URL: https://esimgo.in/how-to-install-esim/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 12 Oct 2026

# How to install and activate a travel eSIM

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. This guide shows residents of India how to activate eSIM data for a trip. It covers the QR and the manual install. It shows which of your two lines needs data roaming. It also fixes a code that says "already used". Your Indian SIM stays in the phone.

## Short answer: install in India, it connects when you land

Here is how to activate eSIM data abroad: install before departure, at home on Wi-Fi. After landing, select the eSIM for mobile data. Then turn its data roaming on. For almost every destination we sell, the plan days start at that first connection abroad, so installing early costs you no days.

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked.
2. Scan the eSIM QR code from your order e-mail, or type the manual activation code, on Wi-Fi.
3. When you land, select the eSIM for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that line only.

Exact taps: [iPhone](/how-to-install-esim/iphone/), [Android](/how-to-install-esim/android/).

## Before you install: phone check, Wi-Fi, keep the QR e-mail

Check three things first: the phone supports eSIM, it is carrier-unlocked, and you are on a working Wi-Fi connection. Keep the order e-mail open, because the QR code and the manual code are both in it. A carrier-locked phone, or one without an eSIM chip, rejects the profile whatever you do. Within one brand the answer can differ by model: the [OPPO eSIM page](/esim-oppo/) shows the Reno Pro and base Reno split.

Check your model on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/), or look for an "Add eSIM" option in your phone's SIM settings. A phone bought on an operator contract may refuse a second operator's profile, so ask the shop or your operator whether it is unlocked.

Use home Wi-Fi, not airport Wi-Fi. Screenshot the QR code and the manual code so you can reach them offline, and do not share the QR code, because whoever installs it first holds the profile. Keep your Indian SIM in the phone for OTPs and calls; the travel eSIM is a second line.

## Install with the QR code or the manual activation code

The QR code and the manual code install the same profile. The phone's camera cannot scan the screen it is on, so show the QR code on a laptop, a tablet or another phone. If scanning fails, the manual path needs two values from your order page: the SM-DP+ address and the activation code.

**QR path.** Open the SIM or mobile-service settings and choose the option to add an eSIM. Scan the QR code, confirm the prompts and label the new line "Travel".

**Manual path.** In the same add-eSIM menu, choose to enter details manually. Paste the SM-DP+ address first and the [activation code](/glossary/#activation-code) second, exactly as written and with no spaces at either end.

If your order page lists an APN, enter it as shown in the line's mobile data settings; the [help centre](/help/) covers APN steps. A data-only eSIM has no phone number, so it cannot place calls or receive SMS.

Note: do not delete eSIM profiles to "try again". If you [delete the eSIM](/help/delete-esim/), the profile usually cannot be installed a second time from the same code.

## When the plan starts, and why that decides your refund

For almost every destination we sell, the eSIM activates on first connection to a network abroad. The plan days start then. That first connection also ends your right to a refund. Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. Installing at home is not a connection.

The exceptions are few. On 12 Oct 2026, three destinations had plans whose days start at install. All plans for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Suriname did; so did some Mayotte plans. The country page states the rule, so check it before you install early.

If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed. The refund goes to the same card, in US dollars. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

Operators start the clock at other moments, and the table puts the three side by side.

| Option | When the validity starts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Our travel eSIM | First connection to a network abroad (almost every destination); the first connection to any network also ends the refund window | [Our refund policy](/refund-policy/), checked 12 Oct 2026 |
| Airtel prepaid pack | When the phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage | [Airtel T&C dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Jio international roaming pack | "Your plan validity begins only with your first usage—call, text, or data." | [Jio international services](https://www.jio.com/jcms/international-services/) |

Source: documents linked in each row, checked on 12 Oct 2026. Airtel prepaid packs can be booked up to 30 days before travel; if you do not travel within 30 days, the pack expires with no reimbursement.

## Data roaming on for the travel eSIM, off for your Indian line

Keep data roaming on for the eSIM and off for your Indian SIM. The travel eSIM needs roaming on to attach to a foreign network. Your Jio, Airtel or Vi line with roaming on may bill operator roaming rates or have data barred, so the two lines get opposite settings.

| Setting | Travel eSIM | Your Jio, Airtel or Vi line |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile data | On (select it as the data line) | Off |
| Data roaming | On | Off |
| Job | Maps, WhatsApp, browsing, ride apps | Calls and OTP SMS if your operator supports them abroad |

Switch the travel eSIM on when you land, not at home. Airtel states that [without a pack, or after one, data is barred](/roaming/airtel/) "to avoid any accidental usage". That covers Airtel prepaid only, so turn the Indian line's data off yourself.

No page can promise that every bank OTP will reach you abroad. OTPs arrive as SMS on your Indian number and our eSIM carries data only, so ask your operator whether SMS works on your plan abroad. The [guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) explains the dual-SIM settings.

## QR code not accepted or already used

An "already used" message, the most common case of an eSIM not working at install, means the profile was already downloaded, usually by an earlier attempt on the same or another device. A QR code installs one profile once. Before you retry, check whether the eSIM already sits in your phone's SIM list, because the first attempt may have worked.

**First, open the SIM settings** and look for a line with your plan's name or the label you set. If it is there, select it for data and stop.

**Then check Wi-Fi.** A scan that stalls and then errors often means the download dropped halfway. Restart the phone and scan once more, or try the manual path with the SM-DP+ address and activation code.

**If it still fails, write to us** through the [help centre](/help/) before you delete or reset anything. Quote your order number, never the QR code.

## New phone mid-trip: reinstalling a travel eSIM

A profile installed on one phone does not copy across when you restore a backup to a new phone. The original QR code may also be spent already. Some phone makers offer an eSIM transfer between their own devices, but it is not a guarantee for every plan. The [guide to moving a travel eSIM to a new phone](/help/transfer-esim/) covers each case.

Write to us through the [help centre](/help/) before you switch phones and before you delete the old profile. Give the order number, both phone models and your location. Do not reset the old phone first, because a reset can erase the profile for good.

If the phone is lost, tell your operator and bank first: OTPs and UPI sit on your Indian number.

## Sources

Checked on 12 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio international services](https://www.jio.com/jcms/international-services/)
2. [Airtel prepaid and postpaid IR terms, dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf)
3. [Our refund policy](/refund-policy/)

## FAQ

### How to activate eSIM data on a trip?

Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi by scanning the QR code or entering the SM-DP+ address and activation code. After landing, select the eSIM for mobile data. Then turn data roaming on for it. For almost every destination we sell, the plan days begin at that first connection abroad.

### Can I install an eSIM without a QR code?

Yes. Open the add-eSIM menu, choose to enter details manually and type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code from your order page. Both must match exactly. The manual route installs the same profile as the QR code.

### How long does eSIM activation take?

There is no fixed activation time, because the download depends on your Wi-Fi and your phone. The install is a one-off download at home. The plan then activates at the phone's first connection to a network abroad. That happens after you land and switch the eSIM on.

### Should I install the travel eSIM in India or after landing?

Install it in India, on home Wi-Fi, before you fly. Landing without a data connection leaves the phone nothing to download the profile with. For almost every destination, installing early uses no plan days. The few exceptions say so on their country page.

### Why is my eSIM not working abroad?

Check that the eSIM is selected for mobile data, data roaming is on for it, the Indian SIM's data is off, and you are in a covered country. Restart once. If it still doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

### Can I reuse the QR code if I delete the eSIM?

Do not count on it. A QR code installs a profile once, and a deleted profile usually cannot be installed again from the same code. If you deleted it by mistake, write to us with your order number before you buy another plan.

### When does the plan validity start?

For almost every destination we sell, at the first connection to a network abroad. The exceptions say so on their country page. The refund is a separate rule. Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network.