Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Pakistan
- NETWORKS
- Jazz
- PLAN TYPE
- Data only
- IP ADDRESS LOCATION
- United Kingdom
- DELIVERY
- QR code by email
How it works
- 1Choose a plan and pay.
- 2Scan the QR code we email you. You can install it before you fly.
- 3When you land in Pakistan, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Questions about the Pakistan eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside Pakistan?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Can I receive bank codes on my home number in Pakistan?
Will flights to Gilgit or Skardu affect how much data I need?
Will I have signal in Hunza and Skardu?
Can I use ride-hailing apps with a data-only eSIM?
Can I make WhatsApp calls to family abroad?
Can I add data if I stay longer than planned?
Pakistan eSIM guide: mobile data for travellers
Pakistan stretches from the Arabian Sea coast at Karachi to some of the highest mountains on earth in the north. Lahore is the cultural heart, with the Badshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort, the Walled City and its food streets. Islamabad, the green and orderly capital, sits beneath the Margalla Hills next to its twin city, Rawalpindi. Further north, the Karakoram Highway climbs through Gilgit-Baltistan to the Hunza valley, with its apricot orchards and forts, and on towards the Khunjerab Pass. Skardu is the gateway to the Baltoro glacier and K2, Fairy Meadows looks up at Nanga Parbat, and the Swat and Kaghan valleys are popular summer escapes. Many visitors also come to see family, for business or for weddings.
Mobile data is central to everyday life in Pakistan's cities, from ride-hailing and food delivery to messaging with family and drivers. In the mountains, it is a welcome bonus where available. A Spidot eSIM gives you data in Pakistan without buying a local SIM, while your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. This guide covers your options, plan sizes, setup, coverage and practical tips.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM in Pakistan
Many visitors to Pakistan are returning diaspora who know the country well, alongside a growing number of adventure travellers. The options are the same for everyone.
Roaming with your home SIM
Pakistan is rarely included in standard roaming bundles for SIMs from the UK, the EU, North America or the Gulf, and roaming data can be expensive. Check your operator's terms for Pakistan before you travel, and turn off data roaming on your home SIM if you do not intend to use it.
A Pakistani SIM
Local SIMs require biometric registration with identity documents, and foreign visitors register with their passport. Separately, Pakistan has rules for registering foreign phones used with local SIMs for longer periods. For residents and long stays, a local SIM is usually the norm. For a short trip, the registration process takes time and you will need to remove your home SIM or use a second slot.
A Spidot eSIM for Pakistan
With Spidot you buy a Pakistan plan online, receive the QR code by email straight after payment and install it at home. Plans start from $2.90. Your home SIM keeps your number for calls and texts, including bank codes, and the Spidot line provides data. Most plans are data-only; if you need to call local numbers, for example drivers, guesthouses or tour operators, see our Data + calls plans.
How much data to plan for
Family visits and business trips tend to involve heavy messaging and video calls, while mountain trips involve long offline stretches. These figures are approximate:
- Maps and navigation: a few megabytes per hour; very helpful in city traffic and for following routes in the north.
- Ride-hailing: small amounts per trip, used frequently in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.
- Messaging and voice notes: light to moderate; WhatsApp is the main way people communicate.
- Video calls: several hundred megabytes per hour.
- Social media and photos: moderate to heavy, especially at weddings and on mountain trips.
- Streaming: heavy, often more than a gigabyte per hour in high definition.
Typical choices
A short business trip to Islamabad or Karachi, with hotel Wi-Fi, usually fits a small or mid-sized fixed data plan. A family visit of several weeks, or a trip that combines Lahore and Islamabad with the northern valleys, is more comfortable with a larger plan.
If you work remotely or share data with a laptop, an unlimited plan may suit you better, keeping in mind that speed may slow after heavy use. A no-expiry plan is useful for regular visitors. You can check how much data is left and add more data when you have a connection.
Before you go
Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. First check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, then follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel.
- Install the eSIM one or two days before departure and label it "Pakistan".
- Keep your home SIM as default for calls and texts and set the Spidot line for mobile data.
- Install and sign in to the ride-hailing, banking and messaging apps you will use while you are still at home.
- Download offline maps of the cities you will visit and of the northern areas.
- Save hotel, host and tour operator details offline.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM.
Arriving in Pakistan
Most international flights arrive at Islamabad International Airport, Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore or Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, with others serving Peshawar, Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad. When you land, turn off flight mode, choose the Spidot line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Our data roaming guide shows where to find the setting.
Arrival halls can be crowded, especially when large families come to meet relatives. With data, you can message whoever is collecting you, share your location or book a ride from the official pick-up area.
Coverage in cities and the northern areas
Pakistan is large and varied, and coverage reflects that. Your Spidot plan connects through Jazz.
Cities
Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar and other cities are generally well covered. As in any big city, signal can vary inside large buildings and in crowded areas.
The Karakoram Highway and the north
In Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and larger towns of Gilgit-Baltistan and the northern valleys, coverage is often available but can be slower and more variable. Between towns, in deep gorges along the Karakoram Highway, at Fairy Meadows and on treks, expect long gaps. Some areas near sensitive borders have limited service. Download offline maps, tell someone your plans and travel with experienced local operators.
Service interruptions
Mobile data has at times been suspended in specific areas during major public events or for security reasons, and access to some online platforms has been restricted at times. Interruptions are usually temporary. Keep offline copies of important information, and follow local news and your hosts' advice. Your Spidot plan uses local networks and follows local rules; it is not designed to get around such restrictions.
Data in traffic, on flights and on the road
In the major cities, ride-hailing apps are widely used, including for rickshaw and motorbike rides, alongside ordinary taxis and rickshaws you flag down in the street. Lahore has a metro bus and an orange-line metro, and Islamabad and Rawalpindi share a metro bus line. Traffic can be heavy, so check routes before setting off.
Domestic flights and long-distance travel
Domestic flights connect major cities and also serve Gilgit and Skardu, though flights into the mountains are weather-dependent and often delayed or cancelled. Motorways link Lahore, Islamabad and other cities, and intercity coaches and trains are common. Data helps you track schedules and stay in touch with drivers.
Road trips in the north
Road travel along the Karakoram Highway and to Skardu is spectacular but slow, with landslides possible, especially during the monsoon and spring thaw. Download offline maps and allow buffer days.
Sharing data with a hotspot
You can usually share your Spidot data with a laptop or another phone through your phone's personal hotspot. It is useful when home or hotel Wi-Fi is slow or during power cuts. All devices use the same allowance, so pause automatic updates and backups on laptops first. Busy family WhatsApp groups can also use a lot of data, so consider turning off automatic media downloads on a fixed plan.
Using public Wi-Fi safely
Hotels, cafés, malls and airports often offer Wi-Fi. Use it with care:
- Use mobile data for banking, payments and important logins.
- Confirm the network name with staff before connecting.
- Avoid entering passwords on sites without a padlock.
- Turn off automatic connection to open networks.
- Never share one-time passwords sent to your phone, whoever asks for them.
Practical tips for Pakistan
A few points help you travel smoothly:
- Money: the currency is the Pakistani rupee. Cards and mobile wallets are common in cities, but cash is essential in markets, rural areas and the north.
- Language: Urdu and English are official languages, and Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and many other languages are widely spoken.
- Power: power cuts can occur, so carry a power bank and charge when you can.
- Dress and photography: dress modestly, and ask before photographing people, especially women.
- Travel advice: check your government's current travel advice for Pakistan, including regional guidance, before you go.
Pakistan on a multi-country trip
Many travellers to Pakistan connect through the Gulf, and some continue to Central Asia or China. Spidot does not sell a regional plan for this part of the world, so use one eSIM per country. Most eSIM phones can store several eSIMs, and you switch the mobile data line when you arrive.
See our plans for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, China and Kyrgyzstan. If you continue across the Khunjerab Pass into China, note that some international apps and websites may be blocked in mainland China. Install all plans at home before you leave.