The clock
When does a travel eSIM plan start?
A SimPig plan starts the first time the eSIM connects to a network abroad, not when you buy or install it. Buy ahead, install at home, and the days count from landing.
Updated 2026-11-13
It starts when you land, not when you buy
Nearly every plan we sell is “activates on first use”: the days and the data only begin counting when the eSIM first attaches to a mobile network in a country the plan covers. Buying a 15-day plan a month before you fly gives you 15 days from the moment your phone finds a network at the airport.
The rare plan that starts the moment it is installed says so on its page, in the checkout and on the order. For those, install on the day you fly.
What counts as connecting
The eSIM has to be installed, enabled, and set to roam, with mobile data turned on for its line. Installing it at home in Australia does not start it, because the plan does not cover Australia and the eSIM will not attach to a network here. Landing with the line enabled and Data Roaming on starts it within a minute or two.
A 15-day plan runs for 15 calendar days from that moment, whether you use the data or not. A plan you never connect waits for you; it does not start on its own.
Several countries, one clock
A regional or global plan starts in the first covered country you land in and keeps running across borders. Hopping from Thailand to Vietnam on an Asia plan needs nothing from you; the clock does not restart.
Questions
Does the plan start when I install it?
No, unless the plan says “starts when installed”. Almost all start when the eSIM first connects to a network abroad.
How far ahead can I buy?
Weeks, happily. The eSIM waits until it connects abroad; nothing starts on its own.
Do the days pause if I stop using data?
No. Once started, a 15-day plan ends 15 days later whether you use it or not.