Where do travel eSIMs actually work?
For most of the world the answer is a boring yes. But in a handful of countries it is genuinely not — sanctions keep providers out entirely, state monopolies limit what you can buy, and some governments switch the internet off. These pages give the honest answer for each, along with live pricing from the providers that do stock them.
eSIMs work here, but something specific — a state monopoly, infrastructure problems, or the risk of government-ordered shutdowns — makes the experience worse than the coverage map suggests.
Does an eSIM work in Iran?
Yes — several providers do sell Iran plans. The catch is not availability but the internet you get: heavy filtering, periodic shutdowns, and prices well above the regional norm.
Does an eSIM work in Cuba?
Yes, from most providers — but Cuba has one state operator, so every plan roams on the same slow network, and prices run several times higher than the rest of the Caribbean.
Does an eSIM work in Lebanon?
Yes, travel eSIMs work in Lebanon — but the country's infrastructure problems mean outages are common regardless of which plan you buy.
Does an eSIM work in Ethiopia?
Yes, but with far fewer provider options than most countries, and government-ordered internet shutdowns are a genuine risk.
eSIMs work normally in these countries. The pages below cover which providers actually stock them, what they cost right now, and the local rules worth knowing before you buy.
eSIM providers in India
Yes, and a travel eSIM is the easiest option by a wide margin — local Indian SIMs require paperwork that foreign visitors find genuinely difficult.
eSIM providers in Kenya
Yes, and coverage is excellent — but a travel eSIM will not give you the local number that M-Pesa requires.
eSIM providers in Ghana
Yes, travel eSIMs work across Ghana — and they sidestep the Ghana Card registration that local SIMs now require.
eSIM providers in Ireland
Yes, and every major provider covers Ireland — though if you are travelling from elsewhere in the EU you may not need one at all.
eSIM providers in Singapore
Yes, and Singapore has some of the best mobile coverage in the world — so a small plan goes a long way.
eSIM providers in Israel
Yes, travel eSIMs work throughout Israel and coverage is strong, including in the Negev and around the Dead Sea.
What makes a country difficult?
Sanctions. Travel eSIMs depend on wholesale roaming agreements and the banking relationships behind them. Where sanctions bite, some providers leave the market entirely and those that stay buy through a narrower set of intermediaries. The result is a shorter catalogue and higher prices rather than nothing at all — Iran and Cuba are both still purchasable, at several times what neighbouring countries cost.
State monopolies. When one operator controls the whole market, every eSIM roams onto the same network. Paying more gets you a different bill, not a better connection. Cuba is the clearest example.
Internet shutdowns. Several governments have ordered national or regional shutdowns. No eSIM routes around one, because the outage is upstream of every network at once. Keep offline copies of maps and documents where this is a risk.
Content filtering. A working connection is not the same as a usable one. Where a country filters the internet, what you can reach depends on where your traffic exits the network rather than on your plan — which is why a travel eSIM in China usually reaches services a local SIM cannot.
Local number requirements. A travel eSIM gives you data, not a local phone number. Anything depending on an SMS code to a domestic number — M-Pesa in Kenya, some Indian banking and UPI flows — needs a local SIM regardless of how good your eSIM is.