Family travel eSIM: get everyone online abroad

One eSIM per person, one order, set up before you fly

Getting one phone online abroad is easy. Getting four of them online, while you juggle bags, passports and tired children, is where it goes wrong. This guide shows the simple way: check each phone, buy one eSIM per person in a single order, install them at home and switch them on when you land.

The short answer

Each phone needs its own eSIM. Check every phone first by dialling *#06# and looking for an EID. Buy them together so one person gets every QR code, labelled by name. Install them at home on Wi-Fi the day before you fly, then turn them on when you land.

Why This Matters

Roaming on four home SIMs can add up fast, and sorting out data in an arrivals hall with children in tow is nobody's idea of fun. A little planning at home means everyone has maps, messages and the hotel booking as soon as the plane lands.

Step 1: check every phone

Not every phone can use an eSIM. The quickest check works on almost any phone: open the keypad and dial *#06#. If you see a number labelled EID, the phone supports eSIM.

The phone also needs to be unlocked, which means it isn't tied to one network. Phones bought outright usually are. If a child has an older hand-me-down phone, check that one first, because it is the one most likely to miss out. Our guide to checking a child's phone has more detail.

Step 2: buy one eSIM per person, in one order

An eSIM installs on one phone only, so you need one for each person. The easiest way is to buy them together. With Graba SIM family eSIMs one person pays, names each eSIM, and gets every QR code in one email, labelled "eSIM 1 of 4", "eSIM 2 of 4" and so on.

You can give everyone the same plan, or choose more data for the adults and less for younger children. Family orders save 5% on 2 eSIMs, 10% on 3 and 25% on 4 or more, up to 6 in one order.

Step 3: install at home

Install each eSIM on its phone the evening before you travel, on your home Wi-Fi. Scan the QR code from another screen, or open the link on the phone and tap the install button. It takes about two minutes a phone. Leave the travel eSIM switched off until you land. Most plans only start counting days when they first connect at your destination.

Step 4: switch on when you land

When the plane lands, turn the travel eSIM on, choose it for mobile data and turn its Data Roaming on. Then turn Data Roaming off on your usual SIM so you avoid charges from home. Our roaming settings guide shows each screen on iPhone and Android.

A family setup at a glance
When	What to do	Time
A week before	Check every phone with *#06#	10 seconds a phone
A few days before	Buy one eSIM per person in one order	5 minutes
The night before	Install each eSIM at home on Wi-Fi	2 minutes a phone
When you land	Switch on the travel eSIM and set it for data	1 minute a phone

Keep each QR code with the right phone

Each QR code works once, on one phone. Install them one at a time and tick each name off as you go. Family orders label every code with a name for exactly this reason.

A family of four flying to Spain

Two parents and two children check their phones on Sunday, order four eSIMs on Monday with the 25% family saving, and install them on Thursday night. On Friday morning in Málaga, all four phones are online before the bags arrive.

The family eSIM timeline

Week before Check phones
Days before Buy in one order
Night before Install on Wi-Fi
You land Switch on

Most of the work happens at home, on Wi-Fi, before you travel.

Does every phone need its own eSIM?

Can different people have different plans?

Can a phone share its data with a tablet?

Do we keep our usual numbers?

Final Thoughts

Four simple steps cover the whole family: check each phone, buy together, install at home and switch on when you land. Do the first three at home and the last one takes a minute at the airport.

Read next: checking a child's phone, how much data a family needs, installing family eSIMs, family eSIMs in one order.

Get the whole family online

Buy an eSIM for each person in one order, labelled with their names. Save 5% on 2, 10% on 3 and 25% on 4 or more, with free setup help before you travel.

Build your family order

Family travel eSIM: how to get everyone online abroad