- August 9, 2026
- 5:39 pm
- Israel, World News
For mobile internet abroad, it is no longer necessary to buy a plastic SIM card at the airport or automatically connect your operator’s roaming. NAnews explored what Airalo is, how eSIM works, and what should be checked before purchasing.
You arrive in Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, or another country. The plane is just taxiing to the terminal, and you already need the internet: to write to your family on WhatsApp, open Google Maps, call a taxi, find the hotel address.
Previously, the choice was quite clear: either use the roaming of your Israeli operator or look for a local SIM card after arrival. The eSIM technology added a third option — to purchase a mobile package in advance and load it onto the phone digitally.
This is exactly how Airalo works.
But here it is immediately worth separating two concepts that are often confused. eSIM is a technology. Airalo is a service through which you can purchase a mobile package for eSIM.
What is Airalo in simple terms
Airalo calls itself an international eSIM marketplace. In its terms, the company more precisely defines its role as an aggregator and platform for communication services: it collects offers from mobile connectivity providers and sells the corresponding eSIM packages to the user. Currently, the service offers connection options for more than 200 countries and destinations.
Therefore, perceiving Airalo as another Cellcom, Partner, or Pelephone is not quite correct.
The user opens the Airalo website or app, selects a country or region, buys a suitable package, and receives a digital eSIM that can be installed on a compatible smartphone. Already in the destination country, the phone uses this eSIM to connect to a supported mobile network.
No plastic card needs to be received.
For a person, it looks something like this:
country → internet package → payment → eSIM installation → network connection after arrival.
You can view available Airalo options for the travel country here:
And what is eSIM and where is it located?
A regular SIM card is familiar to almost everyone: a small plastic card with a chip that we insert into the phone.
With eSIM, the principle is different.
The necessary module is already built into a compatible device, so there is no need to change the physical card. After purchase, the user downloads a digital profile of the operator or service provider onto the smartphone. Airalo allows installing purchased eSIMs through the app, QR code, or manual data entry — the available method depends on the device and specific offer.
Have you ever seen the “Add eSIM” option in iPhone or Android settings and didn’t understand why it’s needed?
That’s exactly for such cases.
Moreover, your main Israeli SIM or eSIM can remain in the phone at the same time.
This makes the technology especially interesting for Israelis who travel a lot between Israel, Europe, and other countries.
How Airalo works: from purchase to internet appearance
Let’s go through the whole process without advertising shortcuts.
First, the user goes to Airalo and selects the destination. For example, they are flying from Israel to Poland.
Next, you need to choose a package. Offers may vary in the number of gigabytes, validity period, supported networks, and availability of additional services. Airalo offers both packages with a certain amount of data and some options with other conditions, so the characteristics need to be checked directly before purchase.
After payment, the eSIM appears in the user’s account. In most cases, it becomes available almost immediately, although Airalo warns that sometimes processing may take longer.
Then the eSIM is installed in the phone.
After arrival, you need to enable the corresponding line and select it for mobile data transmission. When the installed eSIM registers in the supported network of the destination country, the phone receives mobile internet within the purchased package.
That is, technically, Airalo does not create a separate Wi-Fi for the tourist. The phone still connects to a regular mobile network — just access to it is arranged through the downloaded eSIM.
And what will happen to my Israeli number?
This is one of the main questions for the Israeli user.
Suppose your permanent number from Partner, Cellcom, Pelephone, or another operator is in the phone. To use the tourist eSIM, it is not necessary to delete it.
If Dual SIM support is available, the phone can use different lines for different tasks. For example:
- leave the Israeli SIM active for your number, calls, and SMS;
- assign Airalo for mobile data transmission;
- WhatsApp and other internet applications will continue to work through mobile internet;
- the usual WhatsApp number does not automatically change from installing a new eSIM.
Airalo separately explains that when using a data-only eSIM, the user can leave another line active for voice communication and SMS.
But there is an important detail here.
If your Israeli SIM remains active abroad, the conditions for calls, SMS, and roaming on this line are determined by your Israeli operator. The presence of Airalo itself does not cancel possible expenses on the main SIM.
Therefore, before departure, it is worth checking not only the eSIM but also the settings of your own line.
For NAnews — Israel News readers, this is perhaps more important than promises of “internet in a few minutes”: a mistake in choosing the data transmission line can make all the savings meaningless.
You can view available Airalo options for the travel country here:
Does Airalo provide a new phone number?
Not necessarily.
Airalo has different types of packages. Some are intended only for mobile data — data-only. Through such an eSIM, you cannot make regular voice calls or send traditional SMS from this line. However, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and other services using the internet work through mobile data.
There are also offers that include mobile data, calls, and text messages. For example, Airalo offers global options with data, calls, and texts, but the availability of such functions needs to be checked for a specific package before payment.
Therefore, the formula “bought Airalo — got a foreign number” is incorrect.
Sometimes a number or phone services are included in the package. Sometimes not.
If you need a local number, for example, for work, registration in a certain service, or for a long stay in the country, this parameter needs to be checked separately.
Local, Regional, or Global: why does Airalo have so many options
On Airalo, offers are divided into local, regional, and global eSIMs.
Local eSIM is designed for one country.
Flying from Israel only to Germany? Then it makes sense to first look at the package for Germany.
Regional eSIM covers several countries in a specific region.
Imagine the route:
Israel → Poland → Germany → Czech Republic.
Instead of a separate eSIM for each stop, you can check the European regional package and see if the necessary countries are included in the coverage.
Global eSIM is intended for trips across different countries and regions of the world. But the word Global does not automatically mean “works absolutely everywhere”: the list of supported countries needs to be checked for a specific offer.
Therefore, choosing a package only by its name is not worth it.
You can view available Airalo options for the travel country here:
What to check before clicking “Buy”
Here begins the most important part.
The mere fact that Airalo sells eSIM for your country does not mean that the first package you come across is right for you.
Before payment, NAnews — Israel News recommends checking at least the following parameters.
Does your phone support eSIM
Not all smartphones can work with eSIM. Moreover, support may depend not only on the model name but also on the specific version of the device and the market for which it was released. Airalo maintains a separate list of compatible devices and recommends checking compatibility before purchase.
Is the device locked to one operator
Airalo indicates that to install an eSIM, the device must be unlocked to work with other networks. If the smartphone is carrier-locked, this issue must first be resolved with your operator.
How much internet are you buying
1 GB for a few messages, maps, and checking mail is one story.
Work video calls, YouTube, uploading photos, and sharing the internet to a laptop is quite another.
You need to look not only at the price but also at the amount of data.
How many days is the package valid
Packages have a validity period. This can be, for example, 7, 15, or 30 days, although specific options vary.
When does the countdown start
This is especially important.
For most Airalo eSIMs, the validity period starts after activation, and activation usually occurs when the installed eSIM first connects to a supported network at the destination. But this is not a universal rule for absolutely every product: Airalo recommends opening Additional Information → Activation Policy and checking the conditions of a specific eSIM before purchase.
In other words, you cannot automatically assume: “I’ll buy today, and the 30 days will start counting only after the plane.”
First, we look at the Activation Policy.
Can you buy more internet later
For many eSIMs, additional Top Up packages are available, but the possibility of replenishment depends on the product. In the Airalo app, a corresponding function appears for compatible eSIMs.
Are there regular calls and SMS
If this is important — check before payment.
Not after.
Can you share the internet
Airalo reports that Personal Hotspot/Tethering can be used if supported by the device and the network used. Therefore, a person who needs the internet also for a laptop should better check this point separately.
What is cheaper: Airalo, local SIM, or Israeli roaming?
Here we deliberately will not write that Airalo eSIM is “always cheaper.”
There is no such universal rule.
Operator prices, roaming packages, and eSIM offers change. Moreover, for two people flying to one country, the optimal options may turn out to be different.
It is more correct to compare the three solutions before each trip.
Israeli operator roaming is convenient because the user practically does not need to install anything. But the cost depends on your operator and the purchased package.
Local SIM card may sometimes be more attractive in terms of data volume or conditions. However, it usually needs to be received or purchased from a local operator and go through the provided connection procedure.
Travel eSIM like Airalo is primarily interesting because the internet issue can be resolved before the trip and without removing the main SIM from the phone.
Therefore, the question should not be “what is always cheaper?”, but:
What exactly do I need on this trip and how much will it cost for each of the three options?
When Airalo can really be convenient
Let’s take a few situations familiar to the NAnews audience.
An Israeli arrives in Europe for only three to four days. He doesn’t need a local contract and a new number. He needs maps, WhatsApp, websites, taxis, and mail.
Another scenario: a person arrives in an unfamiliar country late in the evening. He doesn’t want to look for a mobile operator’s store and deal with local tariffs right after the airport.
The third option is a trip through several European countries at once. In this case, a regional eSIM can eliminate the need to buy a separate SIM at each stop. Airalo offers regional options for traveling through multiple countries.
Another scenario familiar to our audience is trips between Israel, Ukraine, and European countries. Communication is often needed not ‘tomorrow after I find a salon,’ but immediately: to write to family, open navigation, check a train, or order a car.
This is where the very idea of eSIM becomes clearer than any advertisement.
You can view available Airalo options for the country of your trip here:
When Airalo may not be the best option
There are also reverse cases.
If your phone doesn’t support eSIM at all, buying such a package is pointless.
If you need a full local phone number for several months, a local operator may be a more logical solution.
If a very large amount of mobile traffic is needed, offers should be compared — a local tariff may be more interesting.
If your Israeli operator already offers a suitable roaming package at a good price, installing an additional eSIM may simply not provide a noticeable advantage.
Finally, for someone who absolutely doesn’t want to deal with Dual SIM settings, it may sometimes be easier to activate a pre-purchased roaming package from their operator once.
Technology is convenient when it solves a problem. Not the other way around.
A few settings that are better done at home
If you still choose eSIM, don’t leave the first acquaintance with it for the moment of boarding the plane.
It is more reasonable to install the profile with stable internet access and according to the specific eSIM instructions.
After installation, give the lines clear names. For example:
Israel
Travel
or:
Partner
Airalo Europe
This way, there’s much less chance of confusing them later.
Before use, check which SIM is assigned for mobile data, which is for calls, and whether Data Roaming needs to be enabled for the tourist line according to your package instructions.
And one more point that is easy to underestimate: do not delete the eSIM just because you don’t need it right now. Airalo warns that eSIM usually cannot be reinstalled after deletion and recommends temporarily disabling the profile if further use is planned.
Disabling and deleting are not the same.
What NAnews checked before this publication
It is important to outline the boundaries of the material here.
The editorial team checked the instructions relevant as of August 2026 for purchasing and installing eSIM, device compatibility, operation of data-only packages, retention of the main SIM, activation times, and traffic replenishment. Official Airalo pages and the company’s help center were used for the material.
At the same time, we do not present this article as an independent test of Airalo’s mobile network quality in each country. Speed, 4G/5G availability, and coverage quality depend, among other things, on the specific package, partner network, location, and connection conditions.
The next level of verification is the actual purchase of an eSIM, installation on a specific smartphone, and testing during a trip. Such material already makes sense to do separately, with screenshots and actual results.
Pros and limitations of Airalo that are already visible
The main advantage of eSIM in travel is the absence of the need to change a physical card. Communication can be prepared in advance, and the main line can be left in the phone with a compatible device.
The second advantage is the choice between one country, a region, and broader international coverage.
The third is management through the app: Airalo allows you to purchase packages, see your eSIMs, and for supported options, buy additional traffic.
But the limitations are no less real.
A compatible and unlocked smartphone is needed.
Not every package provides a phone number and regular calls.
Different eSIMs have different validity periods and activation times.
And the cost still needs to be compared with alternatives directly before the trip.
So who makes sense to try Airalo?
First of all, a person who needs mobile internet immediately after arrival and who doesn’t want to change the main SIM card.
This option is especially understandable for short trips and routes through several countries.
Airalo is interesting here not as ‘another foreign operator,’ but as a way to buy access to the mobile network of the desired country in advance and load it directly into the phone.
But before paying, ask yourself five questions:
Does my phone support eSIM?
Which countries are covered?
How many gigabytes do I really need?
Do I need regular calls and SMS?
And is the specific package more advantageous than my operator’s offer?
If the answers fit — then you can choose eSIM.
Check available Airalo eSIMs for your trip’s country: https://airalo.pxf.io/QYWr76
