eSIM for Travellers from Pakistan: Mobile Data for Umrah, Dubai, the UK and More

Every year, families from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and beyond travel for Umrah, visit relatives in Dubai or the UK, or take a holiday in Turkey or Malaysia. On each of these trips you'll want mobile data from the moment you land. This guide explains how roaming on a Pakistani SIM usually works, how a travel eSIM gives you data instead, and how to keep your home SIM ready for bank OTPs.

Roaming from Pakistan: what it usually costs

Pakistani operators usually offer international roaming as bundles priced per day or per pack, and roaming often has to be switched on before you leave. For a short business trip that may be enough. On a two-week Umrah or a month with relatives abroad, daily bundles can add up fast, and the data inside them may not last long once you start sending videos to family.

If your phone uses data on the home SIM without a bundle, pay-as-you-go roaming can be very expensive. Bundles also differ by country, so the one you buy for Saudi Arabia may not apply during a stopover in Dubai or Istanbul. Always check your current tariff with your operator before travelling.

How a travel eSIM works

With a travel eSIM, you download a data plan to your phone instead of inserting a plastic SIM. HelloSIM eSIMs are data-only: no local number and no regular calls or SMS. Voice and video calls go through WhatsApp, FaceTime, Telegram or Viber, using the eSIM's data.

Your Pakistani SIM stays in the phone, so your number is unchanged, and WhatsApp remains linked to that same number. Relatives can reach you exactly as before.

Here is what to remember:

• Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi before the trip, because you need an internet connection to download it.
• Your days start counting only when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination country.
• If you run out of data, top up the same eSIM from the Check / Top up page, your HelloSIM account or the app.
• Expect 4G/LTE everywhere HelloSIM sells, and 5G where the local networks listed for your destination are marked 5G.

Popular destinations from Pakistan

Saudi Arabia for Umrah

Umrah is the main reason many Pakistanis travel abroad, especially in Ramadan and during the winter holidays. Saudi Arabia's networks, STC and Mobily, are listed with 5G. Data helps you stay in touch with your group, find your way between the hotel and the mosque, use the official apps you may need, and video-call family at home. Switch the eSIM on as soon as you land in Jeddah or Madinah. Networks can slow down when crowds are at their largest, so keep important documents and bookings saved on your phone for offline use.

UAE

Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are home to many Pakistani workers, so family visits are frequent, along with shopping trips and stopovers. A short visit usually needs light to regular data. If you're staying with relatives for several weeks, you can top up the same eSIM instead of buying a new one.

United Kingdom

Visiting family in Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford or London often means a long stay in the summer or over the winter holidays. Use your eSIM data for WhatsApp calls back to Pakistan, train and bus apps, and maps in unfamiliar towns. Your relatives' home Wi-Fi covers the evenings, so you may need less mobile data than you expect.

Turkey

Istanbul is a favourite holiday and stopover, often combined with Cappadocia or the coast. Distances in Turkey are long, so download offline maps before bus journeys between regions.

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi attract students, families and honeymoon couples. A country plan for Malaysia covers a single-country trip; if you also visit Singapore or Thailand, the Asia Pacific plan covers all three on one eSIM.

Is your phone ready for eSIM?

The phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. iPhone XS, XR and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S, Z and many A models usually do. Many dual-SIM Android phones sold in Pakistan have two physical SIM slots and no eSIM, so look for an "Add eSIM" option in Settings before you buy. Many iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao also use two physical SIM slots instead of eSIM.

PTA registration is a common question. In Pakistan, phones are usually registered with the PTA through their IMEI, and dual-SIM phones carry more than one IMEI. A HelloSIM eSIM is used abroad, on networks at your destination, and your Pakistani SIM stays in the phone. If you're unsure about your phone's PTA status, check with PTA or your operator before you travel, so your home SIM works normally when you return.

Then think about bank codes. Pakistani banks often send OTPs by SMS, so keep your home SIM in the phone with its line switched on for calls and SMS, and turn its data roaming off. On many phones only two lines can be active at the same time, so if you normally use two Pakistani SIMs, decide which one stays active for your bank codes while the eSIM handles data.

Before you fly: step by step

1. 1Check that your phone supports eSIM, is unlocked and that your home SIM is working normally.
2. 2Pick your plan: Saudi Arabia, UAE, United Kingdom, Turkey, or a regional plan for several countries.
3. 3Pay. Your QR code arrives by email straight away and is also in your HelloSIM account and the app.
4. 4Install over Wi-Fi at home: on iPhone, Settings → Mobile/Cellular → Add eSIM; on Android, Settings → Network & internet / Connections → SIMs / SIM manager → Add eSIM (exact wording varies). You can also type in the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the email.
5. 5Ask your operator whether roaming is active on your Pakistani number, so bank SMS can reach you abroad.
6. 6When you land, turn on the HelloSIM line, make it your mobile data line and switch on Data Roaming for it. This is required and has no extra cost because the data is prepaid.
7. 7Switch data roaming off on your Pakistani line.

How much data to buy

• Umrah of 10 to 15 days, with group messages, maps and a few video calls home: 3–5 GB a week is a sensible starting point; add more if you video-call every day.
• Short business trip to Dubai, mostly email, maps and messaging: light use is about 1 GB a week.
• Long family visit to the UK, with Wi-Fi at home in the evenings: regular use of 3–5 GB a week is often enough.
• Heavy use, such as streaming, frequent video calls or remote work: 10 GB or more.
• Running low? Top up the same eSIM instead of buying a new one.

Paying and getting help

You can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay or your HelloSIM wallet balance. Prices are in euros (EUR), and your bank converts them into rupees automatically; you can view prices in USD or GBP on the site for reference. If your card is declined, check with your bank that international online payments are enabled on it.

You can check out as a guest with just your email, so no account is needed, and the QR code arrives by email straight away. Support is available on WhatsApp and by email at [email protected], and emails are answered within 24 hours.