eSIM for New Zealand

Viasimo's New Zealand eSIM starts at $1.29 for 100 MB over 7 days, running on One NZ with 5G where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Works everywhere in New Zealand

Auckland
Bay of Plenty
Canterbury
Chatham Islands
Christchurch
Gisborne
Hawke's Bay Region

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$10.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$10.99

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now

Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.

Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibility

Network

Which networks does the New Zealand eSIM use?

Host networks: One NZ

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

Data: 100 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
Validity: 1–180 days
Speed: 4G LTE / 5G
Hotspot / tethering: Supported on most devices
Activation: Automatic on arrival
Speed management: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
Top-ups: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
Text messages (SMS): Data only: use an app for verification codes
Connects via: United Kingdom
Unused validity: 180 days before it must be installed

Setting up Buy, scan the QR code we email you, and switch on the travel line when you land. How it works

Choosing a plan

How much data do you need?

The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.

Recommended data allowances matched to the plans sold for this destination
You are	Plan for	Cheapest plan that covers it
LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup	About 1 GB a week	$2.001 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$8.005 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$13.9910 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$21.99Unlimited, 7 days

Work it out from your own habits

What a week abroad costs

eSIM, local SIM or roaming?

Charged per day

Your carrier roaming

Queue and plastic

A SIM at the airport

$1.29

Viasimo, one bundle

Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.

About this eSIM

Almost everyone comes to New Zealand to drive, and driving is exactly where the phone stops being reliable. Two islands, a lot of mountains and long gaps between towns mean the useful question is not whether you will have signal but which parts of tomorrow's route will be without it. A New Zealand eSIM sorts the connected half properly and lets you prepare for the rest, working as a second line so your home number keeps ringing.

Getting online when you land

Load the profile before departure, on wifi at home. Adding an eSIM needs data to complete, and it is a long flight to arrive and find you cannot finish the job at the other end.

Coming into Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown or Dunedin, take the phone off airplane mode and enable the travel line. Make it the data line, allow roaming for it specifically, then disable mobile data on your home line and leave calls and texts switched on there. It usually connects before you reach the biosecurity queue, which in this country is not a quick one.

Being online on arrival matters more than usual because so much of the first day is rental logistics: finding the depot shuttle, confirming the campervan pickup, checking whether your route crosses a road that is currently closed. All of that is easier standing in the terminal than at the rental counter.

The networks you'll be on

Your line runs on One NZ in New Zealand, over 4G LTE and 5G where it has been rolled out. 5G matters less here than it sounds; outside the three main cities the constraint is tower spacing across mountains and farmland, not the radio generation.

Handovers happen automatically as you move, and 4G is worth having on this network because in rural areas it sometimes reaches where 5G does not. Nothing needs configuring on your side. If a page hangs on a mountain road, the answer is almost always the terrain.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Cities and towns are straightforward. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga and Dunedin all hold a good signal, as do the tourist towns you are likely to base in: Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Wanaka, Nelson, Napier and Kaikoura. State Highway 1 keeps you connected for the bulk of its length, and the main routes between big centres are decent.

Then it thins, and it thins hard. Fiordland is the obvious one: the road into Milford Sound loses signal for long stretches, the Homer Tunnel has none, and the sound itself is not somewhere to rely on a phone. The West Coast between Westport and Haast has extended dead zones. Alpine passes including Arthur's Pass, Lindis and Haast drop out. The Catlins, inland Otago, the East Cape, the Coromandel back roads, Stewart Island and the interior of Tongariro and Aoraki are all sparse.

Great Walks are best treated as offline by default. You may catch something on an exposed ridge and nothing at all in the valleys, and a phone is not a substitute for telling someone your intentions before you start.

What you'll actually use data for here

Route and road conditions, first. The official highway status service, live closures, slips after rain, and whether a pass is open are genuinely worth checking each morning; conditions change quickly and a closed road can add hours.

Weather next, and specifically mountain and marine forecasts if you are hiking, kayaking or taking a boat. Booking is the third: hut reservations, glacier and fjord cruises, jetboats, bungy slots and campsite bookings all run online and often sell out, so you want to be able to lock them in from the road.

Beyond that, the ordinary things. Maps for the drive, ferry times across Cook Strait, campervan apps for dump stations and powered sites, supermarket and fuel stops on long legs, and uploading photos in the evening from a holiday park rather than trying to send them from a lookout.

Before you fly

Install and activate the profile at home, then keep the line off until you land.

Download offline maps for both islands, not just the region you start in. Do it before you leave the city, because the gap between having a connection and needing the map is often only an hour of driving.

Save your accommodation, rental and tour contacts into the phone, and screenshot booking references so they open without a connection.

Take a car charger and a power bank. Navigation on a long South Island day drains a phone quickly, and campsites do not always have power.

Check road status and the forecast every morning while you still have signal, and plan your route on that rather than on what the map said yesterday.

Keep your home line switched on for calls and texts with its data off, and let the travel line handle everything else.

Unlimited runs at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continues slower.

Before you buy

Important to know

This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
5G only works where the host network has deployed it and your phone supports it. Everywhere else it falls back to 4G LTE.
The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy

Looking for more information?

Frequently asked questions

Does an eSIM work in New Zealand?

Yes. Your New Zealand eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are One NZ. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.

Do I get 5G in New Zealand?

Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on One NZ in New Zealand, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.

Which mobile network is fastest in New Zealand?

One NZ, in Opensignal's October 2025 report, averaging about 81 Mbps against 67 Mbps for Spark and 63 Mbps for 2degrees. It also tied for the fastest 5G and had the highest share of time on 5G. Spark scored best for coverage experience. Our eSIM connects to One NZ, including 5G on compatible phones.

Has 3G been switched off in New Zealand?

One NZ set 31 December 2025 as the closing date for both its 3G and 2G networks, after moving the date twice. From 2026 you should expect only 4G and 5G on One NZ, which is the network our eSIM uses. Phones that depend on 3G will not work properly, and there is no 3G fallback at the edge of rural coverage.

Do I need to fill in an arrival card for New Zealand?

Yes, as the free New Zealand Traveller Declaration, completed online or in the NZTD app no earlier than 24 hours before your flight. It is linked to your passport and checked at the e-Gate. Visa-exempt visitors also need an NZeTA, which includes the visitor levy and can take up to 72 hours to process.

How do I get tsunami and earthquake warnings in New Zealand?

The UK Foreign Office advises following the National Emergency Management Agency for warnings, and local Civil Defence groups publish tsunami evacuation zone maps. If you are staying on the coast, check your zone when you arrive and save a screenshot. In an earthquake, drop, cover and hold. Call 111 for emergencies.

How much data do I need for 7 days in New Zealand?

For 7 days in New Zealand, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.29, 500 MB for $1.59, 1 GB for $2.00, and unlimited data for $21.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →

Know before you go

New Zealand: what to know before you land

Our eSIM in New Zealand runs on One NZ, the former Vodafone network, which had the fastest average downloads and the most time on 5G in Opensignal's October 2025 report. Spark scored best for coverage. One NZ set the end of 2025 to close its old 3G network, so plan on 4G and 5G only. Before you fly, sort the NZeTA and the digital Traveller Declaration.

Emergency: 111
Plugs: I 230V
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Main airports

AKL Auckland Airport
CHC Christchurch Airport
WLG Wellington Airport
ZQN Queenstown Airport

Apps worth having NZTDNZeTAAdventureSmartUber

One NZ, Spark and 2degrees in Opensignal's 2025 report

New Zealand's three networks each lead on something in Opensignal's October 2025 report:

One NZ had the fastest average download speed, about 81 Mbps against 67 Mbps for Spark and 63 Mbps for 2degrees. It tied with 2degrees for 5G download speed, at around 310 Mbps, and its users spent the most time on 5G, about 14%.
Spark scored highest for coverage experience, 9.1 out of 10 against 8.5 for One NZ and 8.0 for 2degrees.
Spark and 2degrees tied on availability at around 99.4–99.5%, with One NZ at 99.2%.

One NZ, which took that name when Vodafone New Zealand rebranded in April 2023, launched 5G in December 2019 in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and runs the country's largest 5G network, in more than 70 towns and cities by 2023. Our eSIM uses One NZ, including 5G on compatible phones.

The low 5G time share is the useful number: even on the leading network you spend most of a trip on 4G, because 5G is concentrated in towns. The coverage scores are close, so the gaps you hit in Fiordland or on the West Coast reflect geography rather than your choice of network.

The 3G switch-off and what it means for older phones

New Zealand's networks have been retiring their oldest technology. One NZ moved its 3G closing date several times, from August 2024 to March 2025 and finally to 31 December 2025, the same date as its 2G shutdown, starting with Dunedin.

For visitors from 2026 onwards, that means the network our eSIM uses is a 4G and 5G network. Two practical consequences:

Older or basic phones that rely on 3G for data or voice will struggle or not work at all. If you are bringing a spare handset for a child or for tramping, check it supports 4G.
In rural areas, the fallback you may remember from earlier trips, where a phone dropped to 3G at the edge of coverage, is no longer there on One NZ. When 4G runs out, you simply have no signal, which makes offline maps more important than before.

If you use a modern smartphone with 4G and eSIM support, nothing changes for you except that the connection you do get is faster. The switch-off does not affect how our eSIM installs or activates; it only affects which generations of network are left to connect to.

NZeTA, the Traveller Declaration and biosecurity at the airport

New Zealand has two separate pre-arrival steps, and both are done online.

NZeTA. If you are entering without a visa, you need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority before you travel. You pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) when you apply. Allow up to 72 hours for processing; once issued, it is valid for up to two years.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This free declaration replaces the old arrival card. Complete it online or in the NZTD app no earlier than 24 hours before your flight and before you reach passport control. It is linked to your passport and checked at the e-Gate or by an officer. A paper form is available if you cannot get online.

Because your eSIM only connects after landing, finish the NZTD at home or at your departure airport on wifi, not in the arrivals hall at Auckland or Christchurch.

Biosecurity is strict. Most food imports are illegal, and wood, leather, golf clubs, tents and fishing gear can carry pests. Declare anything you are unsure about or use the amnesty bins. Penalties reach NZD 100,000 or prison. Clean hiking boots before you pack them.

Earthquakes, tsunami zones and AdventureSmart trip plans

New Zealand sits in a major earthquake zone, tsunamis can reach its coasts, and several North Island volcanoes are active. The UK Foreign Office advises following warnings from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). In an earthquake, the advice is Drop, Cover, Hold. Local Civil Defence groups publish tsunami evacuation zone maps, so if you are staying near the coast, look up your zone on arrival and save a screenshot.

For tramping, kayaking and back-country driving, use the Department of Conservation's know-before-you-go guidance and AdventureSmart, run by the New Zealand Search and Rescue Council, which lets you leave your trip plan with a trusted contact. Weather can turn dangerous quickly in coastal and exposed areas, so check regional and mountain forecasts while you still have signal.

On the roads, highways are often narrow, winding and hilly. NZTA publishes guidance on driving in New Zealand and live road information. A UK photocard licence is valid for up to 18 months.

The emergency number is 111 for police, ambulance and fire. Our eSIM is data only, so call 111 from your home SIM, which can stay switched on alongside the eSIM, or from any local phone.

Researched October 2026 · 6 sources

insights.opensignal.com New Zealand, October 2025, Mobile Network Experience - Opensignal
insights.opensignal.com New Zealand - Opensignal
en.wikipedia.org One New Zealand - Wikipedia
gov.uk New Zealand travel advice: entry requirements - GOV.UK
gov.uk New Zealand travel advice: safety and security - GOV.UK
royalbrinkman.com Voltage, frequency and plug type per country - Royal Brinkman

7-day itinerary

Seven days in New Zealand's South Island: Christchurch to Queenstown via Aoraki and Milford Sound

A one-way South Island road trip for drivers: Christchurch, the dark-sky lake at Tekapo, the Hooker Valley under Aoraki/Mount Cook, Wānaka and the Crown Range, then Te Anau and Milford Sound before finishing in Queenstown.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 5

When to go December to March brings long days and the most settled weather; April and May are quieter with autumn colour, while from June to November the Milford Road often has ice and avalanche closures and chains may be required.

Day 1 Christchurch

Christchurch: the central city and the gardens

Christchurch Airport is about 20 minutes from the city centre by car.

Pick up your hire car and spend the afternoon in central Christchurch. Walk through the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and along the Avon River, visit the Christchurch Art Gallery or Canterbury Museum, which is being redeveloped, so check what is open, and see the Cardboard Cathedral, built after the 2011 earthquake. Finish with the Quake City exhibition if it is open, which explains how the city was damaged and rebuilt.

Signal One NZ 5G is available across central Christchurch, with 4G as the fallback. Coverage is strong on the airport roads too.
Day 2 Lake Tekapo

Across the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo

Christchurch to Lake Tekapo, about 3 hours by car.

Drive south-west across the Canterbury Plains and up through Burkes Pass into the Mackenzie Basin. At Lake Tekapo, visit the small stone Church of the Good Shepherd on the lakeshore, then drive or walk up to Mount John for the view over the milky-blue lake. After dark, join a stargazing session in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

Signal Coverage is good on the plains but gets patchier from Fairlie through Burkes Pass. One NZ 4G works in Tekapo township, and on Mount John is usually reliable.
Day 3 Wānaka

Hooker Valley Track, then over to Wānaka

Tekapo to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village about 1.25 hours; then about 2.5 hours to Wānaka.

Drive along Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and walk the Hooker Valley Track from the White Horse Hill car park. It is about 10 km return, roughly three hours, crossing three swing bridges to Hooker Lake, where icebergs often float beneath Aoraki in summer. Do not swim or climb on the ice. In the afternoon drive over the Lindis Pass to Wānaka.

Signal Signal is limited in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and patchy to absent on the Hooker Valley Track. Expect long gaps on the Lindis Pass; with 3G now switched off on One NZ, you either have 4G or nothing.
Day 4 Queenstown

Wānaka and the Crown Range to Queenstown

Wānaka to Queenstown via the Crown Range, about 1–1.25 hours.

Walk the lakeside path in Wānaka to the much-photographed willow tree standing in the water, then climb Mount Iron, a short summit track on the edge of town with views over Lake Wānaka. After lunch, drive the Crown Range Road, one of the highest sealed roads in the country, stopping at the lookout above the Wakatipu basin before dropping into Arrowtown and on to Queenstown.

Signal One NZ 4G is reliable in Wānaka and Queenstown, with 5G in central Queenstown. Coverage drops on parts of the Crown Range Road.
Day 5 Te Anau

South to Te Anau

Queenstown to Te Anau, about 2 hours by car.

Spend the morning in Queenstown and ride the Skyline gondola up Bob's Peak for the view over Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables. Then drive south along the lake and west to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park. In the evening take a boat across Lake Te Anau to the Te Anau glowworm caves, where an underground river runs through the limestone.

Signal Signal is mostly good on the highway via Kingston, with some quieter stretches. One NZ 4G works in Te Anau town, but not inside the glowworm caves.
Day 6 Te Anau

The Milford Road and Milford Sound

Te Anau to Milford Sound, 120 km; allow 2–3 hours each way with stops.

Leave early on the Milford Road, State Highway 94, stopping at the Mirror Lakes and the Eglinton Valley. Wait your turn at the single-lane Homer Tunnel, then descend to Milford Sound, or Piopiotahi, for a cruise past Mitre Peak and the waterfalls to the Tasman Sea. Early or late sailings avoid the midday crowds. Fill up with fuel in Te Anau first and return the same way.

Signal Expect no mobile signal for most of the Milford Road and very little at Milford Sound itself. Check NZTA road status and avalanche warnings in Te Anau before setting off.
Day 7 Queenstown

Back to Queenstown

Te Anau to Queenstown about 2 hours; Arrowtown is about 20 minutes from Queenstown Airport.

Drive back to Queenstown. Stop in Arrowtown to walk the restored Chinese Settlement by the Arrow River, a reminder of the gold-rush miners who worked the valley. Spend the afternoon on the Queenstown waterfront or walking the Queenstown Gardens peninsula, then drop the car at Queenstown Airport for your flight out.

Signal Coverage is good on the main highway, and strong with 5G available around central Queenstown and the airport.

Staying connected on this route

Download offline maps for the Mackenzie Basin, the Lindis Pass and Fiordland before you leave Christchurch.
Treat the Milford Road as a no-signal day: check NZTA closures and the cruise time in Te Anau before you go.
Leave a trip plan through AdventureSmart for longer walks, since 3G has been switched off and there is no fallback at the edge of 4G.
Complete the NZ Traveller Declaration on wifi before you fly; the eSIM only connects after you land.

Itinerary sources · 4

doc.govt.nz DOC: Hooker Valley Track
en.wikivoyage.org Wikivoyage: Milford Sound
fiordland.org.nz Fiordland: Destination Fiordland
insights.opensignal.com Opensignal: New Zealand mobile network experience, October 2025

Where this comes from

Information and verification

Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.

Prices and plans: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.; Verified October 30, 2026
Host networks: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.; Verified October 30, 2026