eSIM With a Phone Number: Which Ones Have It and How to Add One
Most travel eSIMs don’t come with a phone number. They give you mobile data and nothing else, so calls and texts still go to your home SIM. You can get an eSIM with a phone number, though: some plans include one, and you can add a number to any data eSIM. Below are the four ways to do it, with prices checked in October 2026 and the catches each one has.
Does an eSIM come with a phone number?
An eSIM comes with a phone number only when the plan behind it includes one. The eSIM itself is just a digital SIM profile. Your carrier’s eSIM at home carries your usual number. A travel eSIM from Nomad, Ubigi, Yesim, GigSky or eSIM Plus (local and regional plans) is data-only: it connects you to the internet abroad and has no number for calls or SMS.
That catches a lot of people out on day one of a trip. eSIM Plus says so on its own help pages: its local and regional plans give “mobile internet only and they don’t include a phone number”. Nomad’s help center puts it the same way, and adds that some of its plans show a dummy number “for identification purposes only” that can’t call or text.
The number belongs to the plan, not to the chip. So the useful question is not “does my eSIM have a number?” but “does my plan include calls and SMS?” If the plan page lists only gigabytes and days, there is no number.
Can I keep my own number while using a travel eSIM?
Yes, you can keep your own number on a dual SIM phone. Leave your home SIM or eSIM switched on for calls and texts, and set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data. Apple supports this on iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and every later model. iPhone 13 and later can run two eSIMs at the same time.
Here is how the two lines share the work, according to Apple’s dual SIM support page:
- Both lines can make and receive calls and send and receive SMS, MMS and iMessage.
- Only one line uses mobile data at a time: pick the travel eSIM.
- If you’re on a call on one line, a call to the other line goes to voicemail.
- An iPhone can store eight or more eSIMs, but only two are active at once.
We think this is the right setup for most short trips. Your bank, your family and your two-factor codes keep reaching the number they already know. The catch is cost: your home carrier may charge roaming rates for calls you answer and texts you send on that line. Check its roaming terms before you fly, and turn off data roaming on the home line so it can’t use data by accident.
Which travel eSIMs come with a phone number?
A handful of travel eSIMs come with a phone number, but whose number it is differs a lot. Airalo’s Discover+ plans give you a US number. Holafly’s Europe plan gives you an Austrian one. Some local operators, such as Mobal in Japan and Orange in France, sell visitor plans with calls and SMS, also as an eSIM. The table compares what we checked on each provider’s own pages in October 2026.
| Plan | Number included | Calls and SMS | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| eSIM Plus local or regional eSIM | None | No (use apps or add a virtual number) | Data only |
| eSIM Plus Worldwide eSIM | Its own number | Yes, paid from your balance | 112 countries, valid 365 days, from $7.99 |
| Airalo Discover+ | US number (+1) | Yes, both ways | Incoming calls stop when your minutes run out |
| Holafly Europe plan | Austrian number (+43) | 60 min out, 60 min in | Doesn’t cover the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Ukraine or Turkey |
| Nomad, Ubigi, Yesim, GigSky | None | No | Data only (Nomad has a few calling plans) |
| Mobal Japan voice plans | Japanese mobile number (070/080/090) | Yes | Number is assigned only after full activation |
| Orange Holiday Europe | Number on Orange France’s network | Unlimited calls and SMS in Europe (20 GB plan) | Must be registered in your name within 30 days |
| Data eSIM + eSIM Plus virtual number | Number in one of 21 countries | Calls + SMS, or SMS-only, by country | From $8 a month, separate subscription |
Read the “Number included” column twice. A US or Austrian number is fine for calling home or getting texts from friends, but it’s not a local number in Japan or Thailand. If you need locals to call you at a normal rate, you need a number from that country.
How do I add a phone number to a data-only eSIM?
To add a phone number to a data-only eSIM, buy a virtual phone number and use it over the eSIM’s data connection. The number lives in an app, so it works on the same phone with no second SIM. With eSIM Plus, a virtual phone number is available in 21 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, from $8 a month, and it activates in 1 to 5 minutes.
The setup takes four steps:
- Install a data eSIM for your destination and check that mobile data works.
- In the eSIM Plus app, pick a country for your number. Choose by who will call you: your clients, your family, or the service you sign up for.
- Choose a number and a monthly plan, then pay by card.
- Calls and texts to that number now arrive in the app over your eSIM data.
Two things to know before you pay. Features vary by country: some eSIM Plus numbers handle calls and SMS, others are SMS-only, and the country page says which. The number is also a subscription. It renews every month until you cancel, and an unpaid number is switched off. You can restore it within 10 days; after that it can go back into the pool.
If you’d rather have one eSIM with a phone number built in, the Worldwide eSIM is the eSIM Plus plan that bundles data, calls and SMS with its own number. It covers 112 countries, stays valid for 365 days and is pay-as-you-go: you top up a balance from $7.99 and spend it on whatever you use.
Can I get a local number in Japan, the USA, China or the UK on an eSIM?
You can get a local number in some of these countries, but the rules differ by country, and an ID check is the usual hurdle. Here is where things stand in October 2026 for the four countries travellers ask about most.
Japan
Japan gives visitors a real number, but with paperwork. A Japanese mobile number comes from a voice plan, such as Mobal’s, which assigns a 070, 080 or 090 number after activation.
Japan’s rules are getting tighter: a bill approved by Japan’s cabinet in March 2026 would end the ID exemption that short-term visitors now have for data-only SIMs. For most trips, a data plan such as the eSIM for Japan from $0.26 a day, plus your home number on the second line, covers what you need.
USA
The USA is the easiest country to get a number from without being there. US carriers sell prepaid eSIMs, but check before you buy whether checkout accepts a foreign card and address. With eSIM Plus you can buy a virtual number in the US for $8 a month and pick a state area code, such as +1-212 for New York. Pair it with a USA eSIM for data from $0.26 a day.
China
China is the hardest of the four. China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom only got approval for trial eSIM services in October 2025, and sign-up runs through their own apps, appointments or stores. We haven’t found a way for a short-term visitor to buy a +86 number on an eSIM online as of October 2026. Hong Kong has required real-name registration for every SIM, prepaid included, since March 2022.
UK
The UK sits in the middle. Buying a British prepaid eSIM from abroad is hit and miss, because some shops want a UK billing address. If you only need a UK number to receive calls and texts, an eSIM Plus UK virtual number costs $8 a month and works from anywhere, so you don’t need to be in Britain to set it up.
Will an eSIM number work for WhatsApp and bank codes?
An eSIM number usually works for WhatsApp and Telegram, but not always, and bank codes are the riskiest case. Services decide for themselves which numbers they accept. eSIM Plus states plainly that a service may recognise a virtual number and block it, and that a mismatch between the number’s country and your location can cause a rejection.
Here is how we’d split the jobs between numbers:
- Bank and card codes: keep them on your home number. Leave the home line on in dual SIM mode so one-time passwords still arrive abroad.
- WhatsApp, Telegram, marketplaces: a virtual number is usually fine. Pick the number’s country to match the service you sign up for.
- Government and tax portals: assume they want your original number.
- Never let a number lapse if an account depends on it. An expired eSIM Plus number goes back into the pool after the 10-day grace period, and the next owner could receive your codes.
If a service rejects one number, a number from a different country sometimes passes. Don’t count on it for anything you can’t afford to lose.
Quick answers
Does getting an eSIM change your phone number?
Switching your own line from a physical SIM to an eSIM does not change your number. Your carrier moves the same number to the new eSIM profile, either by Carrier Activation or with a QR code. Buying a travel eSIM doesn’t change it either: you add a second line next to your number, and your number stays where it was.
How do I find my eSIM phone number?
For your carrier line, the number is in your phone’s SIM settings (Settings › Cellular or Mobile Data on an iPhone) and on your carrier account. For a travel eSIM, check the provider’s app or order email. If no number is listed, or the digits don’t accept calls, the plan is data-only: Nomad, for example, shows some plans with a dummy number used only for identification.
Does deleting an eSIM delete your phone number?
Deleting an eSIM removes the profile from your phone, but your number stays with your carrier. You’ll need a new eSIM from the carrier to use it again. For a travel eSIM with its own number, deleting the profile can mean losing that number, so ask the provider before you remove it.
