# eSIM for United Kingdom

Viasimo's United Kingdom eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 7 days, running on 3 and EE 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.

Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/

## United Kingdom eSIM prices

| Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 GB, 1 day | 1 GB | 1 | $1.59 | $1.59 |
| 5 GB, 1 day | 5 GB | 1 | $4.00 | $0.80 |
| Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $6.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $10.99 | - |
| 500 MB, 7 days | 500 MB | 7 | $1.29 | $2.64 |
| 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $1.59 | $1.59 |
| Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $13.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $18.99 | - |
| 2 GB, 15 days | 2 GB | 15 | $2.29 | $1.15 |
| 3 GB, 15 days | 3 GB | 15 | $3.00 | $1.00 |
| Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $27.99 | - |
| 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $3.29 | $1.10 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $4.59 | $0.92 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $8.00 | $0.80 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $14.99 | $0.75 |
| 50 GB, 30 days | 50 GB | 30 | $29.99 | $0.60 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $50.00 | - |
| Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $97.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $149.99 | - |
| 50 GB, 180 days | 50 GB | 180 | $46.99 | $0.94 |
| Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $299.99 | - |

## Which networks does the United Kingdom eSIM use?

- **3**: 4G LTE
- **EE**: 5G

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

The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.

## eSIM Details

- **Data**: 500 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
- **Validity**: 1–180 days
- **Speed**: 4G LTE / 5G
- **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices
- **Activation**: Starts when you first connect in your destination
- **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
- **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed

## United Kingdom: what to know before you land

Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo

In the UK your eSIM connects to EE or 3 on 4G and 5G. The mobile market has changed a lot recently. Three merged with Vodafone's UK business in 2025, and every major network has now switched off 3G, which matters if you're travelling with an older handset. Most visitors also need a £20 Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly.

### United Kingdom: quick facts

| Fact | United Kingdom |
| --- | --- |
| Emergency number | 999 or 112 |
| Main airports | London Heathrow Airport (LHR); London Gatwick Airport (LGW); Manchester Airport (MAN); Edinburgh Airport (EDI) |
| Plug types | Type G (230V) |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP) |
| Apps worth having | TfL Go, Citymapper, Trainline, Uber, WhatsApp |

### Three and Vodafone: what the 2025 merger means

(United Kingdom · https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/#guide-three-and-vodafone-what-the-2025-merger-means)

The UK used to have four big mobile networks: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. On 31 May 2025, Vodafone UK and Three UK completed their merger into a new company, **VodafoneThree**. Together they have around 28 million customers. Vodafone has promised £11 billion of investment over ten years, and the competition regulator approved the deal in December 2024 on condition of commitments on 5G rollout and price protection.

For now, Three continues as a separate brand, and from April 2026 shops started selling both brands under one roof. Behind the scenes the two networks are being combined, so the coverage you get on 3 may continue to improve as more sites are shared.

Your eSIM can connect to **EE** or **3**. EE is BT's mobile network. Your phone picks the stronger signal, and you don't need to choose. If you see a different network name in the list when you search manually, don't select it, as your plan may not work on it. Leave network selection on automatic unless you're troubleshooting.

### The UK's 3G switch-off and what it means for older phones

(United Kingdom · https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/#guide-the-uk-s-3g-switch-off-and-what-it-means-for-older-phones)

All of the UK's main networks have retired 3G to free up airwaves for 4G and 5G. According to Wikipedia's list of 3G shutdowns, EE completed its switch-off in February 2024, Vodafone in February 2024, Three in November 2025 and O2 in February 2026.

Your eSIM works on 4G and 5G, so the switch-off doesn't affect your data. It can affect an older phone in two ways:

- Very old handsets that only support 3G for data won't get a connection at all.
- Calls on your **home SIM** need your phone and home operator to support voice over 4G (VoLTE) while roaming in the UK. If they don't, your phone may show signal but fail to make calls. Check with your home operator before you travel if you rely on calls.

In London, the Underground's free station wifi, provided by Virgin Media, covers more than 97% of the network and is available at almost every station, but not in the tunnels. Visitors may need to register on the Virgin Media portal to use it. With mobile data on your eSIM you can usually skip that step, but keep journey details downloaded in case you lose signal between stations.

### Applying for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation

(United Kingdom · https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/#guide-applying-for-a-uk-electronic-travel-authorisation)

Most visitors who don't need a visa now need an **Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)** to travel to the UK, including travellers from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia. Check your own nationality at gov.uk/check-uk-visa before you book.

Key points from the UK government's guidance:

- It costs **£20**. Apply only through the official GOV.UK service at gov.uk/eta/apply, because some lookalike websites charge more.
- An ETA lets you visit the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man for stays of up to six months each time. It doesn't guarantee entry.
- **Everyone** needs their own ETA, including babies and children, although one person can apply for the whole family.
- If you're changing planes and go through UK border control, you'll need one too.
- British and Irish passport holders, and people with permission to live, work or study in the UK, don't need one.

You can check when your ETA expires at gov.uk/check-eta. Do the application at home on wifi well before you fly, as it's linked to your passport and you'll want time to fix any problems.

### Sources for the United Kingdom guide

- [VodafoneThree – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VodafoneThree)
- [Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta)
- [3G – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G)
- [Station WiFi – Transport for London](https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/station-wifi)
- [Plug, socket & voltage by country – WorldStandards](https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/)

## Seven days in the United Kingdom: London, Bath, York and Edinburgh

7-day itinerary · 7 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/united-kingdom/#itinerary

A first-time rail week through England and into Scotland: two days in London, a day trip to Georgian Bath and its Roman Baths, two days in medieval York, then two in Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, all linked by fast trains.

**When to go:** May to September brings the longest days and mildest weather, with Edinburgh busiest during the August festivals; spring and autumn are quieter, and winter days are short, especially in Scotland.

### Day 1 in United Kingdom: London: Westminster to the South Bank

- **Base:** London
- **Getting there:** From Heathrow, the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express reach central London in 15–40 minutes. Tap in with a contactless card or phone.
- **Plan:** Start at Westminster Abbey and walk past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to Westminster Bridge. Follow the Thames along the South Bank past the London Eye to Tate Modern, then cross the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral. If you still have energy, continue east to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, or save it for tomorrow morning.
- **Mobile signal:** Your eSIM connects to EE or 3, with strong 5G across central London. On the Underground, around 60% of below-ground stations and a growing share of tunnels had coverage by mid-2026, so expect some gaps.

### Day 2 in United Kingdom: London: museums and Camden

- **Base:** London
- **Getting there:** The Northern line links central London with Camden Town.
- **Plan:** Spend the morning at the British Museum for the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures, entry free with a booked slot recommended. Walk through Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. In the afternoon take the Tube to Camden for its market and the Regent's Canal, then walk the towpath towards Little Venice or up Primrose Hill for the skyline view.
- **Mobile signal:** Strong 5G above ground. Tube coverage varies by line: the Northern line was among those due to be largely covered in its tunnels by the end of summer 2026.

### Day 3 in United Kingdom: Day trip to Bath

- **Base:** London
- **Getting there:** About 1 hour 20 minutes by direct train from London Paddington to Bath Spa.
- **Plan:** Take a morning train from Paddington to Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage city of honey-coloured Georgian terraces. Visit the Roman Baths, then Bath Abbey next door. Walk up to the Circus and the sweeping Royal Crescent, and look into the Assembly Rooms. Return along the river past Pulteney Bridge before catching the train back to London in the evening.
- **Mobile signal:** Generally good on the Great Western main line, with occasional short drops in cuttings. Bath's compact centre has reliable 4G and 5G.

### Day 4 in United Kingdom: Train to York: the Minster and walls

- **Base:** York
- **Getting there:** About 2 hours by LNER from London King's Cross to York.
- **Plan:** Take the train north from King's Cross to York. Visit York Minster, one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals, and climb the central tower if you're comfortable with steep steps. Walk the medieval city walls, which run for most of the way around the centre, and enter the Shambles, a narrow lane of overhanging timber-framed buildings.
- **Mobile signal:** Good coverage on most of the East Coast Main Line and throughout York's centre.

### Day 5 in United Kingdom: York: museums and the Viking city

- **Base:** York
- **Plan:** Visit the National Railway Museum beside the station, with its royal carriages and the record-breaking Mallard. Then head to the Jorvik Viking Centre, built on the site of Viking-era excavations at Coppergate. In the afternoon see Clifford's Tower, the remains of a medieval castle on a mound, and walk the riverside back towards the Minster for evensong.
- **Mobile signal:** Strong 4G and 5G across York. Book Jorvik in advance; timed tickets are sold online.

### Day 6 in United Kingdom: Edinburgh: the Old Town

- **Base:** Edinburgh
- **Getting there:** About 2 hours 30 minutes by LNER or CrossCountry from York to Edinburgh Waverley.
- **Plan:** Take the train north along the coast to Edinburgh, whose Old and New Towns are a UNESCO site. Visit Edinburgh Castle on its volcanic rock, then walk down the Royal Mile past St Giles' Cathedral and the closes leading off it. At the bottom, see the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament building.
- **Mobile signal:** Coverage is good along most of the line, with some short dips on the Northumberland coast near Berwick. Edinburgh's centre has strong 5G.

### Day 7 in United Kingdom: Arthur's Seat and the New Town

- **Base:** Edinburgh
- **Getting there:** The Edinburgh tram reaches the airport in about 30 minutes.
- **Plan:** Climb Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park early for views over the city and the Firth of Forth. Afterwards walk through the Georgian streets of the New Town and Princes Street Gardens, and visit the Scottish National Gallery at the Mound. Take the tram from Princes Street to Edinburgh Airport for your flight.
- **Mobile signal:** Good signal on Arthur's Seat and across the New Town. Check your flight and boarding pass before boarding the tram.

### Staying connected on this United Kingdom route

- Apply for your UK ETA only through GOV.UK before you fly.
- The UK has switched off 3G: older phones need 4G to get data and VoLTE support for home-SIM calls.
- Expect gaps on some Tube lines while the tunnel coverage rollout finishes; download maps and tickets before going underground.
- Book train tickets in advance in an operator's app; advance fares are cheaper and tickets open offline.

### Sources for the United Kingdom itinerary

- [London Underground set to complete 4G and 5G mobile build by end of 2026 – ISPreview](https://ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/london-underground-set-to-complete-4g-and-5g-mobile-build-by-end-of-2026.html)
- [Station wifi – Transport for London](https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/station-wifi)
- [Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta)
- [VodafoneThree – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VodafoneThree)

## About this eSIM

A fairly small island with dense mobile coverage, plus a railway that regularly changes its mind about which platform you want. Coverage in Britain is good almost everywhere you will realistically go, so the thing worth planning around is not whether you have a signal but what you need it for. Add an eSIM before you fly and the phone is already working as you clear the border at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester or Edinburgh, with nothing extra landing on your bill later.

### Getting online when you land

Do the setup before you leave the house. The profile goes onto the phone over your home wifi and then sits dormant until you want it, which means no scrambling for a hotspot in an arrivals hall at six in the morning.

One switch catches almost everyone out: data roaming, on the travel line. A travel eSIM connects by roaming onto a British host network, so with that permission off the line will look connected and refuse to load anything. Turn it on, then give the handset a moment to register before you decide something has gone wrong.

If your phone runs two lines, take thirty seconds to set the defaults deliberately. Travel line for mobile data, home line for calls and texts with its own data off. Your regular number stays reachable, iMessage and WhatsApp keep working against it, and one-time passcodes from your bank still arrive.

### The networks you'll be on

British coverage on this eSIM comes from EE, on 4G LTE and 5G, and 3, on 4G LTE. Which one you land on is decided by the handset and the mast it can hear best, not by you, and a phone that hops between them across a week is behaving exactly as intended.

Expect a roaming indicator in the status bar. That is normal for any travel eSIM and does not mean you are being billed by the megabyte. In city centres and along the main corridors you will spend most of your time on 4G/LTE or 5G; out in the hills you will mostly be on 4G, which is still enough to fetch a map tile or send a message.

### Where coverage holds, and where it thins

London and the south east are dense with masts, as are Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The motorway spine, the M1, M6 and M4, holds up well, and so do the intercity rail routes, with the usual interruptions through cuttings and tunnels.

Underground is its own question. On the Tube, station platforms and ticket halls are generally the reliable bit and the deep running tunnels vary a lot by line and section, so plan your route before you tap in rather than halfway down an escalator.

It thins in the places you would guess and a few you would not. The Scottish Highlands, Skye and the north west coast, the islands, the middle of Wales and the Eryri passes, the Lake District fells, the Pennines, the North York Moors, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and stretches of the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland all have real dead ground. Scenic railway lines through rural Scotland spend long spells with nothing. Big outdoor events are a separate problem: at a site like Glastonbury, tens of thousands of phones share the same masts and everything slows to a crawl, so agree a meeting point rather than relying on messages.

### What you'll actually use data for here

Live rail information, more than anything. British trains get delayed, re-platformed, split at a junction or replaced by a bus at weekends, and the apps know first. Check before you walk to the station, then check again on the concourse.

In London, TfL Go or Citymapper will tell you about part suspensions and which entrance to use, and contactless travel works better when you can see what has been charged and what has been capped. Postcodes matter here too: British addresses resolve almost exactly from the postcode alone, so pasting one into a map is usually faster than typing a street.

Beyond transport it is the ordinary stuff. Booking a table, because good pubs and restaurants outside the centre often will not seat walk-ins on a Friday. Ride apps late at night. Weather, checked more often than you expect, because an afternoon plan on the coast or the fells can turn on it. And out in the countryside, what3words is genuinely useful for describing a trailhead or a car park that has no address at all.

### Before you fly

Get the profile installed and named while you are still at home, and confirm your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM before you buy anything. Download offline maps for any national park or Highland route on your itinerary, since that is precisely where you will lose signal and precisely where it matters. Keep your home line active for calls and codes with its data disabled, save your rail bookings and event tickets into the wallet so they open cold, and screenshot your accommodation details. If you are heading somewhere remote, tell someone your route: no eSIM fixes an empty valley.

## Before you travel to United Kingdom

The UK has no SIM-registration requirement: the government considered one and decided against it, so a pay-as-you-go SIM needs no registration. A travel eSIM is simply the more convenient option, not a way around a rule.

Local SIM-registration rules apply to buying a SIM in the country. A travel eSIM is a foreign profile roaming onto the local network, so you are not registering anything locally and there is no counter to queue at.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does an eSIM work in United Kingdom?

Yes. Your United Kingdom 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 3, EE. 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 United Kingdom?

Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on 3, EE in United Kingdom, 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.

### Do I need an ETA to visit the UK?

Most visitors who don't need a visa do, including travellers from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia. A UK ETA costs £20, covers stays of up to six months in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and is needed by every traveller, including children. Apply only on the official GOV.UK website. British and Irish citizens are exempt.

### Will my old phone work in the UK after the 3G switch-off?

For data on your eSIM, your phone needs 4G or 5G, as EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 have all switched 3G off. For calls on your home SIM, your phone and home operator need to support VoLTE roaming in the UK. If they don't, calls may fail even with signal, so check with your home operator before you travel.

### What happened to the Three network in the UK?

Three UK merged with Vodafone UK on 31 May 2025 to form VodafoneThree, with around 28 million customers between them. Three still operates as a separate brand while the networks are combined. Your eSIM can use 3 or EE, and your phone chooses automatically.

### Is there wifi on the London Underground?

There's free Virgin Media wifi at almost every Tube station, covering more than 97% of the network, but not in the tunnels between stations. Visitors may need to register on the Virgin Media portal first. With mobile data on your eSIM, you can usually skip the wifi, but download your route before you go underground.

### How much data do I need for 7 days in United Kingdom?

For 7 days in United Kingdom, Viasimo sells 500 MB for $1.29, 1 GB for $1.59, and unlimited data for $13.99. 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.

## Information and verification

- **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.
- **Local rules**: SIM registration and device rules, checked against the sources below. Verified September 23, 2026. Source: [gsma.com](https://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/GSMA_White-Paper_Mandatory-Registration-of-Prepaid-SIM-Users_32pgWEBv3.pdf), [privacyinternational.org](https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/3018/timeline-sim-card-registration-laws)