Vodafone eSIM in the UK: how to get one and switch from a SIM card

Does Vodafone UK offer eSIM?

Yes, on every SIM only plan. Vodafone's eSIM page says all its SIM only plans are available as an eSIM, and you select eSIM at checkout. That covers Pay monthly, on 30-day, 12-month or 24-month contracts, and Pay as you go Plus, a rolling 30-day plan that renews automatically. Vodafone says an eSIM is available instantly when you choose a plan, where a physical SIM has to be delivered or collected.

This is desk research from Vodafone UK's own pages, read on 10 November 2026. We have not bought or tested a Vodafone eSIM.

How do you get a Vodafone eSIM?

For a new customer the steps on Vodafone's page are short:

1. Choose a SIM only plan and pick eSIM at checkout.
2. Make sure your phone is network unlocked and on stable Wi-Fi.
3. Vodafone emails you a QR code. Scan it with your phone's camera, or enter the details by hand.
4. If you already have a SIM in the phone, choose which line handles data and which is your default number. You can change this later.

Vodafone says the eSIM is then active on its network. It does not give a time for how long activation takes, and we did not find a fee for choosing eSIM.

Vodafone also offers a network trial on eSIM. You install a trial eSIM through the My Vodafone app, keep your original SIM as the default for calls and texts, and use Vodafone for data. When the trial ends, Vodafone's data stops and you switch data back to your original SIM in settings.

What Vodafone eSIM plans can you choose from?

The same plans as on a physical SIM. When we read Vodafone's SIM only page, the headline plan was Unlimited Plus with EU roaming at £26 a month on a 24-month plan, rising to £28.50 on 1 April 2027 and £31 on 1 April 2028. A few others that matter for travel:

Every Pay monthly airtime plan rises by £2.50 each 1 April. Our Vodafone UK network guide covers the wider range, and Vodafone's Pay as you go Plus plans, with data from 15GB to unlimited and no credit check, are on our Vodafone pay as you go page.

How do you switch a Vodafone SIM card to eSIM?

Vodafone splits this into "Activate eSIM", for setting one up for the first time, and "Manage my eSIM", which it says is where you convert from a physical SIM, transfer an eSIM to a new device, or delete one. Both sit in your My Vodafone account. Vodafone's eSIM help page adds that if you have no SIM card or cannot receive the login confirmation code, Vodafone can set an eSIM up for you through its online chat.

Some phones also let you convert from the phone's own settings; our convert SIM to eSIM guide shows where that option sits on iPhone and Android.

If you delete your eSIM by accident, Vodafone's help page says it automatically emails a new QR code. Open that email on a different device so you can scan the code with the phone. On the phone, go to Settings, choose Mobile data, add a data plan, and scan.

Which devices work with a Vodafone eSIM?

Vodafone says most modern devices are eSIM compatible. To check, dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your device supports eSIM. Vodafone also keeps a list of compatible phones, tablets and smartwatches. The device must be network unlocked; if it is locked to another provider, you need that provider to unlock it first.

Vodafone says a compatible device can hold more than one eSIM profile, each with its own number and plan, and switch between them. That is what makes it easy to add a travel eSIM next to your Vodafone line.

For an Apple Watch, Vodafone's help page says to log in to My Vodafone, choose the watch, and select "Activate my eSIM" under Manage SIM and switching. Unlimited Premier plans include a OneNumber Connectivity Plan, and Vodafone's SIM only page says smartwatch connectivity comes with eligible plans.

Does a Vodafone eSIM work abroad?

Vodafone says your eSIM works exactly the same as a physical SIM when roaming. What you pay depends on the plan, not the SIM type:

Plus plans

inclusive roaming in 52 European destinations, up to 25GB

Premier plans

inclusive roaming in 84 worldwide destinations, including the USA, Australia, Turkey and Mexico, up to 25GB

Other Pay monthly plans

£2.75 a day in Europe and £8 a day in the rest of the world, from 14 April 2026, or an 8-day European pass for £16 or a 15-day pass for £21

Thailand and the United Arab Emirates sit in Vodafone's Zone D, outside even the 84-destination list. Our Vodafone roaming guide has the full zone detail.

When should you add a travel eSIM to your Vodafone phone?

When you are going somewhere your plan does not cover. Keep the Vodafone eSIM on for calls and texts, switch its data roaming off, and use a travel eSIM for data.

Our verified prices, read on each seller's own site in August 2026, show the gap. A week in Thailand at £8 a day costs £56 on any Vodafone plan; Airalo's 10GB over 7 days was $10 and Nomad's 10GB over 30 days $10. A week in the USA on a plan without global roaming is also £56, against $21.50 for Airalo's 10GB over 7 days. In Europe, or in the USA on a Premier plan, the Vodafone allowance is the better deal. Our explainer on what an eSIM is covers running two lines on one phone.