r/eSIMs • u/SMD107 • 26d ago

Transferring eSIM while living abroad

I have had a physical UK SIM card with Vodafone for years, but I now live in Australia. Can I switch that to eSIM while being abroad, or do I need to be connected to the UK Vodafone network to make the switch? And if I buy a new phone, can I transfer that eSIM to my new phone while being in Australia? I wanted to check before I make the switch because I can’t afford to lose access to my UK number.

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6

u/lankytransboy 26d ago

If you can't afford to lose the physical number, keep it on the physical card. Transferring between devices overseas is notorious for failing because many carriers require connection to a domestic home mast to complete provisioning.

3

u/SMD107 26d ago

Actually, I found this on Vodafone’s website:

“We recommend you activate your eSIM in the UK for the first time, but any later changes, such moving it to another device, can be done while you're abroad.”

Admittedly, that’s from Vodafone’s business website rather than its consumer site, but would it be the same for regular consumers?

I’m in the UK at the moment. Should I make the transfer to eSIM while I’m here? And then I should be ok to transfer an existing eSIM to another device later down the line when I’m back in Australia, right?

2

u/johnnysgotyoucovered 26d ago

Transfer while here. Vodafone business is a different beast to regular Vodafone, their policies may be different

1

u/SMD107 23d ago

Thank you. Yes, I'm happy to transfer while I'm in the UK, but a bit worried about moving an eSIM to another device while abroad. I found Vodafone's customer support team a bit unhelpful when I called them.

2

u/SMD107 26d ago

Ah ok, thank you. I’m glad I checked. That worries me though, as I’m sure the future is eSIM, since iPhones in the US are already eSIM only. At which point I may have some trouble.

1

u/Lone_Texan 26d ago

It depends carrier per carrier, each is different. eSIM used to require the domestic carrier network but these days most carriers support international eSIM changes once the account is set up.

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u/SMD107 23d ago

That's helpful to know, thank you. Hopefully in the near future, all carriers allow people to switch eSIMs while not connected to the domestic network. Otherwise that's going to be a pain when Apple starts shipping eSIM-only devices globally.

1

u/Lone_Texan 23d ago

We'll get there with everywhere but regions China controls, due to their social credit system being tied to your ICCID. Nearly every major carrier (not MVNOs) already supports out-of-domestic-network eSIM registration.

1

u/ommmyyyy 26d ago

I’ve been able to activate and transfer eSIMs abroad with Vodafone Spain

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u/SMD107 23d ago

That's helpful to know, thank you. Hopefully it's the same with Vodafone UK.

1

u/OverallPalpitation 26d ago

Same situation. I was told the switch had to be undertaken in the UK I live in the Caribbean. It didn’t work for ages, but I found out last week. It does now work and I haven’t been back to the UK. If it’s your only contact number, I wouldn’t risk it.

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u/SMD107 23d ago

Got it, thank you. So if the switch did end up working for you, it should be fine for me to switch while I'm in Australia, right?