# eSIM conversion

> eSIM conversion means turning a physical carrier SIM into a digital eSIM on the same number; travel eSIMs, by contrast, are eSIM-only and cannot become a physical SIM.

Source: https://viasimo.com/glossary/esim-conversion/
Also known as: convert physical sim to esim, switch esim to physical sim, sim conversion

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eSIM conversion usually means one of two things, and the difference matters for travellers.

The first is converting a physical carrier SIM into an eSIM: keeping your existing number and plan but swapping the plastic card for a digital profile on the same phone. Most major carriers support this from their app or a store visit, and it is a one-way housekeeping step, handy when you buy an eSIM-only handset. It has nothing to do with buying data abroad.

The second is what people really ask about a travel eSIM: can you switch it back to a physical SIM, or move it between SIM types. Here the answer is no. A travel [eSIM](/glossary/esim/) is issued as a digital profile only; there is no physical version to convert to, and most travel profiles are single-install, so deleting one to convert it can use it up. If you need to change phones, that is [eSIM transfer](/glossary/esim-transfer/), not conversion, and support should reissue the profile.

In practice you rarely need to convert anything. Your home SIM and a travel eSIM run side by side through [dual SIM](/glossary/dual-sim/): the physical SIM keeps your number for calls, the eSIM carries data abroad. Check your handset on the [device compatibility](/device-compatibility/) page, then follow [how to install an eSIM](/magazine/how-to-install-and-activate-an-esim/).