eSIM Philippines: Compare, buy, and travel connected

From roughly 1.48 million tourists post-pandemic, international visitor numbers to the Philippines rose to around 5.44 million in 2024. The number of tourists is expected to increase even more in the coming years. If you’re also planning your journey to the Philippines’ stunning beaches and vibrant cities, an eSIM can provide you with a stable internet connection on your travels with zero roaming charges. 

International eSIM providers present the most convenient options. Holafly provides unlimited data plans ranging from 5 to 20 days. Truphone offers tiered data plans, such as 2GB for 30 days and 5GB for 30 days. MobilityPass operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, charging $0.27 per megabyte consumed. Local carriers such as Smart, Dito Mobile, and Globe Mobile also offer extensive coverage across the country if you’re considering a longer stay. 

In this article, you’ll discover detailed comparisons of eSIM providers, coverage maps for all major networks, device compatibility lists, and clear activation instructions. We’ll also explain the key differences between tourist eSIMs and local Philippines carrier options to help you choose the best solution for your needs.

Things you need to know about the eSIM Philippines

Do you want to use an eSIM when visiting the Philippines? Well, we also want to go for one of those digital SIM cards, but there are some things we need to consider. For example, did you know eSIM mostly works on last-gen devices? If not, pay attention to the rest of the things we’ll tell you here.

• When going through the activation process, users will need to have an internet connection to complete it.
• As we said before, eSIMs mostly work in last-gen devices, such as iPhones, but they also work well in some Samsung and Motorola devices.
• A requirement when buying an eSIM is to have a valid physical address as well as a valid email address.

If your cellphone doesn’t seem to work well with an eSIM due to it being a bit old or simply not supporting the eSIM technology; don’t worry about that. You can still use a traditional SIM.

eSIM mobile operators to travel to the Philippines

In case you want to visit the Philippines and want to take an eSIM with you, you need to know which options are available for you to use, right? Thankfully, we can tell there are good options for people to use, but before choosing one, it’s better to see what they offer.

So far, we can talk about the following mobile operators offering their eSIM service for travelers:

• Holafly
• Truphone
• MobilityPass

Rates and data plans offered by eSIM mobile operators for the Philippines

So far, we have the information regarding the eSIMs we can use while visiting the Philippines. But there’s something people must pay attention to when choosing a service, and those are the rates and data plans offered by the companies. 

Holafly rates and data plans in the Philippines

• Unlimited data for 5 days at USD 20.90
• Unlimited data for 7 days at USD 29.90
• Unlimited data for 10 days at USD 36.90
• Unlimited data for 15 days at USD 50.90
• Unlimited data for 20 days at USD 61.90

Truphone rates and data plans in the Philippines

• 2GB for 30 days at $9.35
• 5GB for 30 days at $15.58
• 20GB for 30 days at $33.23
• 50GB for 30 days at $67.50

MobilityPass rates and data plans in the Philippines

• Pay-as-you-go service, $0.27 per consumed MB.

Mobile operators comparative in the Philippines

Table N°1. Price and mobile data comparative of mobile operators offering eSIMs in the Philippines

Characteristics of eSIMs to travel to the Philippines

So far, we have talked about some things people should know about eSIMs, but we haven’t said everything about them yet. eSIMs have more characteristics than people might think, and each one of them is just as important as the others, so let’s talk about them a bit more:

• eSIMs tend to configure the APN automatically in some cases.
• People can share their mobile data with other people near them with their eSIM, but it will mostly depend on the service they are using.
• Holafly eSIMs are good because they offer unlimited data on any plans you purchase!
• eSIMs can work alongside SIM cards, there’s no need to leave the SIM card you were using aside because it will still work with the eSIM activated.
• People won’t have a digital phone number given by the eSIM, which means they won’t be able to make phone calls or send text messages, but they can use other apps if they want.
• eSIM cards can’t be recharged once the mobile data offered by the company is over.

eSIM coverage to travel to the Philippines

Are you prepared to go to the Philippines and enjoy beautiful see sights and natural landscapes? If the answer is yes, you need to take a quick look at some things that are also important for you to know.

You can’t simply travel without knowing if you will have good coverage in the Philippines, or do you want to stay uncommunicated during your trip? Surely not, so if you have an eSIM Philippines with you, this is something you need to remember.

In the Philippines, there are three different companies on which people can rely during their journey to that country, which means you will surely have good mobile coverage no matter where you go to. 

• Smart
• Dito Mobile
• Globe Mobile

Smart coverage map

Dito Mobile coverage map

Globe Mobile coverage map

Local mobile operators with eSIMs in the Philippines

In case you want to know if you can get an eSIM in the Philippines, the answer is yes. But there’s something you need to keep in mind before waiting until you get there to buy it, most of these companies only offer them to Philippine residents.

So, unless you are thinking about moving permanently to the Philippines, you might want to have another service in mind for you to use while traveling. You can think about using the eSIM Philippines of Holafly, that way you will always stay communicated! 

eSIM Philippines FAQ

So far, we have talked about several things that might have caught your attention in the process. But, there’s no need to worry, we have information that will be useful for you to know before buying an eSIM Philippines.

Cintia Soto Tomeu

Adventurer, passionate traveler, and tech enthusiast. On Roami, I aim at sharing the best solutions to help you navigate the complexities of staying connected abroad, ensuring a hassle-free experience. I enjoy playing chess, reading Brian Greene, and exploring different cultures!