Do I need an eSIM for Australia or New Zealand?

If you want data without your home carrier’s roaming rates, yes. A prepaid eSIM places a local line on your phone, so maps, messages and bookings run on a local network while your usual SIM stays in for calls and texts.

Can one eSIM cover both countries?

Prepaid visitor plans are usually sold per country, so a trip that visits Australia and New Zealand uses one plan for each. Your phone holds both lines at the same time, and you switch the data line on as you cross.

When should I set up the eSIM?

Install it on Wi-Fi or mobile data before you fly; the plan starts when it first connects to a network in the country, not when you scan the code. Switch the line on for data after you land.

Will my phone work there?

Current phones from the main brands work on Australian and New Zealand networks. Phones that support eSIM include an iPhone XS or newer, a Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer, and Google Pixel 3 or newer, among others. Each country page has the detail.

Travel guide: Australia and New Zealand

Staying connected

Australia and New Zealand are far from everywhere, and roaming rates are the price of that distance. The alternative is a prepaid eSIM: a second line on your phone that runs on a local network, bought before you fly and switched on when you land.

Australia eSIM covers Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, and what a plan will include.
New Zealand eSIM covers Spark, One NZ and 2degrees, and the two-country trip.

Both pages explain when to install and when the plan starts, which is not the same moment.

Before you fly

Four things, in order:

Check that your phone takes an eSIM (settings, then SIM or Cellular, then look for Add eSIM).
Buy your plan before the trip; the QR code arrives on the order page and stays there.
Install at home on Wi-Fi or mobile data, in a calm moment rather than at the airport.
After landing, switch the QuokkaSIM line on for mobile data and keep roaming off on your usual line.

Power plugs and voltage

Australia and New Zealand share the same plug, the type I with three flat pins, and both run on 230 to 240 volts at 50 Hz. Travellers from the United Kingdom, the United States and most of Europe need a plug adapter. Most chargers for phones and laptops are dual voltage, so the adapter is usually the only thing to pack; check the small print on the charger if it is an older one.

Seasons

The southern hemisphere runs the other way around: summer is December to February, winter is June to August. The Australian summer is also the bushfire season in parts of the country, so check official advice when planning a summer trip through rural areas. School holidays in both countries fall over late December and January, when flights, campsites and the popular routes are busiest.

Emergency numbers and driving

The emergency number is 000 in Australia and 111 in New Zealand, free from any phone, including one on a travel eSIM. In both countries people drive on the left, and a licence from your home country is accepted for a short visit; rental companies will tell you if anything else is needed for your stay.

Where the facts come from

Every factual claim on this site carries the date it was last checked, and the pages name their sources. How that works, and how corrections reach a page, is on how we check.