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Telstra eSIM for tourists: How to get and activate your eSIM
Looking to get a Telstra eSIM? Follow along for all the details, including pricing, plans, and how you can buy and activate your eSIM.
Telstra, one of the biggest cell service providers in Australia, accommodates both tourists and locals with their plans. Both their prepaid and long-term plans are available with an eSIM, which makes setting up quicker and more convenient than before.
But is Telstra eSIM really the best option? Follow along as we take a look at everything you need to know about Telstra’s eSIM service, as well as some alternatives you may want to consider.
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Telstra eSIM plans
All Telstra plans, be it physical SIM or eSIM, can be split into two categories: prepaid and postpaid.
The prepaid plans are aimed at tourists visiting Australia. They don’t require a long-term contract and can be setup online within minutes. Postpaid plans are mostly for locals, as they include more contractual obligations, require ID to set up, and can’t be set up without intervention from the Telstra customer service team.
Notably, Telstra doesn’t have any good options for Australian tourists traveling abroad. You can get a roaming day pass, but as always with data roaming, it’s somewhat inconvenient and more expensive than using international eSIMs.
Prepaid plans
Telstra has a decent selection of prepaid plans ranging from 7 days to 12 months in duration. All of these plans include a fixed amount of mobile data as well as unlimited calls and messages to Australian numbers.
| Prepaid Plans | ||
| Data | Days | Price |
| 3 GB | 7 | $13 AUD |
| 15 GB | 28 | $39 AUD |
| 25 GB | 28 | $49 AUD |
| 35 GB | 28 | $59 AUD |
| 70 GB | 28 | $69 AUD |
| 70 GB | 180 | $180 AUD |
| 165 GB | 365 | $360 AUD |
Telstra does offer additional bonuses, such as extra GB for the first 3 recharges of a prepaid plan. However, the deals may not last forever, so the data in the table above is on the base plan, without any bonuses.
Postpaid Plans
As mentioned before, the postpaid plans are mostly used by locals or digital nomads spending extended time in Australia. Even though these are more flexible than postpaid plans with most other providers.
Telstra promises that you can switch or cancel your plan any time, and users don’t report any hidden fees in this process. However, you’re still going to have to go through the fuss of signing and cancelling the contract if you want to use this plan for a shorter period of time.
| Postpaid Plans | ||
| Basic | Essential | Premium |
| 50 GB | 180 GB | 300 GB |
| $65 AUD/mo | $75 AUD/mo | $99 AUD/mo |
Devices compatible with Telstra eSIM Australia
Any eSIM-compatible device can work with the Telstra eSIM service as long as it’s unlocked for use on any network. You’re pretty unlikely to buy a prepaid Telstra eSIM without an eSIM-compatible device, though, as the Telstra app checks your device and only allows you to buy the eSIM if you can use it.
How to activate your Telstra eSIM
The eSIM activation process depends on the type of plan you choose, with it being much quicker and easier for prepaid eSIM plans. It’s worth noting that you can only activate your eSIM on the Telstra app, as there are no options to do so through the website.
Activate prepaid Telstra eSIM
While many eSIM providers allow both manual and automatic setup processes for eSIMs, Telstra has wen’t the fool-proof way of only allowing automatic setup through its app. The steps for doing so are as follows:
- Download the Telstra app on your phone.
- Log in if you already have a Telstra account. If not, follow the prompts without logging in.
- Look for a section that says Unlock the benefits of eSIM or Looking for something new?
- Select a prepaid plan. After doing so, you should see a message confirming that your phone is compatible with eSIM technology.
- Follow the prompts to complete the setup process.
After following these steps, you should connect to the Telstra network within minutes.
Activate a postpaid Telstra eSIM
The big issue with getting a postpaid eSIM from Telstra is that you have to have a valid Telstra account to do so. You can set up an account online or over the phone, but that requires you to have either an Australian passport, Australian drivers license, or an Australian learner permit. This means that you can’t set up a Telstra account online as a tourist.
You have a better chance of opening an account in-store, however, it’s still pretty hard to do as a tourist. Just having an international passport isn’t enough, as you’ll need a second photo ID as well, with all other acceptable forms of identification being issued by the Australian government.
If you do manage to open your account, the setup process is exactly the same as with prepaid eSIMs:
- Download the My Telstra app on your phone.
- Log in to your Telstra account.
- Look for a section that says Looking for something new?
- Select a prepaid plan. After doing so, you should see a message confirming that your phone is compatible with eSIM technology.
- Follow the prompts to complete the setup process.
Switch from physical SIM to embedded SIM
If you have a physical SIM with Telstra and would like to make the switch to eSIM, doing so is pretty easy. Once again, everything goes through the Telstra app.
- Open the My Telstra app.
- Locate and open the Services section.
- Choose the Transfer or restore eSIM option.
- Follow the prompts to complete the setup.
Keep in mind that this process isn’t as easy to reverse, as your physical SIM card will become void after making the switch to eSIM.
eSIM alternatives to Telstra
None of the Telstra plans seem like the right fit for you? Thankfully, there are plenty of other eSIM providers in Australia to choose from. Lets take a look at some of the best alternatives, from traveler-oriented international eSIMs to other local eSIM providers in Australia.
Holafly
No matter if you’re traveling to Australia or an Australian traveling abroad, Holafly has something to offer you. All Holafly eSIM plans for Australia include unlimited data and start at $6.90 USD (~$10.80 AUD) and can be as cheap as $1.55 USD/day (~$2.45 AUD/day) depending ont the duration of your plan.
Plan durations are completely flexible, so you can choose any number of days from 1 to 90. With Holafly, you’ll be able to enjoy up to 500 MB of data sharing daily, 24/7 customer support, and solid coverage pretty much anywhere in the world.
Holafly offers coverage in more than 200 destinations, so you’re certain to have coverage no matter where you go. There are no limits to who can get the eSIM and you definitely don’t need an Australian passport to use it.
Unlike local providers, Holafly is a service dedicated to travelers, so the entire experience is tailored for ease of use and peace of mind. It’ll only take minutes to buy and activate an eSIM, after which, you can enjoy having a steady connection no matter where you go.
Optus
Much like Telstra, Optus is a local telecommunications company in Australia that offers eSIM services to its customers. The whole Optus eSIM experience is pretty similar to that of Telstra. There are both prepaid and postpaid plans, with the postpaid options only really accessible to Australians.
As for the prepaid plans, the pricing ranges from $12 AUD for a 7-day eSIM and goes up to $320 for a year-long plan. All plans have a fixed data limit, so you’ll have to keep an eye on your data usage to avoid running out and having to pay extra just to stay connected.
Vodafone Australia
While Vodafone is known as one of the biggest cell service providers in the world, that doesn’t mean that it’s eSIM service is better suited for travelers than local providers. In fact, Vodafone Australia is a separate network and offers a package that’s similar to other local mobile services on this list.
There’s no way to avoid sounding like a broken record here. The prepaid plans range from $12 AUD for 7 days to $320 AUD for 365 days of coverage, with all plans offering limited data, unlimited local calls and messages, and a fixed number of international calls and messages. Postpaid plans are also available, but only easily accessible to Australian locals.
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A senior SEO writer from Lithuania, combining my passion for writing and travel at Holafly. With years of experience in technical fields, I'm here to answer all of your questions about staying connected. I specialize in turning even the most complicated topics into something everyone can understand.
