International Students Arriving in the UK: Getting Online From the Moment You Land

The easiest way for international students to get online in the UK is to install a UK eSIM before you fly, so you have data the moment you land, and then pick up a UK SIM for a UK phone number in your first week. Once you have a UK bank account and an address, you can move to a pay monthly or SIM-only contract if you want one. This works the same for the September and January intakes.

Last checked: 27 October 2026. Immigration and NHS rules can change, so check GOV.UK, the NHS and your university's international student team before you travel.

Why you want data from the moment you land

Your first hours in the UK are when you most need a working phone:

• Getting from the airport to your accommodation, with maps, train tickets or a taxi app.
• Contacting your university, halls or landlord about arrival times and key collection.
• Your UKVI account and eVisa, which you may need for university registration, a landlord's right to rent check or a part-time job.
• Messaging family to say you have arrived safely.

Airport Wi-Fi helps, but it does not follow you onto the train. Roaming on your home SIM can be expensive. A UK travel eSIM gives you data from arrival without needing a UK address, bank account or credit check.

Your eVisa and UKVI account

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) have been replaced by eVisas, a digital record of your immigration status that you view in your UKVI account (GOV.UK eVisas). Things to know before you travel:

• Set up your UKVI account early. You need a valid passport and your visa application number (GOV.UK: get access to your eVisa).
• Phone and email. GOV.UK says you need a phone number and email address you can use each time you sign in. If you used your home number, keep that SIM in your phone so you can still receive codes, or update your details in the account when you have a UK number.
• Travel with the passport linked to your eVisa. If you get a new passport, update it in your UKVI account.
• Share codes. Landlords, employers and sometimes your university ask for a share code to check your status. You generate it in your UKVI account, which needs a data connection.

Before you fly: set up a UK eSIM

1. Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked. Use our compatibility checker.
2. Buy and install at home on Wi-Fi. Our guide on how to buy an eSIM online covers the steps, and when to install a travel eSIM explains timing.
3. Keep your home SIM in the phone for bank codes from home and your UKVI sign-in, with data roaming off so it cannot run up charges.
4. On landing, switch your data line to the UK eSIM and turn on data roaming for that line.

Travel eSIMs are data only. You get mobile data, not a UK phone number. WhatsApp and other apps still work, but for a UK number you need a UK SIM, which is the next step.

Your first week: getting a UK phone number

Many UK services expect a UK mobile number. Banks often use it to verify your identity and send security codes, and doctors, delivery services and part-time employers may text you. The simplest way to get one quickly is a pay as you go SIM:

• Pay as you go SIMs are sold in phone shops, supermarkets and online, and many are free. There is normally no credit check and no need for a UK address.
• Many networks also offer pay as you go or SIM-only plans as an eSIM, which can be set up on the same phone. Our guide to which UK networks support eSIM has the details.
• Get your UK number before you open a bank account, so you can give it on the application.

Your SimplySIM UK eSIM can stay on the phone alongside a UK SIM as backup data until its validity ends. See our comparison of an international SIM card and a travel eSIM for how the options differ.

Later: a UK pay monthly or SIM-only contract

Once you are settled, a SIM-only contract usually gives more data for less per month than pay as you go. Most UK networks and some smaller providers offer student deals, often through a student verification service. To get a contract, you will usually need:

• A UK bank account for the monthly direct debit.
• A UK address, such as your halls or rented home.
• ID, usually your passport.
• To pass a credit check. New arrivals often have no UK credit history, which can make a contract harder to get. Phone contracts sold with a handset are treated as credit agreements.

If a credit check is a problem, a 30-day rolling SIM-only plan or pay as you go is usually easier, and lets you build up a UK history first. Buying a phone outright and using a SIM-only plan avoids the handset credit agreement altogether.

Health and emergency numbers

• 999 (or 112): police, fire, ambulance and coastguard in a life-threatening emergency. Calls are free.
• NHS 111: urgent medical help that is not life threatening, by phone or at 111.nhs.uk. See the NHS guide to when to use 111. In Scotland the service is NHS 24 on 111.
• Register with a GP near your accommodation soon after you arrive. Many universities have a GP practice on or near campus. See how to register with a GP.

Save these numbers, your university security team and your accommodation office in your phone before you fly.

SimplySIM UK plans

On 27 October 2026, SimplySIM plans included:

Prices change, so check the plan page before you buy. The fixed-data UK plans use EE and Three, and the unlimited plans use Vodafone, O2 and Three. All plans for the UK are on the United Kingdom eSIM page. Students can get a single-use 10% discount code with a valid university email address: see the student discount page. Once you start lectures, campus Wi-Fi (often eduroam) will cover much of your day.

FAQs

What is the best SIM for international students in the UK?

A UK eSIM installed before you fly gives you data on arrival with no paperwork. In your first week, add a UK pay as you go SIM or eSIM for a UK number. Once you have a bank account and address, compare SIM-only student deals from UK networks.

Can international students get a UK SIM card without a bank account?

Yes. Pay as you go SIMs usually need no bank account, address or credit check. Pay monthly contracts usually need a UK bank account for the direct debit and a credit check.

Do I still get a BRP as a student in 2026?

No. BRPs have been replaced by eVisas, which you view and prove through your UKVI account. Travel with the passport linked to your eVisa.

Does a UK eSIM give me a UK phone number?

Not a SimplySIM travel eSIM, which is data only. It is for getting online straight away. For a UK number, get a UK pay as you go SIM or a SIM-only plan from a UK network.

What number do I call for a doctor at night in the UK?

Call NHS 111 or use 111.nhs.uk for urgent help that is not life threatening. In an emergency, call 999 or 112.