New Zealand SIM card or eSIM from the UK: campervans, roaming and Australia on the same trip
In short
Tesco Mobile charges 1p a MB in New Zealand, EE £26.50 for a 7-day pass and Vodafone £8 a day of use (checked on 24 October 2026, Tesco roaming). Our New Zealand eSIM from the UK is £2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, data only. There are four ways to stay connected: your UK network, a travel eSIM, a local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi.
Information verified on 24 October 2026 at the official sources listed below. This is not immigration or legal advice; check GOV.UK and the official website of your destination before you travel. How we check information.
On this page
eSIM for New Zealand from £2.99 — see plans At a glance
- Purchase QR code by email · after payment
- Installation profile on your phone · up to 365 days
- Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts
Get an eSIM for New Zealand — from £2.99
This site is not affiliated with any of the networks mentioned here; we sell eSIMs. How we compare
You may not need us. On Tesco, 1,000MB costs £10 (our sum). Sky VIP Diamond customers roam there free; Vodafone Global Roam, O2 Volt, selected Plus and Ultimate, and Three Complete plans include New Zealand. An eSIM helps where your network sells no data without a pass, or on a stay of weeks.
What do UK networks charge in New Zealand?
Roaming in New Zealand on UK networks runs from 1p a MB at Tesco to £8 a day at Vodafone and Three (checked on 24 October 2026). EE, O2, Talkmobile, VOXI and SMARTY give you no data there until you buy a pass, bolt-on or add-on.
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your UK network | Included on 1 of 15 UK networks, within fair use otherwise £2.00 to £60.00 a day or pass from about £1.25 per GB | Data roaming on; on some networks a pass bought before you fly | Paid passes cost more per GB than the eSIM |
| Pocket Wi-Fi router | Not verified | Collect it, keep it charged and return it | One connection for the group, only while you stay together |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Not verified | A free SIM slot and a shop after landing | On a one-slot phone it replaces your UK SIM |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from £2.99 by card; from £1.15 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to one operator | Data only: no calls or texts on your UK number |
Roaming prices as published by the 15 UK networks, checked on 24 October 2026; price per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in pounds at the day’s rate: your card is charged exactly that amount. This site is not affiliated with these networks; we sell eSIMs.
| Network | Price in New Zealand | Zone and catch | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | £5.50 a day pass, £26.50 a week pass | RoW Zone 1; the pass unlocks your UK allowance; nothing works on data without one | 24 October 2026 |
| Vodafone | £8 a day of use | Zone C; £6 on pay monthly plans started before 11 August 2021; Global Roam includes it | 24 October 2026 |
| O2 | O2 Travel £7 a day you use it; bolt-ons 1GB £6, 3GB £13, 5GB £18 | Zone 1, Pay Monthly; Volt, selected Plus and Ultimate include it | 24 October 2026 |
| Three | £8 a day; Around the World passes £12.50 (3 days), £30 (7), £60 (14); Worldwide Data Travel Pass 18GB £26 (7 days), 40GB £54 (14) | Go Roam Around the World; £8 for Lite and Lite+ joined or upgraded from 18 December 2025 (older plans: price guide); Complete includes it | 24 October 2026 |
| iD Mobile | Roam Beyond: 2GB £5 (1 day), 10GB £20 (5 days), 20GB £35 (10 days) | £45 roaming data limit by default | 24 October 2026 |
| Lebara | 4GB £5 (8 days), 7GB £10 (15 days) | Zone 4 add-on | 24 October 2026 |
| giffgaff | 20p per MB, or a 30-day travel add-on of 1GB, 5GB or 10GB, “From £4” | Zone A; New Zealand’s add-on price shows in the app only | 24 October 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | 1p per MB | Region 3; pay monthly and pay as you go alike | 24 October 2026 |
| Sky Mobile | £2 a day | Roaming Passport Plus; a call made, a text sent or 10MB+ of data opens 24 hours; VIP Diamond free | 24 October 2026 |
| VOXI | 2GB £16 (8 days), 4GB £26.60 (15 days) | Global Roaming Extra, minutes and texts included, timed from purchase | 24 October 2026 |
| SMARTY | 10p per MB | Roaming 1, taken from out-of-plan add-on credit; none loaded, no data | 24 October 2026 |
| Talkmobile | 500MB £5 (1 day), 5GB £20 (8 days), 8GB £30 (15 days) | World Holiday Booster, Zone B | 24 October 2026 |
| Lyca Mobile | New Zealand pass 1.5GB £5 (7 days), 3GB £10 (14 days) | pay as you go, from top-up credit; at most 5 in 30 days | 24 October 2026 |
| BT Mobile | Travel Data Pass, 500MB for 24 hours | New Zealand is one of its 12 countries; BT quotes three prices, so we print none | 24 October 2026 |
| Asda Mobile | 20p per MB | the USA / Canada / Australia / NZ / Switzerland group | 24 October 2026 |
Vodafone, Three and Sky count days of use, not days away. Full rates sit on our EE, Vodafone and Three pages.
eSIM for New Zealand: selected plans
The entry plan, our pick and a bigger one. “Our pick” is a mid-size plan chosen by us, not a sales ranking.
Prices are in pounds; you are charged in GBP, exactly the amount shown. The seller is registered in the United States, so your bank may apply its own rules to a payment to a seller abroad — how card payment works. It appears on your statement as JET SHARING. You pay on the secure Stripe checkout page, by card, or Apple Pay or Google Pay if Stripe shows them on your device.
What it costs per day
Plan price in pounds ÷ days, at the rate of 1 Nov. A longer plan usually costs less per day: pick by your trip length, not by the lowest daily price.
A campervan trip: the sums
A fortnight of daily use comes to £28 on Sky, £53 on EE and £112 on Vodafone (our arithmetic, checked on 24 October 2026). Our 5 GB plan covers 30 days for £9.99, data only.
Residents of Great Britain made 129,000 visits to New Zealand in 2025 and stayed 33.8 nights on average, so the table runs to 34 days; 72.9% went to see friends and relatives (ONS Travel trends 2025, a small sample).
| Network or plan | 14 days | 34 days | How we added it up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky, not VIP Diamond | £28 | £68 | £2 a day of use |
| EE, Zone 1 | £53 | £132.50 | week passes at £26.50; five cover 35 days |
| Three, Lite and Lite+ from 18 December 2025 | £60 | £145 | two 14-day passes plus two 3-day passes |
| Vodafone, pay monthly from 11 August 2021 | £112 | £272 | £8 a day of use |
| Lyca, pay as you go | £10 for 3GB | £25 for 7.5GB | two 14-day passes, then one 7-day |
| Our New Zealand plan, data only | £9.99 for 5 GB | £14.99 for 10 GB over 30 days, plus £2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days | days count from first connection |
Totals assume use every day. Three’s Worldwide Data Travel Pass, data only, is £54 for 40GB over 14 days. A network pass keeps your own number and UK allowance; our plan is a data-only eSIM on a second line, with calls and texts left on your UK SIM (keeping your UK number).
In a van, the signal matters more than the price. We hold no 4G/5G coverage data for rural New Zealand: check the network’s own map along your route and save maps offline. Our New Zealand plan names one network, Spark, with none to fall back on. Roaming or eSIM covers the general choice.
New Zealand SIM card or eSIM?
New Zealand SIM card vs eSIM comes down to the number. A local SIM gives you a New Zealand number; a travel eSIM gives you data you install at home. We have not checked local SIM prices, so we give none.
A local SIM is bought in person after landing, usually with your passport, and takes your UK SIM’s slot unless your phone has a second eSIM line. Pocket Wi-Fi is one more device to charge in the van. Read the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for New Zealand before you book.
To pick the best eSIM for New Zealand, look at four things: GB and days plans, the network, hotspot and tethering, and the start rule. Our New Zealand listing marks Spark as 5G, but its plan note says LTE, data only (catalogue checked on 24 October 2026), so we promise Spark on 4G (LTE), not 5G. The listing states no hotspot rule, so check the plan card before you tether a laptop.
Install before you travel, on home Wi-Fi (how to install an eSIM), and check you have an eSIM-compatible phone. You can install a plan up to 365 days after buying.
Australia and New Zealand on one trip
One eSIM does cover an Australia and New Zealand trip. Our Oceania plan lists both, data only, 4G: 5 GB over 30 days is £10.99 and 10 GB over 30 days is £13.99. The plan starts on first connection in either country.
For New Zealand it lists 2degrees, One NZ and Spark, the fallback the single-network plan lacks; for Australia, Vodafone, Telstra and 
Optus. A trip longer than 30 days needs another plan. Australia has its own guide.
Watch the stopover. Fiji is on the Oceania plan too, so a stopover night there starts its 30 days. On a stopover outside the plan, keep mobile data off on the eSIM line until you land. Data roaming off on the UK line stops data charges only: on Sky, a call you make or a text you send still starts the £2 day.
Check before you fly
What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in New Zealand?
Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.
The first is the line for mobile data. In the phone’s SIM settings, pick the travel line for mobile data; your UK line stays on for calls and texts, with its mobile data off.
The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats New Zealand as roaming for it.
The third is the APN. On this plan it sets itself, so leave it alone; you don’t need to type one.
The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch aeroplane mode on and off, and let it find Spark; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.
Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimworld.co.uk with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.
What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)
For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, £2.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, £9.99. If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, £19.99, with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.
I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If your UK plan already includes New Zealand and its fair use limit is enough for you, roaming costs you nothing extra and keeps your number (compare the networks). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Should I get an eSIM or physical SIM in New Zealand?
An eSIM, if your phone takes one and you need data only: you install it at home. A local SIM gives a New Zealand number but is bought in person after landing; we have not checked its price.
What is the best eSIM for New Zealand from the UK?
There is no single best eSIM for New Zealand, and we rank no seller. Pick the GB and days you need on a plan that names its network: ours names Spark, on 4G, and the Oceania plan names three. On Tesco, at 1p a MB, you may not need an eSIM.
Can I use my UK phone in New Zealand?
Yes, but the charge differs: Tesco 1p a MB, Sky £2 a day, EE £26.50 for 7 days (checked on 24 October 2026). On EE, O2, Talkmobile, VOXI and SMARTY no data works until you buy a pass or add-on.
Is one eSIM enough for Australia and New Zealand?
Yes. The Oceania plan lists both, data only, for 30 days from first connection; a longer stay needs another plan. Your UK number stays on your UK SIM for calls and texts.
Sources checked: Tesco Mobile roaming · EE price guide, 31 March 2026 (PDF) · Vodafone roaming guide · O2 data roaming Bolt Ons · Three Your Way price guide, post 19 April 2026 (PDF) · iD Mobile roaming · Lebara roaming add-on · giffgaff roaming · Sky Mobile roaming · VOXI Global Roaming Extras · SMARTY price guide (PDF) · Talkmobile Booster details · Lyca Mobile roaming · BT Travel Data Pass · Asda Mobile roaming · ONS Travel trends 2025 · FCDO: New Zealand travel advice.
Sources are linked in the text; reviewed by Nadezhda Semenova. For the terms of your own contract, check with your network.
Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.
Get an eSIM for New Zealand, from £2.99 Pay by card in pounds. The seller is registered in the United States, so your bank may apply its own rules to a payment to a seller abroad. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by email after payment. See plans