We show a saving only when roaming would genuinely cover your whole trip.
UK → India · roaming vs eSIM
Compare eSIMs for India.
Compare what your UK network charges to roam in India with travel eSIMs sized for your trip. See the hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits before opening checkout.
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Hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits beside every plan.
See where each number came from and when we checked it.
The India guide · updated 23 Sept 2026
Short answer: buy an eSIM before you fly. India's own SIMs are cheap but slow to get, and UK roaming is dear.
India is outside every UK network's Europe zone. EE sells Rest of World Zone 1 passes from £6 for 24 hours, O2 Travel is £7 a day at 2Mbps, and Three's Around the World passes start at £12.50 for 3 days. A local Indian SIM costs very little, but you need your passport, your visa and a local address, and it can take anywhere from two to twenty-four hours to activate. An eSIM bought at home works the moment you land, usually for less than a week of roaming. The worked costs below price both.
- Local networks
- Jio, Airtel and Vi carry almost all of India's traffic. Nomad lists Airtel, and Airalo lists Vi India.
- Local SIMs need paperwork
- Indian rules require a passport, a valid visa and a local address for a tourist SIM, with a photograph taken in the shop.
- Activation isn't instant
- A tourist SIM is usually verified before it works, which can take from a couple of hours to a day. An eSIM has no such wait.
- 5G is widespread
- Jio and Airtel have built out 5G across the cities. We can't confirm 5G roaming on any UK network, so plan on 4G speeds.
- Calls over data
- Indian networks carry ordinary calls over 4G. Travel eSIMs here are data only, so use WhatsApp for voice and keep your UK SIM for texts.
What your UK network charges in India
India is outside every UK network's Europe zone. Where a network publishes a charge for India, the row is priced in the calculator above and links to the network's page. Where it prices against your account, we say so rather than guess.
| Network | How India is charged | Worth knowing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | EE Rest of World Zone 1 pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days, £50 for 15 days | Uses your UK allowance, up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling. Full Works and some older plans may already cover this zone, so check the EE app first. | EE mobile price guide ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| O2 | O2 Travel: £7 on each day you use it | Unlimited data, minutes and texts, with speeds capped at 2Mbps: fine for maps and messages, slow for video. Ultimate and some other plans already include it. | O2 Travel ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Vodafone | Priced against your plan in Vodafone's roaming checker | Vodafone's public pages don't print one rate for India. Its roaming checker shows the charge for your number, and some plans include it. | Vodafone global roaming ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Three | Go Roam Around the World passes: £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7, £60 for 14 | Or £5 a day on plans taken out between October 2021 and 17 December 2025; check My3 for the rate on newer plans. Up to 12GB of your UK data abroad, and hotspot use isn't allowed. | Three Go Roam passes ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| iD Mobile | Check iD Mobile's roaming page for India | iD sells Roam Beyond data passes for some destinations outside Europe. We couldn't confirm which applies here, so check before you rely on it. | iD Mobile roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Sky Mobile | Check Sky's destination list for India | Roaming Passport Plus costs £2 on each day you use it in the destinations Sky covers. We couldn't confirm this one. | Sky Roaming Passport Plus ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| giffgaff | Check giffgaff's roaming page for India | giffgaff sells fixed-price travel data add-ons for some destinations outside the EU. Buy one before you use any data, because standard roaming rates apply without it. | giffgaff roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| SMARTY | Outside the EU, you need an out-of-plan add-on | SMARTY charges roaming outside the EU from an out-of-plan add-on balance, at the rates in its price guide. Plan on Wi-Fi or an eSIM for data. | SMARTY roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| VOXI | Check whether India is on VOXI's Global Roaming Extra list | VOXI sells 8- and 15-day Global Roaming Extra passes for listed destinations. Elsewhere it charges by the megabyte. | VOXI roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | Check Tesco Mobile's roaming charges for India | Outside its Home From Home destinations, Tesco Mobile charges roaming by the megabyte. Pay-monthly charges and spend safeguards depend on your tariff. | Tesco Mobile roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
Roaming versus an eSIM, priced for a real trip
Everyday use is about 0.8GB a day, so a week needs 6GB and a fortnight 12GB. Roaming figures come from the same published charges the calculator uses; eSIM figures are the cheapest single plan from each provider that covers the trip, live from Nomad. Klook is left out because it shows prices only on its own page.
7 days · plan for 6GB
UK roaming
- EE£30.00
- Three£30.00
- O2£49.00speed capped at 2Mbps
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 10GB · 30 days≈ £15.75live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
14 days · plan for 12GB
UK roaming
- EE£50.00
- Three£60.00
- O2£98.00speed capped at 2Mbps
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 20GB · 30 days≈ £24.75live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
Roaming figures assume you roam every day of the trip and the pass or daily fee covers your data need; the calculator above lets you change both. Nomad prices are converted from US dollars at a rounded rate and marked as estimates.
The eSIM providers we compare for India
Four providers appear in the comparison above. Saily and Nomad send us live prices, Airalo's are checked by hand, and Klook shows its prices only on its own page. Links we could earn a commission on are marked as sponsored in the page source.
Saily on local partner networks
Quotes real pounds, so the price you see is the price you pay. Saily says it doesn't restrict hotspot use, though your phone or the local network may.
Watch out: Check when the plan starts counting down before you install it.
Saily India plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Nomad on Airtel
Prices in US dollars, which we convert at a rounded Bank of England rate, so your card may charge a little more. Nomad lists Airtel for India and says its eSIMs support hotspot use.
Watch out: Nomad plans have to be activated within 60 days of purchase, so don't buy months ahead.
Nomad India plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Airalo on Vi India
We have no affiliate relationship with Airalo and list it anyway. Its India eSIM lists Vi India as the main network.
Watch out: If you pick an unlimited plan, check its daily full-speed limit before you buy.
Klook on the network named on Klook's page
Klook's price changes with every combination of days and data, so we don't show one. We haven't confirmed a single Klook product page for India, so the link opens Klook's own search for it.
Watch out: You get a QR code on a voucher. Install it on Wi-Fi before you travel and check when the countdown starts.
Klook India plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
What UK networks charge in India
EE puts India in Rest of World Zone 1, so you need a pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days or £50 for 15. O2 Travel covers India at £7 on each day you use it, with unlimited data capped at 2Mbps, and Three sells Go Roam Around the World passes at £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7 and £60 for 14.
The other networks are less clear-cut. Vodafone prices India against your own plan in its roaming checker, and iD Mobile, Sky, giffgaff, SMARTY, VOXI and Tesco Mobile don't publish a single rate we could confirm, so those rows hand you to the network's own page rather than guess. A fortnight on any of the priced options costs more than most India eSIMs.
Why a local SIM is cheap but slow
India's telecom rules treat a tourist SIM as a documented purchase: you hand over your passport and visa, give a local address, have your photograph taken and sign a form. Airport counters at Delhi and Mumbai do it in one visit, but the connection is activated only after the details are verified.
That wait is the real cost. A SIM that starts working the next morning is no use for the taxi you need tonight. An eSIM installed at home covers the arrival, and you can still buy a local SIM later if you're staying for weeks.
Coverage on the road and on the rails
City coverage is excellent and cheap by UK standards, and Jio and Airtel reach most towns along the main routes. Long train journeys, the hills and the desert stretches are patchier, so download tickets, maps and translations before you set off.
If you're travelling between states, nothing changes on a travel eSIM: Indian numbers roam nationally, and your plan's allowance follows you. Check whether the plan you pick allows hotspot use if you'll be sharing with a travelling companion.
Setting up for India
- 01Buy and install at home
Install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi before you travel and keep the new line switched off until you land. Save the QR code or setup details in case you need to reinstall.
- 02Turn off data roaming on your UK line
Leave your UK SIM on so calls and bank texts still reach you, but switch its data roaming off so it can't run up charges.
- 03Make the eSIM your data line
Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data, turn off automatic data switching, and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- 04Keep your UK SIM for bank texts
Indian services often send one-time codes to a local number, but your UK bank will text the number it has on file. Leave the UK line switched on for texts, with its data roaming off.
India questions, answered
Do I need a local SIM card in India?
No. A travel eSIM works on Indian networks without the passport, visa, local address and photograph a tourist SIM requires, and without waiting hours for activation.
What does EE charge for roaming in India?
India is in EE's Rest of World Zone 1, so you need a pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days or £50 for 15, using your UK allowance up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling.
Does O2 Travel cover India?
Yes. O2 Travel is £7 on each day you use it in India, with unlimited data at speeds capped at 2Mbps, which is fine for maps and messages but slow for video.
How much data do I need for two weeks in India?
At our everyday estimate of about 0.8GB a day, around 12GB. Light use, mostly maps and messages, needs about 6GB; heavy use with video or a hotspot, about 28GB.
Will an India eSIM give me an Indian phone number?
The plans compared here are data only, so there's no Indian number. WhatsApp calls work over the data, and anything that insists on an Indian number needs a local SIM with the usual paperwork.
Where the numbers come from
How we work this out.
On EE we price roaming for all 26 destinations. Across the other nine networks we price 145 more network-and-destination combinations from published charges; everywhere else we send you to your network's own checker instead of guessing. Saily and Nomad send us their prices directly, covering 26 destinations. Airalo prices are checked by hand for 5 of them and carry the date we last looked. Klook never shows a price here — we send you to their own page instead of guessing one.
UK roaming rules Checked 25 Aug 2026Hand-checked prices & calls/texts labels Checked 23 Sept 2026Exchange rates (rounded) Checked 23 Sept 2026Price refresh rule Rechecked on a weekly scheduleLive prices from Saily and Nomad working · 26 destinations
Setting up before you fly
Keep your UK number. Turn off its data.
- 01Install at home
Buy before departure, install on Wi-Fi and keep the new line switched off until arrival.
- 02Choose the data line
Set the travel eSIM as Mobile Data and disable data switching so your UK SIM cannot take over.
- 03Keep texts available
Leave the UK line on for banking texts if needed, but turn off its data roaming and avoid chargeable calls.
Common questions
Things worth checking first.
Do you work out what my own network would charge?
On EE, for all 26 destinations. Across the other nine networks, for 145 more network-and-destination combinations. Everywhere else we send you to your network’s own checker rather than invent a number — usually because the network has stopped publishing a rate, or prices it against your individual account. Pick the tariff that applies to you and we work out the daily fees, the cheapest combination of passes, or the per-megabyte rate from your network’s published charges. We only claim a saving when roaming would actually cover your whole trip and everything else you asked for.
Are these prices live?
Saily’s and Nomad’s are — they come from each provider’s own feed and are marked “Live price”. Saily quotes real pounds; Nomad quotes US dollars, which we convert. Airalo prices are checked by hand and carry the date we checked them. They are already in pounds, so they need no conversion. Klook never shows a price here, because we cannot read one reliably; that link takes you to their own page.
Why does one provider show several plans?
Because more than one can fit your trip — a bigger allowance, a longer run before it expires, or unlimited data. We show each provider’s best few for your trip and tuck the rest — including any that cost more without giving you more — behind one “show more” button. Pin up to three to compare side by side.
Where do I find hotspot and speed limits?
Open “Hotspot, speed & other limits” on any plan. It covers whether you can use the phone as a hotspot, what happens when you hit a speed cap, what the fair-use rules are, when the plan starts counting down, and which local network you will be on. If it says “check plan”, the provider’s own wording was not clear enough for us to promise you either way.
Can I make normal calls on these?
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs give you data only — WhatsApp and FaceTime work, but your phone number does not. If you need real calls and texts, answer “Yes” in the form and we will only recommend a plan that we have confirmed includes them.
Will an eSIM work on my phone?
Search for your exact model and we will check it against manufacturer guidance. Two things we cannot check for you: whether your phone is locked to a UK network, and which regional version you own — some models sold in certain countries have no eSIM at all. Confirm both before buying.
How many destinations do you cover?
26 destinations — Turkey, United States, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka — and all 10 UK networks. Saily and Nomad price every destination live; 5 of them also carry hand-checked Airalo prices.