and off to force the phone to find a local network.
A restart after landing helps the phone register with a partner network.
If your phone has not connected automatically, pick a network in the mobile network settings.
Message 24/7 support in the Vignetim app, and we will walk you through it.
Install it, then switch it on. Scan the QR code from your confirmation email (Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM on iPhone, or Settings › SIMs › Download a SIM on Android), set the eSIM as your data line, and turn on data roaming for it. The whole process takes a few minutes.
On iPhone, yes: the Camera app detects the QR code and offers to add the plan. On Android, you scan the QR from inside the SIM settings after tapping "Download a SIM" or "Add eSIM". If you cannot scan, both systems let you enter the activation details manually instead.
The usual cause is data roaming being switched off for the eSIM line. Turn on Data Roaming for your travel eSIM (not your home SIM), make sure the eSIM is set as your mobile data line, then toggle Airplane mode or restart the phone. This fixes the large majority of no-data cases.
Yes. Both iPhone and Android let you enter the details manually. Choose "Enter Details Manually" (iPhone) or the manual option (Android) and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your confirmation email.
No. Your physical SIM keeps working for calls and texts, so your number stays reachable. The eSIM simply runs your travel data alongside it. Keep your home line's data roaming off to avoid your operator's charges.
For most travel plans, the allowance starts when you first connect to a network at your destination, not when you install the eSIM at home. That is why you can set everything up in advance and only switch it on when you land. Check your plan's terms to be sure.
Buy your plan, scan the code, and land with data that works from the first kilometre. Setup takes a few minutes, and support is one message away if you need it.
