Are you planning an unforgettable trip to Colombia and want to use Google Maps for navigation, send holiday photos via WhatsApp, or browse online in the evening? Be careful: anyone boarding the plane unprepared often gets a nasty surprise after returning home in the form of a huge mobile bill.
The convenient "roam like at home" arrangement you may know from EU travel does not apply here. If you activate mobile internet in Colombia using your normal UK SIM card, the standard international roaming rates of providers such as EE, Vodafone or O2 will apply.
For context: a short 10-second video someone sends you on WhatsApp uses around 15 MB. That alone could cost you more than £20 in Colombia. A short YouTube video? £100 can disappear faster than you think.
Find out how many gigabytes (GB) you really need for your trip and compare the costs between your current provider and a modern eSIM.
Editorially checked on: 05/07/2026
Instead of searching for an overpriced mobile phone shop at the airport, queueing there and having your passport scanned, simply download an eSIM (a digital SIM card) to your smartphone before departure. You just scan a QR code and have signal as soon as you land.
With market leader Airalo, you can load your data package directly onto your phone via the app. The clever part: your UK mobile number remains active in the background for incoming calls or texts (important for online banking!).
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Once you leave the EU, the strict EU roaming regulations no longer apply. Your UK network provider then has to "buy access" from local mobile operators in Colombia. These interconnection charges can be extremely high. Even special "travel passes" offered by providers by text message are often poor value: you may get a meagre 500 MB to 1 GB for £15 to £30, valid for only 24 hours or one week.
Many backpackers used to buy a local prepaid plastic SIM card at the airport. However, that has three major disadvantages that an eSIM solves:
| Criterion | Local physical SIM | Travel eSIM (Airalo) |
|---|---|---|
| Reachability | Your UK SIM has to come out. You are not reachable on your number (no banking texts!). | Both cards (dual SIM) stay active. You browse locally but remain reachable by phone on your UK number. |
| Time required | Long search and waiting time at the airport after a long flight. | Conveniently installed in the UK via app before you travel. |
| Data protection | Identity documents often have to be copied in questionable shops. | No need to present identity documents locally. |
Many travellers think: "I do not need a data SIM, I will just use the free Wi-Fi at the hotel or in Starbucks." From a security perspective, this is highly questionable. Open networks can easily be manipulated by criminals (man-in-the-middle attacks) to capture your passwords or online banking details. With your own 4G/5G data connection via eSIM, you browse on a closed, secure network and are not tied to being near a café when you need to call an Uber or find your way in Colombia.
Yes, absolutely! WhatsApp is tied to your installed app, not to the physical card currently providing the internet connection. If you use the eSIM for data, WhatsApp will not ask you to change anything. You can message, call and send pictures via WhatsApp exactly as usual – just much more cheaply.
Almost all modern smartphones are eSIM-compatible. This includes all Apple iPhones from the XS model onwards (including 11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the Samsung Galaxy S range from the S20 onwards, and all Google Pixel devices from the Pixel 3 onwards. You can find a detailed compatibility list directly in the Airalo app.
Download the Airalo app and ideally install the eSIM 1 to 2 days before your departure while relaxing on your home Wi-Fi. Depending on the plan, the package is usually only activated and the days only start counting when the eSIM connects to a mobile mast in Colombia for the first time.
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