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

# Canada SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Indian travellers have three ways to get data in Canada: a Jio, Airtel or Vi roaming pack, a Canadian prepaid SIM bought after landing, or a travel eSIM installed before the flight. Our Canada eSIM starts at ≈ ₹670 (12 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 3 days, charged US$6.99 by card.

## Canada eSIM or Canada SIM card: what Indian travellers need

For a visit, you need mobile data in Canada, not a Canadian phone number. A travel eSIM installed in India gives you data from landing, and your Indian SIM stays in the phone for bank OTPs. A Canada SIM card makes sense when you need a local number, and it needs a free slot in your phone.

India's Ministry of Tourism counted 786,990 departures of Indian nationals to Canada in 2025. In our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026, every Canada plan runs on the Bell network and carries data only, with no calls and no SMS. The plan days start at the first connection in Canada, so installing the eSIM at home uses no days.

A Canada tourist SIM is a physical card you buy after you land. This page quotes no Canada SIM card price because we have not verified current Canadian-dollar ones.

## Your Jio, Airtel or Vi pack in Canada vs this eSIM (checked 12 Oct 2026)

Jio's "US Mexico and Canada" pack gives 12 GB for 15 days at ₹1,555, so a USA and Canada trip needs one purchase, not two. The five packs below cost ₹998 to ₹5,195 as listed on 12 Oct 2026. The ≈ ₹ per GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB). For destinations beyond North America, see our [destination guides](/international-sim/).

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

| Pack | Price | Data | Days | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jio US, Mexico and Canada | ₹1,555 | 12 GB, then up to 64 kbps | 15 | about ₹130 | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Jio US, Mexico and Canada | ₹2,555 | 25 GB, then up to 64 kbps | 30 | about ₹102 | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Airtel prepaid IR | ₹998 | 4 GB | 5 | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Airtel prepaid IR | ₹1,298 | 6 GB | 10 | about ₹216 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Vi Ultra (Canada in the non-UL zone) | ₹5,195 | 5 GB | 14 | about ₹1,039 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |

Source: operator documents linked in each row, checked on 12 Oct 2026; Airtel's T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026. Jio's ₹1,555 pack includes 150 outgoing minutes and the ₹2,555 pack 250, with free incoming calls on both. Vi's Ultra packs give [unlimited data](/esim-unlimited/) only in its 40-country zone. Canada sits in Vi's other zone, where Ultra gives 2 to 5 GB.

For comparison, 10 GB for 30 days on our eSIM costs ≈ ₹2,298 (12 Oct rate), about ₹230 (US$2.40) per GB, charged US$23.99. Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

The Jio pack wins when you call home from Canada or add a USA leg; see the [Jio roaming page](/roaming/jio/) and the [USA roaming page](/roaming/united-states/). The eSIM wins on a short trip that needs only data. Airtel prepaid validity starts when your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage. You can book an Airtel pack up to 30 days before travel; if you do not travel within 30 days, the pack expires with no reimbursement.

## The 90-day limit on our Canada plans

In our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026, one Canada eSIM can stay active on the host network for at most 90 days; after that, you buy a new eSIM. A trip under three months never reaches this limit. It matters only when you expect one eSIM to keep working through a whole academic term.

The longest Canada plan runs 30 days. The 50 GB one costs ≈ ₹8,523 (12 Oct rate), charged US$88.99, and it is not a term plan. If you expect one eSIM to last a semester, you lose service on day 90 at the latest, whatever data is left, and then buy and install a new eSIM. Note the date the eSIM first connects in Canada, and set up your Canadian plan well before day 90.

## Students: the first weeks before a Canadian plan

As a student, you need data for the first weeks in Canada, until you set up a Canadian plan. That local plan is the usual choice once you are settled. An eSIM bought in India bridges the gap. [Hotspot use](/help/esim-hotspot/) draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule.

According to The PIE News, citing a Rajya Sabha reply of 4 Dec 2025, about 427,085 [Indian students](/student-esim/) were in Canada on 1 Jan 2025, more than in any other country. The government PDF did not open for us, so treat the figure as secondary.

A 20 GB plan for 30 days costs ≈ ₹3,639 (12 Oct rate), charged US$37.99. The best eSIM for Canada in those weeks is the shortest of [our Canada plans](/esim-canada/) that lasts until your Canadian plan starts.

## Parents visiting family in Canada

If you are visiting family in Canada, install the eSIM on your phone in India, on home Wi-Fi, before the flight. It connects when you land. Keep your Indian SIM in the phone for bank OTPs, with its mobile data off. Before you buy, check that the phone supports eSIM.

The Ministry of External Affairs counts 1,388,300 NRIs in Canada (January 2026). For a two-week family visit, 5 GB for 15 days costs ≈ ₹1,723 (12 Oct rate), and 10 GB for 15 days costs ≈ ₹2,106 (12 Oct rate). Buying for a parent? Check their model on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/) first.

Bank OTPs arrive by SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive. Your phone must run an eSIM and a physical SIM together. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you; the [guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) shows the dual-SIM settings. For a USA leg, see the [USA eSIM guide](/international-sim/united-states/).

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

## Sources

Checked on 12 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n)
2. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf)
3. [Vi prepaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf)
4. [Ministry of Tourism: departures to Canada, 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=CANADA)
5. [The PIE News](https://thepienews.com/outbound-indian-university-enrolments-fall-after-three-year-rise/), citing Rajya Sabha Q.557 of 4 Dec 2025 (MEA PDF returned 404)
6. [MEA: Population of Overseas Indians](https://www.mea.gov.in/population-of-overseas-indians), as of January 2026

## FAQ

### Which Canada SIM card is best?

For a short trip that needs only data, an eSIM installed in India gives you data from landing. For calls on your Indian number or a USA and Canada trip, Jio's ₹1,555 US, Mexico and Canada pack gives 12 GB for 15 days, as listed on 12 Oct 2026.

### Will my Indian SIM work in Canada?

A Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM works once international roaming is on, but for mobile data plan on a roaming pack: without one, Airtel bars prepaid data abroad and Vi keeps mobile data off. In Canada, Vi's Ultra packs give 2 to 5 GB, not unlimited data.

### Do I need a Canada SIM card if I buy an eSIM?

No. An eSIM installed in India gives you data on landing. Buy a Canada SIM card only if you need a Canadian phone number; it needs a free slot in your phone.

### Can I use WhatsApp and get OTPs with a Canada eSIM?

WhatsApp runs on the eSIM's data. OTPs arrive by SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive, so keep your Indian SIM active.

### How do I install the Canada eSIM before I fly?

On home Wi-Fi, add an eSIM in your phone's SIM settings and scan the QR code you receive after payment. Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad.

### Does my phone support eSIM?

Check your model on our eSIM phone list before you buy, or look for an "Add eSIM" option in your phone's SIM settings.