Philippines SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? A family visit, priced each way
In short
Three weeks in the Philippines on Verizon’s $12-a-day TravelPass come to $252 for one phone (our arithmetic, checked on October 29, 2026). Our Philippines eSIM runs on Smart and covers the main islands, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay among them, data only.
Information verified on October 29, 2026 at the official sources listed below. Carriers change prices and terms; your own plan decides what you pay.
On this page
eSIM for the Philippines from $3.99 — see plans
This site is not affiliated with any carrier named on this page; we sell eSIMs. How we compare
You may not need an eSIM. T-Mobile Experience Beyond and More, AT&T Elite 2.0 and Google Fi Unlimited Premium already include high-speed data in the Philippines. If the visit fits that allowance, it adds nothing to the bill and stays on your own number.
Verizon Unlimited Ultimate prints no country list, so ask Verizon about the Philippines.
Two charges surprise people. Data on an AT&T line that has no pass costs $2.05 per MB (AT&T’s rates page). Verizon’s $12 TravelPass day can be set off by background data, a text you send, or a call you make or answer (Verizon’s FAQs).
Does your US phone work in the Philippines? Carrier by carrier
Yes, on most plans. Twelve of the 14 carriers below list the Philippines, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Google Fi among them (checked on October 29, 2026). On postpaid lines, AT&T and Verizon passes there cost $12 a day.
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming with your US carrier | May be included on some postpaid or prepaid plans of 5 of 9 US carriers otherwise $10.00 to $100.00 a day or pass from about $2.50 per GB | Data roaming on; with some carriers a pass added 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 | An iPhone 14 or later bought in the US works with eSIM only |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from $3.99 by card; from $1.20 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to your carrier | Data only: no calls or texts on your US number |
Roaming prices as published by US carriers, before taxes and fees, checked on October 29, 2026; price per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in US dollars: your card is charged exactly that amount. This site is not affiliated with these carriers; we sell eSIMs.
| Carrier and plan | In the Philippines |
|---|---|
| AT&T postpaid | International Day Pass, $12 a day; each extra line used that day adds $6 (checked on October 29, 2026, AT&T); AT&T destinations |
| AT&T Elite 2.0 | Included: 20GB a month, then up to 512Kbps (checked on October 29, 2026, AT&T); the Philippines listed (checked on October 30, 2026, AT&T Elite 2.0 destinations) |
| AT&T Prepaid | Travel Add-On list: 5GB with talk and text for $40, good for 7 days (checked on October 29, 2026, AT&T Prepaid) |
| Verizon postpaid | TravelPass $12 a day, 5 GB at high speed, then 3G; Monthly Plan $100 (checked on October 29, 2026, TravelPass, Monthly Plan); Verizon destinations |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | No list for this plan: 15GB a month in 210+ countries and destinations, then 1.5 Mbps; ask Verizon about the Philippines (checked on October 29, 2026, Verizon) |
| Verizon Prepaid | 140+ destinations, found only through a search box: look the Philippines up there (checked on October 29, 2026, Verizon Prepaid) |
| T-Mobile postpaid | Included: Experience Beyond 15GB, Experience More 5GB, then up to 256Kbps; Essentials pays for an International Pass (checked on October 29, 2026, T-Mobile); T-Mobile in the Philippines |
| Google Fi | Unlimited Premium includes 50 GB, then 256 kbps; Flexible bills $10 per GB, up to $60 for data (Bill Protection, one person) and high speed up to 15 GB, then 256 kbps (checked on October 30, 2026, Fi plans); on Fi’s 5G list too (checked on October 29, 2026, Fi rates, 5G list); Fi abroad |
| US Mobile | Listed on all three of its networks; Unlimited Premium carries 20 GB, 200 minutes and 250 texts (checked on October 29, 2026, US Mobile) |
| Mint Mobile | Minternational Pass covers 180+ countries; search Mint’s box for the Philippines (checked on October 29, 2026, Mint); Mint Mobile |
| Visible | Base Visible’s Global Pass: $10 a day for talk, text and 2GB with mobile hotspot (checked on October 29, 2026, Visible); Visible |
| Cricket | Passport, $10 a day with no hotspot; partner speeds can fall to 2G (checked on October 29, 2026, Cricket); Cricket |
| Boost Mobile | Global Roaming add-on: 1 GB for $10 a month, an introductory price, then $10 per GB (checked on October 29, 2026, Boost Mobile) |
| Xfinity Mobile | Plus, Select and Premium Unlimited include 10 GB per cycle; By the Gig and Unlimited lines can add a Global Travel Pass, $10 a day, 5 GB, then 3G (checked on October 29, 2026, Xfinity); Xfinity Mobile |
| Spectrum Mobile | Unlimited Plus includes 10 GB a month, then reduced; Global Day Pass is $10 for 24 hours with 1 GB (checked on October 29, 2026, plans, Day Pass); Spectrum Mobile |
| Straight Talk | Publishes no country list; its 7-day perk is $20 for 5 GB and 300 minutes in 140+ destinations (checked on October 29, 2026, Straight Talk) |
| Total Wireless | Listed: MAX 5G, MAX 5G BYO and ALL ACCESS carry 10 GB and 300 minutes a month (checked on October 29, 2026, Total Wireless) |
| Tello | Listed; roaming comes out of your Tello balance, and we have no Philippines rate: type Philippines in “Traveling to” on Tello’s roaming page (checked on October 29, 2026) |
US Mobile, Boost, Straight Talk, Total Wireless and Tello are summed up on International roaming plans. Before you buy anything, run Is my phone unlocked? and Does my phone support eSIM?
Our eSIM for the Philippines 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
eSIM for the Philippines: 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.
You are charged exactly the price shown, in US dollars. The seller is a company registered in the United States, so this is a payment to a US business — 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
The plan price is what you pay for the trip; a day is that price over the plan’s own days, so a longer plan costs less a day only if you use those days. Pick by your trip length first.
A three- to five-week visit: pass or eSIM
For 21 days on one phone, Verizon’s $100 International Monthly Plan undercuts 21 TravelPass days at $252 (our arithmetic, checked on October 29, 2026). T-Mobile’s 30-day Pass is $75; our 20GB plan for 30 days is $23.99, data only.
We compared four ways on October 29, 2026: a carrier pass, data in your plan, a Philippines SIM card and our eSIM. Each was judged on the price for the stay, the data, the network and what your phone needs. Philippine carriers’ visitor terms are not in our checked facts, so the Philippines SIM card is weighed on the phone side only.
We sell one of these options, so we name no sellers and rank none: “best eSIM for the Philippines?” gets a dated table here, not a winner. We compare public packages; check your own plan.
The table prices a family visit. About 2.16 million US residents were born in the Philippines (American Community Survey 2024, Census Bureau). Visiting friends or relatives was the main purpose of 27% of overseas air trips by US residents in 2024 (NTTO).
Overseas air travel by US residents is uneven over the year. NTTO counts about 13.2 million trips in the last quarter of 2025, which holds Christmas, and about 11.7 million in the first (NTTO, Survey of International Air Travelers, 2025).
| One phone, our arithmetic | 21-day trip | 35-day trip |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T Day Pass, postpaid | $120 to $240 by billing cycle with the 10-day cap; $252 without it | Up to $240 with the cap; $420 without it |
| Verizon TravelPass, postpaid | $252 | $420 |
| Verizon International Monthly Plan | $100 | $200, two months |
| T-Mobile Essentials with Passes | $75, the 30-day Pass | $125, the 30-day and the 10-day Pass |
| AT&T Elite 2.0 | $0 inside 20GB a month | $0 inside 20GB a month |
| T-Mobile Experience Beyond or More | $0 inside 15GB or 5GB | $0 inside 15GB or 5GB |
| Google Fi Unlimited Premium | $0 inside 50 GB | $0 inside 50 GB |
| Our 20GB plan, 30 days, data only | $23.99 | $23.99 + $3.99 for a 1GB, 7-day second plan |
| Our 10GB plan, 30 days, data only | $15.99 | $15.99 + $3.99 for a 1GB, 7-day second plan |
AT&T’s cruise page, and not its Day Pass page, says you pay for 10 days at most in one billing cycle (checked on October 29, 2026, AT&T). The capped figures are therefore a hedge: ask AT&T before you count on them. A second AT&T phone used on the same days adds $6 a day, so 21 days for two phones run $378 before any cap (our arithmetic).
Verizon’s Monthly Plan page reads “Perfect for trips of 9 days or more” (checked on October 29, 2026, Verizon). After the first 20GB, its data runs at 3G. T-Mobile’s 30-day Pass is $75 for 30GB and its 10-day Pass $50 for 15GB (checked on October 29, 2026, T-Mobile).
Five weeks on Experience Beyond or More test a different limit. T-Mobile calls that roaming “Not for extended international use” and names no number of days, so ask T-Mobile about a long stay.
Our plans stop at 30 days, so day 31 needs a second plan. With our 1GB, 7-day data-only plan at $3.99, 35 days on the 20GB plan come to $23.99 plus $3.99 (our arithmetic).
We checked 11 travel-eSIM sellers from a US IP on October 29, 2026. Across their 155 prices for 10GB over 30 days, the middle half ran $16.00 to $25.00. That basket pools 29 destinations, so it is not a Philippines price; ours for 10GB over 30 days, data only, is $15.99.
Where an eSIM does not win: five weeks that fit the data your plan already includes add $0 to the bill. On a carrier pass, relatives still reach you on your usual number; ours is data only.
Google Fi’s footnote matters on a long visit: “Data counts towards your monthly high-speed data usage” (Google Fi). The plan doesn’t state a hotspot rule — check the plan page.
Roaming or eSIM prices your own dates.
A Philippines SIM card or a travel eSIM?
A US iPhone 14 or later has no tray for a Philippine SIM card. Apple says those models “purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).
A Philippines SIM card bought in Manila or Cebu then needs an older iPhone or an Android phone with a tray. That phone must also be unlocked. Apple puts it this way: to use another carrier abroad, “your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier” (Apple).
We have no verified source on how Philippine SIM cards are registered, so we print no rule, store or price for them. Ask the Philippine carrier before you plan on one. We sell no physical SIM cards; Do iPhones have SIM cards? shows which models still take one.
What our Philippines plan covers
Our Philippines plan runs on one network, Smart, listed as 5G (plan details as of October 29, 2026). Its plan note says the data-only plan covers the main islands, including Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay.
Smart is the plan’s only network. Globe and DITO are not on it, and we print no coverage comparison between them, so check Smart’s reach for a remote province.
The days start when your phone first connects to a network in the Philippines, so the eSIM can go on at home. The plan gives 365 days from purchase to install it, which leaves room to buy weeks ahead.
One plan lasts 30 days at most. How much data do I need? helps you size a month with family.
Keep your US number on for codes and texts
With a travel eSIM for data, your US line can stay on for texts and 2FA codes. With both lines on, Apple says “your travel eSIM will be used for data” and warns: “You might still incur roaming fees from your home eSIM” (Apple).
Switch data roaming off on the US line; data roaming shows the switch. Even then, a call you make or take, or a text you send, can start a $12 day on AT&T or Verizon.
Calls to relatives’ Philippine numbers are billed their own way. Verizon’s TravelPass includes calls within the country and back to the US. Its FAQs add: “Wi-Fi calling to a country other than the US is charged international long distance rates whether or not you have an international travel plan” (Verizon).
Our plan has no phone number, so any call on it goes through an app over data. Dual SIM explains which line does what, and Keep your US number lists what still reaches you. Install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi with how to install an eSIM.
The U.S. Department of State rates the Philippines Level 2: “Exercise Increased Caution” (updated August 31, 2026, travel.state.gov).
Check before you fly
What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in the Philippines?
Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.
The first is the line for cellular data. In the phone’s SIM settings, pick the travel line for cellular data; your US line stays on for calls and texts, with its cellular data off.
The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats the Philippines 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 Airplane Mode on and off, and let it find Smart; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.
Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimworld.us 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, $3.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, $10.99. If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, $22.99, with 3 GB a day at full speed, then reduced to 1 Mbps.
I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If your US plan already includes the Philippines and its limit is enough for you, roaming costs you nothing extra and keeps your number (compare the carriers). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to your carrier, it cannot take the plan: check if your phone is unlocked. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register a SIM card in the Philippines?
We can’t say: we have no verified source on Philippine SIM registration, so we state no rule. Ask the carrier whose SIM card you plan to buy. Our Philippines plan is an eSIM you can install before the trip, and we sell no local SIM cards.
Is there a monthly eSIM for a family visit to the Philippines?
Yes: our monthly plans for the Philippines last 30 days, with 3GB to 20GB, data only, on the Smart network. For a longer visit, add a second plan for the days after 30. Your US number stays on the home line for calls and texts.
Does the Philippines eSIM work on a US iPhone?
Yes, if the iPhone is unlocked and supports eSIM. Apple says US iPhone 14 models and later activate only with an eSIM, so a local SIM card can’t go in them. Check the lock first with our unlock guide.
Sources checked: AT&T: Day Pass · AT&T: pay-per-use rates · AT&T: the 10-day cap per bill · Verizon: TravelPass FAQs · Verizon: Monthly Plan · T-Mobile: plans abroad · T-Mobile: Pass prices · Google Fi: rates abroad · Google Fi: plans and Bill Protection · Google Fi: 5G destinations · Apple: iPhones with eSIM only · Apple: two eSIMs on iPhone · Census Bureau: ACS 2024, place of birth · NTTO: outbound travelers 2024 · State Department: Philippines advisory.
Sources are linked in the text. Carrier terms change: for the terms of your own plan, check with your carrier.
To buy data before you go, see our Philippines plans.
Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.
Get an eSIM for the Philippines, from $3.99 Pay by card. The seller is a company registered in the United States, so this is a payment to a US business. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by email after payment. See plans