eSIM in Pakistan (2026): Networks, Price and How to Get One

"eSIM in Pakistan" can mean two different things. The first is a local eSIM from Jazz, Zong or Ufone: your Pakistani number, with calls, SMS and data, stored digitally instead of on a plastic card. The second is a travel eSIM, like the ones we sell: data only, with no phone number, and used abroad.

This guide covers both. Prices, steps and rules were checked on the operators' and PTA's own pages as of November 2026.

Is eSIM available in Pakistan?

Yes. Jazz, Zong and Ufone 5G all issue eSIMs, either as a new connection or by converting your existing number. PTA regulates the price: from 17 August 2026, an operator can charge at most Rs 1,500 for a new eSIM or a conversion. Every operator requires biometric verification in person before it hands over the eSIM.

PTA announced the cap on 7 August 2026; it applies across Pakistan, AJ&K and GB (PTA).

Which networks provide eSIM in Pakistan?

Jazz, Zong and Ufone 5G offer eSIM, and so does Onic, a digital brand of Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), the company behind Ufone 5G. Telenor Pakistan no longer exists as a separate company: it was merged into PTML on 1 July 2026. All of them link the eSIM to your CNIC through biometric verification.

What each operator's own page said as of 2 November 2026:

BVS is the biometric verification system: you confirm your identity with your thumbprint against your CNIC.

Telenor customers: Telenor Pakistan was amalgamated into PTML from 1 July 2026, and Ufone promised continuity of service for both customer bases (Dawn). We could not open Telenor's website on 2 November 2026, so ask at a Ufone or Telenor centre about eSIM.

How much does an eSIM cost in Pakistan?

PTA set a maximum retail price of Rs 1,500 for issuing an eSIM or converting a physical SIM to an eSIM, effective 17 August 2026. Moving an eSIM profile from one phone to another is free for up to 10 transfers. Jazz, Zong and Ufone each list Rs 1,500 on their eSIM pages.

The details on each page, as of 2 November 2026:

• Zong eSIM conversion charges: Rs 1,500 at Zong Customer Service Centres, for a new number or a converted one (Zong).
• Jazz: Rs 1,500, "excluding standard number charges" (Jazz).
• Ufone: Rs 1,500 for both new customers and customers switching a physical Ufone SIM to eSIM (Ufone). The FAQ and terms further down the same page still say Rs 2,000. PTA's cap of Rs 1,500 has applied since 17 August 2026, so if the eSIM charge itself is higher, you can point to PTA's decision.

The cap covers the eSIM itself. A new connection can carry standard or special number charges on top, as Jazz's page and Ufone's terms note.

The 10 free transfers matter when you change phones. Before you pay for a replacement, ask the operator whether your move counts as a free transfer under PTA's August 2026 decision (PTA).

How do I get an eSIM from Jazz, Zong or Ufone?

Check that your phone supports eSIM, then go to the operator's service centre or franchise for biometric verification. After that, you get a voucher with a QR code. At home, connect the phone to Wi-Fi and scan the code in your phone's settings. Jazz says activation takes up to 5 minutes.

The steps, based on the three operators' pages:

1. Check your phone. Jazz, Zong and Ufone publish handset lists, but they are not fully up to date, so check your own phone too (see below).
2. Visit the operator. Go to a Jazz Experience Centre, Zong Customer Service Centre or Ufone Service Centre, or a franchise. Ufone also offers Self Service Booths, open 24/7 (Ufone).
3. Choose new or convert. Zong offers eSIM on a new number ("Book Your Number") or by replacing an existing Zong number (Zong). Jazz and Ufone do both too.
4. Complete biometric verification. All three say this is required before the eSIM is activated.
5. Collect the QR code. Jazz gives it on a voucher, Zong on a physical voucher and Ufone on an "eSIM jacket".
6. Keep the QR code private. All three operators tell you not to share it (Jazz).

Can I buy an eSIM online in Pakistan?

Not entirely. Jazz, Zong and Ufone describe only in-person issuance, with biometric verification at a centre, franchise or booth. Onic lets you order and pay in its app, but an Onic representative still completes biometric verification at a designated location. Travel eSIMs for use abroad are different: they can be bought fully online.

In Onic's app you choose a plan and eSIM, pick or port a number, pay (card, JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account), complete biometric verification, then receive the QR code by email. Onic says activation takes up to 2 hours (Onic).

If you only need data for a trip abroad, you can buy a travel eSIM online and pay in rupees. See our plans and the travel section below.

How do I activate an eSIM in Pakistan?

Connect your phone to Wi-Fi, open the mobile network settings and scan the operator's QR code. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Add Cellular Plan or Add eSIM. On Samsung, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. If Ufone asks for a PIN, its page gives the default as 0000.

iPhone (Apple's steps as of November 2026, checked against iOS 26):

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Scan the QR code with the Camera app, then tap the "Cellular Plan Detected" notification.
3. Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan (Apple).

Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code (Samsung UK). For Android phones, Zong and Ufone describe the path as Settings > SIM Card Manager > eSIM > Add Mobile Plan (Zong). Menu labels vary by One UI version.

Ufone PIN: Ufone says to type the default PIN "0000" when asked (Ufone).

A travel eSIM installs the same way: see how to install a travel eSIM before you fly.

Do I need to check both IMEIs with PTA after getting an eSIM?

Yes, the operators ask you to. Jazz, Zong and Ufone say activating an eSIM brings your phone's second, eSIM IMEI into use. To avoid DIRBS blocking, send both IMEIs to 8484 to check their status, and email screenshots so the eSIM IMEI can be whitelisted. This applies to a phone that is already PTA-approved.

DIRBS (Device Identification Registration and Blocking System) is PTA's system for checking each phone's IMEI, its identity number. You can see your IMEIs by dialling *#06#, and anyone can check an IMEI's status by sending it by SMS to 8484 (PTA). The SMS is a status check, not a registration.

If your phone is not PTA-compliant, it must first be registered by paying the applicable FBR duty and taxes: by dialling *8484#, on the DIRBS portal (dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs) or at an operator's customer service centre (PTA FAQ). The whitelisting email does not replace that.

What the operators ask, as of November 2026:

1. Send both IMEIs to 8484 to check their status (Jazz).
2. Email screenshots of IMEI 1 and IMEI 2 to typeapproval@pta.gov.pk for whitelisting, the address the operators' pages give (Ufone).
3. Zong and Ufone add that if the phone's tax has not been paid, you should pay it first to keep using the eSIM (Zong, Ufone).

Which phones support eSIM in Pakistan?

iPhones from the XS and XR onwards have eSIM (except most mainland-China models), as do the Galaxy S20 and later and the Pixel 4 and later. Not every Android phone does, so check yours in Settings: look for "Add eSIM" or an EID number. To use a travel eSIM abroad, the phone must also be carrier-unlocked.

• iPhone: eSIM needs an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later; in mainland China only a few recent models have it (Apple). Settings > General > About shows an EID if the phone has eSIM (Apple).
• Samsung: Samsung UK lists the Galaxy S20 and later, Z Fold and Z Flip models, and some A-series phones (Samsung UK). Samsung Pakistan's list is shorter, and says availability depends on region and carrier (Samsung Pakistan).
• Google Pixel: Google says every Pixel from the Pixel 4 onwards works with eSIM (Google).
• Carrier lock (for travel eSIMs): on iPhone, Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock must say "No SIM restrictions". Only the original carrier can unlock it (Apple).

More detail by brand: eSIM compatible phones in Pakistan.

Can I use a travel eSIM when I go abroad?

Yes. For a trip abroad you can buy a data-only travel eSIM online, install it at home by QR code, and keep your Jazz, Zong or Ufone SIM for calls and SMS. We take payment in rupees by JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank transfer. The QR code arrives on WhatsApp and email within 6 hours of the payment being confirmed.

How our travel eSIMs work:

• Data only. There is no phone number, and no calls or SMS on the eSIM. Use WhatsApp over its data; your WhatsApp account stays on your Pakistani number.
• Validity starts abroad. The plan's days start when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination, not when you buy it.
• Hotspot is allowed, so one plan can share data with a family member's phone.
• Used abroad only. A travel eSIM runs on local networks in the country you visit. It does not register a phone with PTA or change its status on Pakistani networks.

Your local Jazz or Zong eSIM also works abroad on roaming (Jazz), which keeps your number for bank OTPs. To get calls and SMS on your Pakistani line abroad, its roaming must be on: Jazz says to activate roaming before you leave Pakistan, and calls and SMS are charged at roaming rates (Jazz).

Current packs for Saudi Arabia, for Umrah or a family visit:

For Dubai and the rest of the Emirates, see UAE eSIM plans. For Umrah planning, see Saudi Arabia eSIM.

What are the rules for short visits to Pakistan with a foreign SIM?

Under PTA's current rules, a short-term visitor with an international SIM can use Pakistani networks as a roamer without registering the phone, according to PTA's FAQ. Anyone who wants a Pakistani number needs a Pakistani SIM or eSIM issued in their own name, and that phone must be PTA-compliant or temporarily registered.

PTA's FAQ says overseas Pakistanis and foreigners can temporarily register one phone, for use with a Pakistani SIM in their own name, for 120 days from the date of arrival (PTA FAQ).

Draft rules, not yet in force. In October 2026, PTA published the Draft International Roaming (Inbound) Regulations, 2026 for consultation, with comments due by 10 November 2026 (PTA). As drafted, they would:

• require KYC (identity checks) for inbound roamers, such as passport number, nationality and arrival date, with a separate method for data-only eSIMs;
• treat 90 days or more of roaming within any 180 days, counted per number or per phone's IMEI, as "permanent roaming", which operators could suspend;
• require any travel SIM or eSIM seller operating in Pakistan to register with PTA (PTA draft regulations).

The draft takes effect only from its gazette notification and may change after the consultation. For overseas visitors on a short trip, our Pakistan eSIM page lists data plans.