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 UK is much more than London: many travellers also head to Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, football matches, university towns and the Scottish Highlands. Train tickets, taxis, restaurant bookings and payments have largely moved into the smartphone, so you need internet from the moment you land. An eSIM is installed at home in advance, and on arrival you only switch data on.
This page is the quickest way to buy a travel eSIM for the United Kingdom 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 — London and the rest of the country.
Compared with roaming in the United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom 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.
British trips rarely stay in one city: you are in London in the morning, on a fast train to Manchester or Edinburgh by midday, and looking for dinner near the station in the evening. For trips like this one profile for the whole country is convenient, with no new SIM to buy in each city. UK plans are listed above, and if your route continues to other countries, look at the regional options.
Your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while mobile data goes through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice calls or SMS, so messengers are the easiest way to talk to hosts, guides and transfer drivers.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to set up | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, in a shop or vending machine |
| What you do in the UK | Just switch data on | Check your operator's terms | Find a point of sale and activate |
| 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 cities on one trip | Yes, one profile nationwide | Depends on operator terms | Yes, but time goes on buying it |
Coverage is dense in big cities and along the railways, and less predictable in the mountains, on the coast and in the countryside. These are the places where you will use the internet most.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are linked to the centre by trains and buses, and routes and timetables are easiest to check on your phone. The capital is huge, so maps, event tickets and taxi bookings are needed all the time. An eSIM installed in advance saves you hunting for Wi-Fi in the arrivals hall and lets you work out the way to your accommodation at once.
The Scottish capital is built around the castle hill and the steep lanes of the Old Town. There is a lot of walking, timed tickets for attractions and evening events, especially during festival season. Mobile internet helps you find the right street quickly, check schedules and book a table ahead.
Two cities for football, music and museums, easy to link by train. On match days crowds gather around the stadiums and signal can be overloaded, so save e-tickets on your phone before leaving the hotel. You need internet for maps, taxis and ordering dinner after the game.
A small university city of colleges, river and walking routes, often visited as a day trip from London. The train ride is short, but on the spot you need a map, the return timetable and the colleges' opening hours, which change. Mobile data also helps with booking a punt and a cafe.
A medieval city with walls, York Minster and narrow streets where a navigator keeps you from going in circles. It is a handy base for rail and bus trips around northern England. Internet makes it easier to check timetables, book accommodation and find cafes that close early.
The Welsh capital suits a city weekend, while Snowdonia National Park draws walkers with its trails and mountains. Signal in the city is steady, but in the valleys and on the slopes it can drop, so download an offline map and the forecast in advance. Mountain weather changes fast.
A road-trip route of scenic drives, lochs, castles and ferries. Many roads here are single-track and signal in glens and on the coast is patchy, so make maps and bookings in advance. Internet helps to check ferry timetables, the forecast and to contact guesthouse hosts.
A resort coastline in the south-west with small harbours, beaches and cliff paths. In summer roads and car parks are busy, and in coves and on headlands signal is often weaker. Download an offline map and save your accommodation address, and use mobile data for bus timetables, tides and restaurant bookings.
Most familiar services work as at home, but these apps are especially common in the UK.
Plans routes by metro, train, bus and on foot, and shows changes and station exits. It is especially useful in London but also works in other big cities. Handy when you need to compare several ways to get somewhere.
Lets you compare routes between cities and buy an e-ticket for the train. The ticket stays on your phone, so no paper is needed. Before the trip, make sure the ticket is saved offline.
Works in the larger UK cities. The price and route are visible before the ride and you do not type the address by hand. Useful with luggage and late in the evening when public transport runs less often.
Another ride-hailing service that often gives a different waiting time and price. It makes sense to install both apps and compare offers on the spot.
Delivery from restaurants and shops in cities. It helps when you arrive late or do not want to look for an open cafe. Add the entry code with the address if the building has one.
Shows public transport, walking and driving routes, opening hours and reviews. Download an offline map of the region before heading to the mountains or the coast.
This is how people talk to hosts, transfer drivers and guides. Since most plans have no voice calls, calling through a messenger is the easiest option.
Check that 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 UK plan above and pay by card on the site. No passport is needed. If you go on across Europe after Britain, look at the regional plans.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the Quick install button or manually while you still have Wi-Fi. You will not need to look for a network on arrival.
After landing in London, Edinburgh or Manchester, select the eSIM as your mobile data line and switch data roaming on for that line.
Keep your main SIM on 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. Hotspot works on plans that allow it, check the terms on the plan page.
Before train rides and trips to the mountains, save e-tickets and offline maps: signal can drop in tunnels and in the countryside.
