Local eSIM or roaming eSIM: what is the difference?

Travel eSIMs come in two kinds, and a plan’s name does not always tell you which one it is. Apple describes the same split: you can buy a plan from a local carrier in the place you are visiting, or a prepaid data plan that covers many countries.

A local eSIM

A local eSIM is a line from a network in the destination itself, the same kind of line people who live there use. Your phone connects to that network as its home network.

A roaming eSIM

Many travel eSIMs are roaming profiles: lines issued in one country that connect through a network in the country you are visiting. That is what roaming means on your phone. Apple and Google both describe it as using another carrier’s network outside the area your own carrier covers.

What the difference changes

• Which network you get. A local eSIM uses the network it belongs to. A roaming eSIM uses whichever network its home carrier has an agreement with in your destination.
• Which sites and apps open, in mainland China. Where your data is routed can matter there. CNN’s 2024 travel guide reported that phones on an international roaming plan could still reach apps that did not open on hotel Wi-Fi or on a local SIM card. More in will my usual apps work in China?
• How your phone labels the line. A roaming eSIM may show a roaming indicator. Some local lines do too, and some only connect with Data Roaming switched on for that line. Your setup guide says whether your plan needs it.

What stays the same

You install both kinds the same way: you scan the QR code in your phone’s eSIM settings, and no app is needed. Whether a plan includes a phone number is shown on its plan page, whichever kind it is.

How to tell what you are buying

YuzuSIM names the network on every plan before you pay, and the plan page says how the plan connects. Read both before you choose, especially for mainland China.

Once your eSIM is installed, you can check which network your phone is using. On iPhone, Apple suggests opening Control Center and looking for the carrier’s name in the status bar. If the name does not match your plan, or the line will not connect, see my eSIM is installed but not connecting.