Travel to Canada and enjoy all the beautiful places it has for you, such as Niagara Falls, Montmorency Falls, and Peyto Lake, among other places that you will love. You can enjoy all this with the best internet connection so that you can share these landscapes with your friends or family. How do I connect to the internet? you may ask. There are multiple options, such as prepaid SIM cards, roaming services in Canada, renting a Pocket WiFi for Canada, or buying the new eSIM to travel to Canada.
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with this new eSIM card because, in this article, we explain everything you need to know about eSIM for Canada. Read about information such as international providers, local eSIMs, requirements, and features. You can even compare prices and plans of the different providers available that offer eSIM cards in this beautiful country.
Contents
Requirements to install the Canada eSIM card:
Before buying the Canada eSIM card, you must meet some requirements because if you don’t, you will probably not be able to use the eSIM. Please note the following requirements:
- You must have a cell phone compatible with eSIM: additionally, check that your cell phone is supported by the eSIM carriers. We know for sure that the iPhone XR or more recent versions are preferred by the companies that provide eSIMs.
- It’s essential to have an email to register and receive your eSIM.
- It’s important that you have an internet connection: your eSIM profile will be downloaded from the operator’s servers after scanning the QR or installation code.
- Some providers will ask you to install their app to download the eSIM.
Cellular providers of eSIM cards to travel to Canada
Here we inform you about the different providers available in the market so that you can buy your eSIM to have mobile internet in Canada. It should be noted that these companies sell international eSIM cards intended for use on tourism or business trips abroad.
- Holafly
- Three HK
- TravelSim
Prices and data plans of virtual SIM providers to travel to Canada
In this section, you will be able to compare the prices and data plans offered by the different eSIM providers to travel to Canada – by comparing; you choose the eSIM that best suits your needs. Don’t forget that with this card, you help the environment.
Holafly plans and prices in Canada:
- Unlimited data for 5 days at USD 27
- Unlimited data for 7 days at USD 34
- Unlimited data for 10 days at USD 37
- Unlimited data for 15 days at USD 47
- Unlimited data for 20 days at USD 54
Three HK plans and prices in Canada:
- 10 GB for 30 days at 138 USD
- 20 GB for 30 days at 198 USD
- 35 GB for 365 days at 268 USD
TravelSim plans and prices in Canada:
- 250MB for 14 days at 25 USD
- 500MB for 30 days at 45 USD
- 1GB for 30 days at 69 USD
- 2GB for 30 days at 99 USD
- 3GB for 30 days at 150 USD
- 5GB for 30 days at 175 USD
Comparison of eSIM providers for Canada
| Provider | Data | Days | Price (USD) | Language | Sales channels |
| Holafly | Unlimited data | 5 | $27 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web, App store (to manage the eSIM) |
| Holafly | Unlimited data | 7 | $34 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web, App store (to manage the eSIM) |
| Holafly | Unlimited data | 10 | $37 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web, App store (to manage the eSIM) |
| Holafly | Unlimited data | 15 | $47 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web, App store (to manage the eSIM) |
| Holafly | Unlimited data | 20 | $54 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web, App store (to manage the eSIM) |
| Three HK | 10GB | 30 | $138 | English | Web |
| Three HK | 20GB | 30 | $198 | English | Web |
| Three HK | 35GB | 365 | $268 | English | Web |
| TravelSIM | 250MB | 14 | $25 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 500MB | 30 | $45 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 1GB | 30 | $69 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 2GB | 30 | $99 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 3GB | 30 | $150 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 5GB | 30 | $175 | Spanish | Web |
Features of the eSIM to travel to Canada
Get to know the features that eSIM cards have for your travels to Canada. Despite their similarity, they’re not the same as traditional physical SIM cards. Check out the details here:
- Most eSIM cards don’t offer you analog calls, only data. So, to communicate by voice, you can use apps like Skype or WhatsApp.
- They can be installed only once, so if you are having problems with your eSIM card, don’t delete it from your cell phone and contact your eSIM provider instead.
- You will have a dual-SIM phone, as you will be able to keep your local SIM when you travel to Canada. Remember to set up your phone to avoid surprise invoices.
- Some eSIMs configure the automatic APN.
- You can add multiple data plans on your iPhone, but this depends on the available memory, although it’s only possible to use one at a time.
- Some eSIMs allow you to share data.
Coverage of the virtual SIM to travel to Canada
Next, we show you the coverage maps of the different operators. Why is it important to know this? It’s essential since the eSIM cards that will offer you the best network coverage on your trip to Canada are those that have the largest number of roaming agreements with the main operators, such as Telus, Rogers, Bell Mobility, or Virgin Mobile.
Telus 4G coverage map in Canada
Rogers 4G coverage map in Canada
Bell Mobility 4G coverage map in Canada
Local cellular operators offering eSIM in Canada
The eSIM has a Canadian number and provides most of the features that traditional SIM cards have, such as mini-SIM, nano-SIM, or micro-SIM.
Here we have listed the Canadian cellular operators with eSIM technology enabled for their users. You must bear in mind that these are not intended for travelers, although there are exceptions.
Telus
First up is Telus, a Canadian company that has been offering telecommunications services for years. Among which are the prepaid eSIM cards, which tourists can purchase to enjoy mobile data, as well as local calls and messaging services.
Telus eSIMs can be purchased through their website online, but you can also ask for them in local physical stores. To purchase one of their services, you will need to have an eSIM-compatible device, such as the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, or newer, and some eSIM compatible android devices that you can check on the Telus website.
As mentioned before, through the Telus website, you can buy a prepaid eSIM card, it is priced at $10, but the price of the different plans for it may vary. However, please note that they only have one payment method, which is by credit card.
Bell Canada
On the other hand, we have Bell Canada, also known as Mobility. This is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Canada and the one that offers the best coverage throughout the country. Acquiring a prepaid eSIM with them is quite simple, and you can also do it through their website.
The first and most important thing to consider is that you will need to have an eSIMs-compatible device. On their website, you can check which devices are compatible. Then implemented, you will need to register through their website and choose the plan you prefer.
In addition, to make the eSIM payment, you will need a credit card to a Canadian bank account. With them, you can also sign out for an automatic top-up program.
Koodo
Finally, let’s talk about Koodo. This is a local Canadian operator that offers telecommunication service plans at a very good price. However, it does not offer excellent coverage as the ones mentioned above.
With Koodo, you can buy an eSIM Voucher. However, before purchasing, it is important that you verify that you have a phone compatible with their eSIM, and you can also confirm it through their website. With this company, you can choose between different prepaid plans for your eSIM, starting at $15, depending on what they offer.
FAQ about eSIM Canada
We answer the most common questions you may have before purchasing your eSIM to travel to Canada.
It’s not necessary to present a passport, but some providers do require your address.
Some eSIMs for Canada will allow you to share your data with other devices. However, we recommend checking with the provider’s customer service.
After installing the virtual SIM profile, you must choose it as the default means of cellular data, activate data, and roaming, and your eSIM should now work.
Yes, like physical cards, virtual SIMs also have an expiration date.
