When you move abroad, setting up internet is one of those admin tasks that can spiral quickly. You’re already dealing with visa paperwork, housing deposits, and figuring out where to buy milk—the last thing you need is to walk into a local mobile shop, navigate a contract in a language you’re still learning, and hand over a foreign bank account you don’t have yet.

We’ve shipped mobile routers and eSIMs to expats in over 160 countries, and the same questions come up every week: Do I need a local SIM? Can I use my home carrier? What about portable WiFi? Here’s what actually works when you’re living abroad long-term, based on what we see every day.

Why expats need different connectivity than tourists

Tourists can get away with a week-long data pack or expensive roaming. Expats can’t. You’re video-calling family back home, attending Zoom meetings, streaming in the evenings, and navigating daily life on Google Maps. You need consistent, predictable connectivity that doesn’t require renewing a short-term rental every seven days or paying roaming fees designed for people who’ll be home by Sunday.

The other difference: you often don’t have the local admin sorted yet. Opening a bank account in Spain can take weeks. Getting a residence certificate in France requires proof of address, which you can’t get until you have a lease, which you can’t sign until you arrive. Local mobile contracts almost always want a local bank account, proof of residence, sometimes even a tax number. eSIM plans and portable WiFi subscriptions skip all of that.

“We managed to stay always connected while travelling around Europe, without having to buy SIM cards in every country and ending up with a handful of them with different balances we couldn’t use. Excellent support team.”
— Patrícia Reis de Magalhães, verified ConnectPls customer

eSIM vs local SIM vs roaming vs portable WiFi: what fits expat life

When eSIM makes sense for expats

If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, a recent Samsung Galaxy, or a Google Pixel, your phone almost certainly supports eSIM. You download a profile, scan a QR code, and you’re connected. No physical card to swap, no shop visit. For expats who move between countries regularly or want to keep their home number active while adding local data, eSIM is clean and simple.

ConnectPls eSIM subscriptions work across 160+ countries with the same monthly billing. You activate before you fly, it works the moment you land, and you’re not juggling multiple SIM cards or hunting for a corner shop that sells them. The Plus Europe package covers over 70 countries with truly unlimited data (no throttling) including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, the Nordics, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. If you’re an expat in Berlin who travels to clients in Amsterdam and Barcelona, you don’t swap plans. You just go.

The single-device trade-off

eSIM connects one phone. If you’re working remotely on a laptop, or you travel with a partner who also needs internet, or you want backup connectivity for your tablet, eSIM alone won’t cover it. That’s where portable WiFi comes in.

Portable WiFi subscriptions: the overlooked expat solution

We ship mobile routers to expats every week. Campervans crossing France and Spain, remote workers settling into Portugal for the winter, families relocating to Germany who need internet before their home broadband is installed. The device is included in the monthly subscription (you don’t buy hardware upfront), it’s shipped to your address in 2–3 working days across Europe or 4–5 in the UK, and it connects up to 10 devices at once.

The Cloud SIM inside switches automatically between local operators, with a backup physical SIM slot if you’re in a remote area. Billing is monthly and flexible. Activate for the months you travel or need it, pause when you don’t. No contracts, no cancellation penalties unless you cancel within the first three months (a £25 fee covers shipping and return logistics).

Real expat scenarios where portable WiFi beats eSIM

• Van lifers and motorhome travellers: You’re moving between France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy every few weeks. Campsites offer WiFi in theory, but it rarely reaches your pitch or handles video calls. A mobile router gives you reliable 4G wherever you park, covers your laptop and partner’s phone, and works across borders without thinking about it.
• Expat families: You’ve just landed in the Netherlands. Your kids need internet for school apps, you’re working remotely, your partner is sorting housing admin online. One portable WiFi device covers everyone while you wait for home broadband installation (which can take weeks).
• Business expats making repeat trips: You’re based in London but spend two weeks a month in Germany and France. A subscription you activate only when traveling is cheaper than daily rentals or roaming, and you’re not hunting for a new pocket WiFi rental in each country.

What portable WiFi actually costs (without the hidden fees)

Short-term pocket WiFi rentals in Japan, Australia, Spain, or France typically charge per day, often €5 to €10. That adds up fast if you’re abroad for months, not days. Rental companies also bury costs: delivery fees, return shipping, damage deposits, data overage charges. A month-long trip can easily hit €150–€200 in rental fees alone.

Monthly subscriptions flip that model. You pay a flat monthly rate with no per-day billing, no return shipping (the device stays with you as long as you subscribe), and no surprise overage bills if you’re in a Group 0 country with truly unlimited data. If you’re spending three months in Spain or six months in Portugal, the math is straightforward: one predictable monthly charge, activated before you go, working the day you arrive.

Group 0, Group 1, Group 2: how coverage actually works

Not all countries are equal in connectivity plans. ConnectPls divides coverage into three groups based on local network costs:

• Group 0 (Plus Europe package): Truly unlimited 4G with no throttling. Includes the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Nordics, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. If you’re an expat in any of these ~70 countries, you can stream, work, and video-call without watching a data meter.
• Group 1 (e.g. Japan, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, UAE): Unlimited 4G but may slow after roughly 5GB per day. That’s still enough for full work days and evening streaming. You’d need to be downloading huge files or tethering multiple heavy users to hit that ceiling.
• Group 2 (e.g. Brazil, Egypt, Morocco): 500MB per day at 4G, then throttled to 256kbps. Usable for email and maps, not ideal for video calls or remote work all day.

Most expats settle in Group 0 countries or make regular trips between them. If you’re heading somewhere in Group 1 or 2, check whether a local SIM (once you’re settled and have local admin sorted) makes sense as a long-term complement.

Activation, billing, and the details that matter when you’re moving abroad

One of the biggest expat pain points we hear: “I ordered connectivity after I arrived, and it took a week to ship.” Order before you fly. ConnectPls ships in 2–3 working days across Europe, 4–5 in the UK, with delivery included to most EU, UK, and US addresses. You activate the plan for your arrival month, it’s ready the moment you land, and you’re not spending your first week abroad hunting for WiFi in cafés.

Billing is monthly and flexible. If you’re an expat who travels back home for a month or takes a summer break elsewhere, you can pause. There’s no long-term contract locking you into 12 or 24 months. The only early-cancellation fee is £25 if you cancel a mobile-router subscription within the first three months, which covers the cost of shipping the device and handling the return.

When a local SIM actually makes sense

If you’re settling in one country for a year or more, have your local bank account and residence sorted, and rarely cross borders, a local SIM can be cheaper. This is especially true in countries with competitive mobile markets like France or Germany. Local carriers offer good-value unlimited plans once you have the paperwork.

The trade-off: setup takes time, you’re locked to one country’s network, and if you travel for work or leisure, you’re back to expensive roaming or juggling multiple SIMs. Many expats we work with use a local SIM as their primary number for in-country calls and texts, and keep an eSIM or portable WiFi subscription as their data workhorse and travel backup. That combination covers daily life and cross-border flexibility without compromising on either.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use eSIM and a physical SIM at the same time?

Yes, most modern phones support dual SIM (one eSIM, one physical SIM). You can keep your home-country number active on the physical SIM for calls and texts, and use the eSIM for data abroad. Or use a local SIM for calls and an eSIM subscription for multi-country data when you travel.

Does portable WiFi work across Europe without changing plans?

If you’re on a subscription that covers Group 0 countries (like the ConnectPls Plus Europe package), yes. One plan works across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Nordics, Turkey, and more with no plan changes or roaming fees. The Cloud SIM switches operators automatically as you cross borders.

What happens if I need to cancel or pause my subscription?

You can cancel anytime with no penalty, except for a £25 fee if you cancel a mobile-router subscription within the first three months (to cover device shipping and return). If you’re pausing (say, you’re heading home for a month), you can deactivate and reactivate later without losing your plan or device.