Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
Not available for Sicily
The Philippines is more than seven thousand islands, and a trip almost always becomes a chain of flights, ferries and transfers between them. A ride-hailing car, a boat booking, a flight check, a map in an unfamiliar port: you need all of this right after landing, not after finding a phone shop. The eSIM is installed at home by QR code, and in the Philippines you only switch data on.
This page is the quickest way to buy a travel eSIM for the Philippines from 3 500 ₸. Pick a plan, pay online and install the digital SIM card at home before the flight — no passport and no queue at an airport kiosk.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Manila and the rest of the country.
Compared with roaming in the Philippines, an eSIM is usually much cheaper for mobile data: the price of the package is fixed and known in advance. Your home number stays active on the main SIM for calls and SMS.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for the Philippines at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
On an archipelago it is hard to plan connectivity city by city: you fly out of Manila, sleep in Puerto Princesa, and a few days later you are on another island. One profile for the country saves you from buying a new SIM at every airport, and the plan details are in the plans above. If your route continues to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, compare the regional plans too.
Your main Kazakhstani SIM can stay in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while mobile data comes through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice calls or SMS, so use messengers for hosts, dive centres and drivers, which are very widely used in the Philippines.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to set up | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, in a shop or kiosk |
| What you do in the Philippines | Switch data on for the eSIM | Check your operator's terms | Find a point of sale, SIM registration may apply |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on the operator's tariff |
| Your home number | Stays for calls and banking | Stays active | Usually a second SIM or a swap |
| Several islands on one trip | One profile, coverage depends on the place | Depends on operator terms | One operator, coverage depends on the place |
Coverage is usually good in big cities and at popular resorts, and less predictable in the mountains, on small islands and at sea. These are the places where you will use the internet most.
Most international flights land in Manila, and then come traffic jams and taxi queues. You need internet to call a car, check the terminal of your next flight and message your host. The airport has several terminals, and yours is shown in the ticket or the airline app, so it is better to have a connection in advance.
The administrative centre of Palawan and the gateway to the national park with its underground river. These tours usually need a booking in advance, and the time and confirmation arrive by messenger or email. Internet helps with tickets, contacting your transfer organiser and saving the route map to Sabang.
Busuanga island in northern Palawan is known for wreck diving and Kayangan Lake. Tours go by boat to small islands where signal disappears. In town you need internet to book a boat, contact your guide and check the weather, and it is best to download a map of the area before heading out to sea.
The island of surfers, centred on General Luna and the Cloud 9 break. Many people stay for a long time, work from cafes and rent a scooter. You need internet for navigating narrow roads, booking boards and lessons, ordering food and video calls. Cafe Wi-Fi can be unstable, so mobile data is especially useful here.
An island with the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers and the beaches of Panglao. Routes usually go around the island in a rental car with a driver, and you need the map and a way to reach the driver all day. The Loboc river cruise and roadside stops are generally covered, but weak spots do occur inland.
A calm university city on Negros and the nearby islands: Siquijor with its waterfalls and Apo with its reefs. You travel by ferry and boat, and schedules depend on the weather. Internet helps you check departures, arrange a transfer and find a place to stay, and underwater footage is best backed up to the cloud once you are back ashore.
Rice terraces and mountain villages in northern Luzon. The road from Manila is long and winding, so download an offline map and save addresses beforehand. Towns usually have internet, but on the highway and in the valleys signal can drop. Plan overnight stops and transport ahead rather than on the road.
A city in southern Luzon with a view of the almost perfect cone of Mayon volcano. People go from here to viewpoints and onward to the coast and nature reserves. You need internet for buses, transfers and the weather: in cloud the volcano is hidden, and tours are often rescheduled.
The main services work as at home, but a few apps are especially handy on the islands.
The most common app for taxis and rides in Manila and other big cities. The price is shown in advance and you enter the address in the app. On small islands it does not work everywhere, and people usually travel by tricycle and scooter.
Good for cities, highways and beach resorts. Download offline maps of the island before heading to the mountains or a boat tour: outside the villages signal is unstable.
A food delivery service in big cities. Handy if you come back late in Manila or Cebu and do not want to look for an open cafe. Small islands may have no delivery.
This is how people in the Philippines talk to hotels, dive centres and drivers. Many businesses answer faster on Facebook Messenger than by email. WhatsApp is useful too, but install these two as well.
Booking and Agoda are popular for hotels and guesthouses. Before heading to an island, save the address, the booking confirmation and your host's contact offline, especially if you check in late in the evening.
Domestic flights are often rescheduled because of weather and airport congestion. The Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia apps show changes sooner than the board, and it is better to keep your boarding pass in the phone gallery too.
Make sure your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. You can see this in the settings or on the manufacturer's website.
Choose a Philippines plan above and pay by card on the site, no passport is needed. If you travel on to neighbouring countries after the islands, look at the regional plans.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the Quick install button or manually while you have Wi-Fi. Do not leave it for the airport after a long flight.
After landing in Manila or another airport, choose the eSIM as your mobile data line and switch data roaming on for it.
Keep your main SIM for calls and bank SMS, but turn off mobile data on it so traffic does not go through roaming.
If the package runs out, buy extra data on the site. Sharing the connection with a laptop works on plans that allow hotspot, see the plan page for terms.
Before a ferry, a boat tour or a mountain road, download an offline map and save your booking and contacts. It is not about a fault: signal at sea and on ridges is always uneven.
