Travel eSIM for a working holiday or study abroad

A working holiday, a semester abroad or a gap year is a different problem from a two-week holiday. You need data the moment you land, but you may also need a local number for months. This page explains where a travel eSIM fits and where it does not.

Short answer

• First weeks: a travel eSIM gives you data from arrival for maps, transport, messages and job or housing searches, before you have sorted out a local plan.
• The rest of your stay: for months in one country, a local plan with a local number usually suits better. Smartraveller says a local prepaid SIM may be a better option than roaming.
• Your Australian number: a dual-SIM phone can keep it, for example for texts from your Australian bank, alongside a data line.

How long are working holidays?

The Department of Home Affairs says the Working Holiday Maker program lets Australian citizens travel and work in more than 40 countries or jurisdictions, and that Australian participants can generally stay for up to 12 months. Each partner country has its own name and rules for the program, such as the United Kingdom's Youth Mobility Scheme, so check the conditions with that country's representation in Australia. Exchange semesters and study programs vary in length; your institution sets the dates.

How long Telroo plans last

On 17 October 2026, most Telroo fixed-data plans came in 7, 15 or 30-day validities, and daily plans could be chosen for up to 30 days. Some destinations also had a 50GB plan valid for 180 days, including New Zealand, Ireland & UK, North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) and Europe. The United Kingdom-only plans went up to 30 days. Check the selected product page for the current options; no Telroo plan includes a local phone number. Destination guides: New Zealand, UK, Canada, USA and Europe.

A simple plan for arrival

1. Before you fly: install a travel eSIM for your first weeks on Wi-Fi at home (installation guide), and make sure your phone is carrier-unlocked, because you will want to add a local SIM later.
2. On arrival: switch mobile data to the travel eSIM and keep data roaming off on your Australian line.
3. Once you are settling in: compare local plans. Smartraveller lists mobile phone contracts among the up-front costs of moving overseas, along with rental bonds and bank accounts, so budget for one.
4. After you get a local number: update it in your Smartraveller subscription, as Smartraveller recommends, so you still receive alerts for your destination.

Three SIMs, one phone

Your Australian SIM, a travel eSIM and later a local SIM can all live on one phone, but not all at once. Apple says Dual SIM lets an iPhone have two active phone numbers or SIMs, that iPhone 13 and later can use two eSIMs as well as a physical SIM with an eSIM, and that the iPhone uses one mobile data network at a time. So when your local plan starts, turn the travel eSIM line off, and later delete it once its plan has ended (see turning off a travel eSIM). Android phones vary by model; check the maker's dual-SIM help.

Keeping your Australian number

If you rely on your Australian number for bank or government security codes, keep the line. Read keeping your Australian number while using a travel eSIM, and ask your Australian carrier before you leave what happens to your number and any prepaid credit if you are away for months, and what its roaming charges are for incoming texts.

Working holiday and study questions

Can a travel eSIM last my whole working holiday?

Not on its own if you stay a year: the longest Telroo plans were 180 days on 17 October 2026, and only for some destinations. A travel eSIM works best for the first weeks, with a local plan after that.

Will I get a local phone number with a travel eSIM?

No. Telroo plans are data-only, with no local number, standard calls or SMS. If employers or landlords need to call you, a local plan gives you a local number.

Can I study or work in more than one country on one plan?

A regional plan can cover several countries if every one is on its coverage list. See the Europe and Southeast Asia guides.

Sources and last checked

Checked 17 October 2026: Department of Home Affairs, working holidays for Australians; Smartraveller, going overseas to live, work or study and going overseas to backpack (both last updated 18 August 2026); Apple, using Dual SIM with an eSIM. Plan validity options from the Telroo product pages linked above.