eSIMs are popular with travelers because they’re both convenient and secure. When you land in another country, getting online right away is essential for maps, ride-hailing, and work, so it helps to know how long activation really takes. This article tackles the question “How long does an eSIM take to activate?” so you can plan your trip with confidence.
In this article
The regular eSIM activation process generally includes the following steps:
For travel eSIMs, the process is similar to regular eSIMs, but it normally adds a couple of extra steps because the profile must register on a foreign network.
Before you buy:
After you install:
Once these steps are complete, the travel eSIM is fully active and ready for use overseas.
Most eSIMs are activated within minutes, but the wait can stretch to hours – or, rarely, more than a day -depending on a few factors.
Below we classify the eSIM activation process into three cases:
| Activation Speed | Activating time | Why It Happens | What To Do |
| Almost Instant | 5 minutes – 1 hour | Phone is eSIM-ready and unlocked, strong Wi-Fi, no extra carrier checks | Just watch for the signal bars |
| Same Day | 1 hour – 24 hours | Extra ID/payment check, busy servers, or overseas registration lag | Leave the profile alone; it will light up later |
| Over 24 Hours | 1 day + | Wrong code, unpaid bill, outdated OS, carrier backlog | Update OS, then contact support from the provider |
You can install the profile at home, but it stays asleep until you land in the covered country. After landing, you often need to turn on Data roaming for that eSIM. You may need to double-check the APN settings if needed. After these quick steps, a travel eSIM usually comes online in under 3 minutes.
If you are going to travel abroad and need an eSIM plan before you fly, the Gigago eSIM store offers more than eSIM plans for more than 200 countries and territories in the world that typically activate in less than 3 minutes.
If the eSIM remains dormant, you can take the following actions:
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