eSIM Switzerland: Mobile Data for a Country Outside the EU

Inside the EU, many mobile tariffs let you use data in other member states on similar terms as at home. Those EU roaming rules do not apply in Switzerland, because the country is not an EU member. As a result, many EU tariffs charge roaming in Switzerland, and the conditions vary from tariff to tariff.

Before you go, it is worth checking what your own provider charges there. If you would rather not depend on it, a travel eSIM for Switzerland is a simple alternative: you know in advance what you pay, and your mobile data runs over the eSIM instead of your home tariff.

The eSIM uses local networks in Switzerland. Coverage is available in Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Winterthur, Thun and Biel/Bienne, as well as in other cities.

Depending on the network operator and your location, you get 3G, 4G/LTE or 5G. Speeds may be reduced under the fair-use policy of the Swiss operator. Whether you land at the airport or arrive by train, your eSIM in Zurich, Basel or Lausanne behaves the same: switch it on and it looks for a local network.

A few minutes of preparation save you from searching for Wi-Fi after arrival:

Check that your phone can take an eSIM

Your phone has to support eSIM and must not be locked to one network (SIM lock). Note that some iPhone models from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have no eSIM.

Order Switzerland and pay with your balance

Select Switzerland on the eSIM page, choose a plan and log in. You pay from your Anosim balance, which you top up with cryptocurrency or by bank transfer. There is no ID check when you buy.

Scan the QR code while on Wi-Fi

Install the eSIM at home with your phone connected to Wi-Fi, but leave it switched off for now. The QR code works a single time, so keep the eSIM profile on your phone and never scan the code twice. Your plan is listed afterwards under My eSIM Plans.

Once you are in Switzerland, open your phone settings, switch the eSIM on, select it as the line for mobile data and allow data roaming for it. In most cases it is connected to a local network within one to two minutes.

The validity of your plan begins with this first connection in Switzerland, not on the day of purchase. You have 180 days after buying to activate it, so you can buy well ahead of a summer holiday or a ski trip.

Still no signal? A restart usually helps, as does a quick round of airplane mode and switching network selection back to automatic.

If your whole trip takes place in Switzerland, a plan for Switzerland is the straightforward choice. If your route continues into neighbouring countries, have a look at the eSIM for Europe: a regional plan covers several countries with one eSIM. Which countries a regional plan includes is shown in the order form, so check there that Switzerland is part of it before you buy.

An Anosim eSIM is a data plan without a phone number, so SMS codes cannot arrive on it. If an app, a booking or another service asks you for a code by SMS during your stay, an Anosim number takes care of it:

- Activation for one code, such as a one-off sign-up.
- Rent Service if the same service will want a new code later.
- Rent Number if you need one number for all services.

If a number is virtual, it is labelled as such in the provider selection.

The best eSIM for Switzerland is the one that fits the way you travel. With Anosim you get a prepaid eSIM Switzerland data plan: no contract, mobile data only, paid before you go. That covers maps, train timetables, messengers, WhatsApp calls, streaming and uploading holiday photos.

Because your regular SIM stays in the phone next to the eSIM, friends can still reach your usual number, for example on WhatsApp. Whether you can share data through a hotspot depends on the network operator. If anything is unclear, our support answers 24/7 via Telegram, the website chat and email.