Best travel eSIMs for business trips abroad

What to look for

Start with where you are going and for how long. A single-country plan is usually cheapest for one destination, while a regional or global plan saves hassle on a multi-stop trip.

Then check how you work. If you tether a laptop to your phone, hotspot allowances matter more than the headline data figure.

• Coverage: the countries you visit, and which local network the eSIM uses
• Data: fixed gigabytes, pay as you go, or unlimited with fair use limits
• Hotspot: whether sharing is allowed and how much
• Calls and texts: most travel eSIMs are data-only
• Validity: when the plan starts (on install or on first connection) and how long it lasts
• Billing: company invoicing, expense exports and spending limits for teams
• Support: 24/7 chat helps when you land late at night

How to choose for a team

For a handful of occasional travellers, letting staff buy their own plan and claim it on expenses is often simplest. Once trips are regular, a business account pays for itself in admin time: Airalo for Business and Ubigi for Business both offer central billing and usage controls, and Saily takes business enquiries.

Write a short policy that says which provider to use, what plan size is reasonable and when to turn off data roaming on the main SIM. Make sure company phones are unlocked and support eSIM before anyone travels.

• Check every handset supports eSIM and is unlocked
• Set a standard plan size per trip type
• Use central billing or a company card to avoid expense claims
• Remind staff to switch off roaming on their UK SIM to avoid daily fees

Getting an invoice your accounts team can use

Consumer eSIM reviews rarely mention paperwork, but a business needs a receipt or invoice in the company's name. What we found on each provider's own pages on 27 October 2026:

• Airalo for Business: purchases can be billed to the organisation and roll into one monthly invoice, or staff pay by card and the spend syncs with your expense system.
• Ubigi for Business: plans can be billed directly to the company, or staff buy their own and claim them as travel expenses.
• Holafly: request an invoice in the app under Profile, Purchase receipts, then Request Invoice; to change the details on an invoice, email help@holafly.com.
• Nomad: a PDF receipt is emailed after purchase, and support can customise the invoice with your company name or tax ID. Orders paid fully with Nomad Points cannot be invoiced.
• Saily and Roamless: ask before buying if you need company details on the invoice.

VAT on travel eSIMs: why there is often nothing to reclaim

Most travel eSIM sellers are based outside the UK. When a UK business buys services from an overseas supplier, the B2B general rule in HMRC's Notice 741A treats the supply as made where the customer belongs, and the UK customer usually accounts for any VAT under the reverse charge.

Telecoms have an extra rule. Under the use and enjoyment provisions in section 13 of the notice, UK VAT is due only on the part of a telecoms service that is not used and enjoyed outside the UK. Data used entirely on a trip abroad will usually fall outside UK VAT, so there may be no UK VAT to reclaim at all. Ask your accountant how to code these purchases, and keep the invoice for your records either way.