Best eSIM for the Netherlands: compare, buy, and travel connected

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Traveling to the Netherlands and its provinces is one of the best experiences you can have during your vacations or business trip. This country offers us The Polders, Naarden, and the cube houses in Rotterdam, along with a good internet connection without using international roaming or Pocket WiFi. By using your eSIM from the Netherlands, your trip becomes unforgettable.

If you don’t know what eSIM is or how you can connect to the internet in the Netherlands without using the roaming service or a Pocket WiFi, in Roaming we will show you everything you need to know about this product, from what requirements you have to meet to be able to buy and use it, to how you can buy an eSIM in the Netherlands with your local operators.

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Requirements to install the eSIM in the Netherlands

Even though eSIM technology is more and more popular among users, some brands still haven’t incorporated it into their devices. Additionally, the eSIM is still a recent technology, so there are some things you have to know about before purchasing an eSIM for your trip to the Netherlands:

  • Not all smartphones have eSIM, so before buying an eSIM, make sure your smartphone is compatible with eSIM technology. Besides, you should check with your eSIM provider if your smartphone is compatible with the eSIM you want to buy.
  • During the purchase process, it is essential that you have an email, so that you can receive the eSIM.
  • During the activation of the eSIM, having the internet is a must to be able to activate it correctly.
  • In some cases, you will have to install an app from a provider to use or activate the eSIM.

If your cell phone doesn’t meet the above requirements, you have the possibility of buying a data SIM card for Europe including the Netherlands and other European countries. This SIM is compatible with most cell phones.

Mobile eSIM providers to travel to the Netherlands

Now that you’re familiar with the requirements that you must meet to successfully buy and use your eSIM, we will introduce you to the eSIM providers that currently have eSIM for your trip to the Netherlands. These eSIM providers are, in general, companies oriented to selling international eSIM cards for vacations or business abroad. So, their eSIMs are designed for one month on average.

  • Holafly
  • GlobaleSIM
  • Au by KDDI
  • TravelSim

Prices and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to the Netherlands

After checking the providers from which you can buy your eSIM, we will show you the prices of each one of them, so that you can compare their prices with the data plans they offer you. However, you must bear in mind that the prices depend, in addition to the data and the days of validity, on the coverage of the eSIM in the Netherlands.

Holafly plans and prices in the Netherlands

  • Unlimited data for 15 days at $47
  • 20 days of unlimited data at $54
  • Unlimited data for 30 days at $64

GlobaleSIM plans and prices in the Netherlands

  • 10GB for 30 days at $30

Au By KDDI plans and prices in the Netherlands

  • 5GB for 30 days at $52

TravelSim plans and prices in the Netherlands

  • 7GB for 24 days at $48

Comparison of eSIM providers for the Netherlands

ProviderDataDaysPrice (USD)LanguageSales channels
HolaflyUnlimited data15$47Spanish, English, German, and FrenchWeb
HolaflyUnlimited data20$54Spanish, English, German, and FrenchWeb
HolaflyUnlimited data30$64Spanish, English, German, and FrenchWeb
GlobaleSIM10GB30$30EnglishWeb
Au by KDDI5GB30$52EnglishWeb
TravelSim7GB24$48EnglishWeb
Table 1. Comparison of eSIM providers to connect to the internet in the Netherlands.

Features of the eSIM to travel to the Netherlands

Still don’t know what to expect from your eSIM? If you want to know more about this product for your trip to the Netherlands, we’ll show you the main eSIM features for the Netherlands to help you to know a little more about this.

  • eSIMs don’t usually offer calls, so, if you want to communicate by voice during your trip, we recommend that you use apps such as Skype or WhatsApp, although these consume a lot of data on calls.
  • No eSIM can be reinstalled on the same smartphone. Therefore, don’t delete or remove it. If you have any problems, first contact your provider.
  • When using the eSIM, you can also use your local SIM card. This will make your iPhone fully dual SIM.
  • You can add more than one data plan to your iPhone, however, it’s only possible to use one at a time.
  • Some eSIMs offer unlimited data, so you won’t have to worry about running out of data.

Coverage of the eSIM to travel to the Netherlands

One of the most important features when buying an eSIM is the coverage since the value of the eSIM largely depends on this. Because, although you can buy an eSIM at a fairly reasonable price, it’s most likely that this eSIM won’t have good coverage. This means that you will have connectivity problems during your trip, and there will even be areas where you won’t even have a signal.

To find out if your eSIM has good internet coverage we recommend that before buying it you check the cellular network to which you are going to connect in the Netherlands. If the internet network you are going to connect to is from T-Mobile, VodafoneZiggo, and KPN it means that your coverage will be good, since these are the best operators in this country.

In the case of the Holafly eSIM in the Netherlands, it uses the KPN network, which is one of the best in this country, so its coverage will be quite good as well. For more information, we encourage you to take a look at the following coverage maps.

T-Mobile 4G coverage map in the Netherlands

T-Mobile 4G coverage map in the Netherlands. Source: GSMA

VodafoneZiggo 4G coverage map in the Netherlands

VodafoneZiggo 4G coverage map in the Netherlands. Source: GSMA

KPN 4G coverage map in the Netherlands

KPN 4G coverage map in the Netherlands. Source: GSMA

Local Mobile operators offering eSIM in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a developed country with several mobile operators with the excellent network quality. These operators have 4G coverage in almost the entire national territory. In addition to this achievement, the three main cellular operators in the Netherlands offer the possibility to buy an eSIM.

The eSIMs offered by these operators have quite a few similarities to traditional SIM cards because they allow you to have a phone number to make and receive calls or SMS.

However, if you are thinking of buying an eSIM with these eSIM carriers for your trip to the Netherlands, you have to keep in mind that you must meet a series of requirements, in addition to carrying out some procedures because these eSIMs are primarily designed and intended for residents of the Netherlands.

Cellphone operators with the eSIM available for their users are:

  • T-Mobile
  • KPN
  • VodafoneZiggo

FAQ about eSIM in the Netherlands

If you still have some doubts after reading this article, don’t worry, see below for frequently asked questions that travelers usually have about the new eSIMs for their trip to the Netherlands.

Do I need a passport to buy the Netherlands eSIM card?

It’s not necessary to present a passport to get this product. But some providers do require your address to give you the eSIM. Therefore, to buy this product you can show that you have a temporary residence address in the Netherlands, such as a previously booked hotel.

Can I share data with the eSIM in the Netherlands?

This will depend on the features of the eSIM that you bought from your provider. You can do that with certain providers only. In the case of eSIM in the Netherlands from Holafly, you can’t share data, but you’ll have unlimited data during your whole trip.

How to activate the eSIM for the Netherlands?

The activation process will depend on the operating system of your smartphone. You must scan the QR code sent to your email after buying the eSIM and once you do this, you must choose it as the default data SIM, activate data, and roaming and your virtual SIM should now work.

What other options do I have to connect to the internet in the Netherlands?

During your trip to the Netherlands, you will have different options to connect to the internet. However, most of these alternatives are expensive and very inconvenient. Among these alternatives, you find the roaming service and Pocket WiFi.

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