Planning your next holiday to New Zealand? Then you’re surely looking for the best travel eSIM to connect to the internet immediately without paying inordinate bills like with roaming, or putting your data at risk on public wifi networks.
In this article we tell you which is the best eSIM to travel to New Zealand based on our experience and analyse in detail the main brands such as Holafly, Airalo or Nomad to help you make a decision. When choosing an eSIM card it is important to take into account the speed, data limit, technical support, price or duration of the plans that best suit your trip. Below we tell you the advantages and disadvantages of each brand, although we already tell you that the Holafly eSIM cards are a safe bet with which there will be no extra charges, and you will also have 24h support in English and other languages.
Comparison of eSIM for a trip to New Zealand
When comparing different eSIM brands, we must take into account all the features that will determine if the card fits the needs of our trip. That’s why we have prepared this table with all the essential information about each brand to help you choose. Later on we will delve into all the important points so that you don’t miss any of the information.
| Brand | Plan duration | Data sharing | Unlimited Data | App | GB per plan | Support | Price | Trustpilot | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holafly | 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 days | No | + | + | Unlimited data in all plans | In English, direct chat and WhatsApp | 27€ -57€ | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| Nomad | 7, 30 days | Yes | – | + | 1GB, 3GB, 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 30GB, 40GB, 50GB | In English, by email or App | $4-90 | 4,4 | 3.6 |
| Airalo | 7, 15 and 30 days | Yes | – | + | 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB | In English, via bot | $4,5- $44 | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| Simoptions | 7 and 30 days | No | – | + | 1GB, 10GB and 20 GB | In English by mail and App | $9.9-34.9 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| Maya Mobile | 5, 10, 15 and 30 days | Yes | + | + | 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB and Unlimited | In English by email | €5-55 | 4.7 | 3.7 |
1. Holafly, eSIM for New Zealand with the best customer service in English
| Advantages | They offer data packages by continent and for countries. Holafly’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with QR code or manually. They have eSIM cards for 160 destinations. 24/7 technical support in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. Very flexible pricing. All plans have unlimited data. You can pay in euros, dollars and Mexican pesos. They have an App where you can check your usage and the number of days left on your contract. |
| Disadvantages | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. One of the most expensive options on the market, but it’s worth it because they offer more gigabytes than the rest. The Holafly eSIM card for New Zealand does not allow data sharing. You can’t do the installation through their App. |
Holafly is our favorite eSIM brand at Passporter because it offers a 24h customer service in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and German that responds in less than a minute by chat or WhatsApp, and is currently the best customer rated company on Trustpilot with a score of 4.6.
At the Holafly website you can find 5 unlimited data plans with a duration between 5 and 20 days. The price ranges from €34 to €44.
| Data plan | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars | Price in Pesos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days – Unlimited data | 27€ | 27$ | $599 |
| 7 days – Unlimited data | 34€ | 44$ | $699 |
| 10 days – Unlimited data | 37€ | 37$ | $799 |
| 15 days – Unlimited data | 47€ | 47$ | $999 |
| 20 days – Unlimited data | 57€ | 54$ | $1199 |
There are two options for installing the Holafly eSIM. One is scanning the QR code that will arrive to your email once you have completed the purchase. And the other is the manual installation that you can do without a computer, simply typing a code in the settings of your mobile. This code will be sent to your email and you can also consult it in the Holafly App, which is very convenient to control the duration of the data plan.
Here we leave you this ranking where we evaluate from 1 to 5 all features of Holafly eSIM cards for New Zealand based on our experience.
In this post, you can read about our experience with Holafly eSIM cards and the opinions of some users: Our opinion of Holafly eSIM.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 0 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
2. Nomad and its App
| Advantages | Offer regional, country or global data packages. Nomad’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. The App is very convenient and allows you to recharge the eSIM. A wide variety of eSIM cards with different prices and amount of gigabytes. They have eSIM cards for 112 countries. Technical support both in the app and on the web. The duration of the data plans for New Zealand is 7 or 30 days. Very affordable prices. |
| Disadvantages | Gigabytes are limited to 50GB or less and they do not have cards with unlimited data. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes (1GB) Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. Their services and technical support are exclusively in English. |
Nomad is a company dedicated to the sale of eSIM cards so you can have internet during your travels. Its main feature is that in addition to its website, it has an App with which its customers can hire data plans easily and quickly. It is also a marketplace like SimOptions, but the web is more intuitive and easy to use.
The brand offers data plans in more than 100 countries and also by continent so we can make use of our Internet connection even if we are moving between different countries. In the case of New Zealand, the data packages have durations of 7 and 30 days, which is not very flexible. In addition, they have data limits ranging from 1 GB to 50 GB. The fact that they don’t have unlimited data plans is a big disadvantage as we will be forced to recharge.
| Data plan | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|
| 7 days – 1 GB (truphone) | $8 |
| 7 days – 1 GB (spark) | $4 |
| 15 days – 3 GB (spark) | $8 |
| 30 days – 10 GB (spark) | $19 |
| 30 days – 15 GB (spark) | $25 |
| 30 days – 20 GB (spark) | $34 |
| 30 days – 30 GB (spark) | $60 |
| 30 days – 40 GB (spark) | $75 |
| 60 days – 50 GB (spark) | $90 |
The Nomad App is very useful to monitor your usage and recharge in case you run out of data. Through it we can also contact customer service, which unfortunately is only in English.
Here you can see our ranking of Nomad’s eSIMs.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.6 |
3. Maya Mobile, one month data packages
| Advantages | They offer data packages by continent and for countries. Maya Mobile’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with QR code or manually. They have eSIM cards for 194 destinations. Data plans limited to 1GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB that can run out quickly. Flexible pricing. They have plans with unlimited data. To recharge you can set up auto-recharge after 30 days. They allow data sharing with other devices. They have 5, 10, 15 and 30 day data plans. |
| Disadvantages | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. There is no App. The unlimited data plan is limited to 2GB per day at high speed. Technical support only in English via a bot. |
This company provides customers with eSIM cards for 5, 10, 15 and 30 days in New Zealand. In this case, the price of the data packages varies according to the gigabytes. In total they have 4 packages of 3, 5, 10 and 20 gigabytes, and another with unlimited gigabytes. The unlimited data plan is relative since the maximum browsing speed is 5Mbps and after having used 2GB of the plan, it drops to 1Mbps. The price ranges from €8 to €55.
If you plan to travel in several Asian countries including New Zealand, on Maya Mobile’s website you will find an eSIM from 7€ for 12 countries of the continent.
Like Holafly, Maya Mobile is characterized by the speed and simplicity of its contracting and installation process, which is also done via a QR code that arrives in the mail. In addition, they have a 100% refund policy of the purchase in the event that the data does not work, which is not usually the case since they have at least two data providers in each country where they offer their services.
| Data plan | Price in Euros |
|---|---|
| 5, 10, 15 and 30 days – 3 GB | 7 – 10€ |
| 5, 10, 15 and 30 days – 5 GB | 10 – 13€ |
| 5, 10, 15 and 30 days – 10 GB | 14 – 20€ |
| 5, 10, 15 and 30 days – 20 GB | 26 – 36€ |
| 5, 10, 15 and 30 days – Unlimited data*. | 18 – 55€ |
In the case of Maya Mobile its plans have a duration of 5, 10, 15 and 30 days. On Trustpilot you can see that the brand has an average score of 4.7, but there are hardly any comments. Here we leave you this table with the score for each of the features of their eSIM cards.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4.5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4.5 | 3 | 3 | 3.7 |
4. Airalo and its cheap data plans
| Advantages | They offer regional, country or global data packages. Airalo’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. They are the cheapest brand on the market. A wide variety of eSIM cards with different duration, price and gigabytes. They have eSIM cards for 190 countries. Their eSIM card allows you to share data with other devices. Allows the eSIM to be recharged. They have an App and you can buy and install the eSIM from it. |
| Disadvantages | The gigabytes are limited to 20GB or less and they do not have cards with unlimited data. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. ESIM cards do not include calls and sms. The duration of data plans is limited to 7, 15 and 30 days. Their services and technical support is exclusively in English and takes a long time to respond. |
This company, founded in Singapore in 2019 by Turkish entrepreneurs Abraham Burak and Ahmet Bahadir Özdemir, was one of the first to offer these services, and has a wide coverage of countries where they offer eSIM cards.
Although Airalo is one of the cheapest brands on the market, the truth is that in the long run it can get expensive as their data plans have very limited gigabytes that can run out at any time, and their technical service takes a long time to respond.
Airalo’s eSIM card data plans for New Zealand have durations of 7, 15 and 30 days, and prices range from $4.5 to $44. The brand has an App through which you can buy and install the eSIM, and later recharge it when you run out of data.
| Data plan | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|
| 7 days – 1 GB | 4.5$ |
| 15 days – 2 GB | 8.5$ |
| 30 days – 3 GB | 11$ |
| 30 days – 5 GB | 16$ |
| 30 days – 20 GB | 27$ |
| 30 days – 20 GB | 44$ |
On Airalo’s website, you can choose from 6 data plans between 1GB and 20GB. We compared customer reviews and feedback on Trustpilot and found that Airalo has one of the lowest ratings at 2.6. Here you have the ranking for each aspect of Airalo and in this post you can also read about our opinion of the brand: Our opinion of Airalo: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 3 | 3.8 |
5. SimOptions and its market place
| Advantages | Offer regional, country or global data packages. Sim Options eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. They offer a wide variety of eSIM cards with different duration, price and gigabytes. They have eSIM cards for 160 countries. Some plans include calls and SMS. |
| Disadvantages | Gigabytes are limited to 20GB or less and they do not have cards with unlimited data. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. The features of eSIMs for the same country vary depending on the brand contracted. The duration of data plans is limited to 7 and 30 days. No eSIM cards for New Zealand allow recharging data. The technical support depends on each brand and can not guarantee a good customer service. The speed depends on each brand of eSIM card. No App to control data consumption. |
SimOptions is an eSIM card marketplace where local mobile carriers in each country sell their eSIM cards. The brand, with offices in Paris, Thailand and Hong Kong, offers data plans for eSIM cards in more than 160 countries and they also have regional and global plans.
For New Zealand you will find three 7-day and 30-day data plans with data limits of 1GB, 10GB and 20GB and priced between $9.9 and $34.9.
The main drawback of SimOptions is that its website is a bit chaotic and the data plans, as they are from different brands, are very disparate, and their features vary a lot, not only price, speed or duration, but also technical support, the possibility of recharging or sharing data. This will force you to look in detail at each brand and will make it harder for you to make a decision.
| Data plan | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|
| 7 days – 1 GB | 9.9$ |
| 30 days – 10 GB | 24.9$ |
| 30 days – 20 GB | 34.9$ |
Our personal experience is that with SimOptions cards you waste a lot of time comparing cards. In addition, the price is high, you can only pay in dollars, and they don’t give you the guarantee of a good technical support. Here we leave you this ranking where we rate SimOptions eSIM cards from 1 to 5 and in this post you can read about our opinion and that of other customers about the brand: Our opinion about Sim Options: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3.2 |
Conclusion of which is the best eSIM for New Zealand
In this post we have seen that there are many important factors to consider when comparing eSIM cards as, for each type of travel you will have different connection needs. That’s why we have prepared this section where we tell you based on our experience which eSIM card is best for New Zealand.
When we travel we don’t want to run out of data in the middle of our holiday, so eSIM cards with unlimited data are the best option if we want to travel without worry. In this case, Holafly is the only brand that offers unlimited data plans. Other brands with a good data per day ratio are Nomad, Holafly and SimOptions, although they do not offer unlimited data. Maya Mobile also offers an unlimited data plan, but the truth is that the gigabytes are limited to 2GB per day at high speed, and once exhausted, the browsing speed drops to 1 Mbps.
The other brands offer so few gigabytes that you’re likely to run out mid-trip and have to pay again to recharge. In this table, you can make an estimate of the data you will need on your trip based on your usual consumption.
| Platform | Gigabyte consumption per hour |
| 0.12 GB – 0.18 GB | |
| 0.12 GB – 0.18 GB | |
| 0.06 GB | |
| Tiktok | 0.18 GB – 0.8 GB |
| Netflix | 0.3 GB – 7 GB |
| Youtube | 0.14 GB – 1.7 GB |
| Amazon Prime | 0.8 GB – 6 GB |
The installation process for eSIM cards is always simple and fast, but it is true that there are some companies that make it even easier. The first thing is to check if your mobile is compatible with the eSIM of the brand. You can check this information on the website of each provider.
The purchase of the eSIM for New Zealand can be done through the web in the case of some brands such as Holafly or Simoptions, or through the app such as Airalo or Nomad. Holafly’s website is very intuitive and easy to use, while SimOptions’ is quite complicated to understand and you will have to read a lot.
The only brands that allow you to do the installation through the App are Airalo or Nomad and in the case of Holafly, from the App you can get the code to install the eSIM manually without using a computer. You can also do the installation by scanning a QR code that you will receive by email as soon as you have completed the purchase with Holafly, Airalo, Simoptions or Nomad.
On the other hand, it is very important to consider the technical service to help you in the installation process and solve any doubt or problem. Most brands such as Maya Mobile or Airalo have a chat bot that takes a long time to respond and only does so in English. In the case of Simoptions, technical support will depend on the brand of eSIM card you have chosen. In this aspect Holafly’s technical support is the best as it responds in less than 1 minute in Spanish, English, German, French and Japanese via web chat or WhatsApp.
Often when we travel, we want to share data with other devices.In the case of New Zealand, only Airalo and Maya Mobile allow data sharing.
But one of the most important aspects is price. The cheapest brands are Airalo and Maya Mobile, however, their data plans are very limited, and you’re likely to run out and have to pay again with the top-up. That’s why it’s sometimes advisable to pay a little more and get an eSIM card with unlimited data like Holafly’s to give you peace of mind and not have to recharge again.
All in all, Holafly eSIM cards are the best option for travelling to New Zealand because they offer more gigabytes than the rest and because of their multilingual technical support that responds in less than a minute. With Holafly you’ll never run out of data on your trip.
Other options for having internet in New Zealand?
There are several ways to get internet when travelling abroad, however, eSIM cards are our favourite option because of the number of advantages they offer, which we are about to detail.
| Convenience | Immediate delivery and activation from purchase. Pre-purchase prior to travel. Easy installation, unlike SIM cards, no need to remove the original card. You’ll be connected as soon as you land, no need to find a store first. You’ll find tailor-made plans to suit the duration and needs of your trip. No dependency on batteries, as with the Pocket wifi. You won’t have to carry an extra device during your trip, like the Pocket Wifi. |
| Tranquility | 24h technical support in English, unlike with a SIM or Pocket Wifi. You won’t have to worry about forgetting or losing any device other than your mobile. |
| Security | Without using public wifi networks vulnerable to hacking. Avoid entering personal data in eternal forms to get Wifi. No need to open or manipulate your phone as with eSIM cards. |
There are other alternatives to connect to internet in New Zealand that you may also be interested in. That’s why we have prepared this list with other options, their prices, advantages and disadvantages for you to compare and choose the one that best suits your trip.
1. Buying SIM cards for New Zealand
This was the most common option until eSIM cards appeared. When you arrive at your destination, you can get your SIM card at the airport or in the commercial areas of the cities. There you will find stores of the main telephone companies such as Telecom or Vodafone. There are other companies operating in the country such as Three Uk, Orange or Truemove.
The price of SIM cards varies depending on contract length and gigabytes, but get an idea that a 30-day SIM card costs almost 40€.
Although this is one of the most widespread methods of getting internet, the truth is that it has several disadvantages, as detailed in this table.
| Advantages | A variety of brands and data plans to choose from. Installation is quick. They can be purchased online or in physical shops. You can make calls and send messages with a local number. |
| Disadvantages | You have to exchange it for your regular SIM card, which can be lost or damaged. You have to open and handle the mobile phone during the installation process. When your travel SIM contract runs out, you have to replace it with another one. You will not be able to keep your regular phone number. You have to travel to buy it or wait for the card to arrive at home. |
2. Rent a Pocket WiFi for New Zealand
A Pocket WiFi is a wireless router that allows us to connect to the internet from anywhere in the world. These are the advantages and disadvantages that this system, considered one of the most expensive ones, has.
| Advantages | It can be used by several devices at the same time. You can choose the gigabyte package that suits you best. No need to install anything on our mobiles. |
| Disadvantages | It is one of the most expensive options. There are few brands to choose from. Long-term contracts are the norm. In addition to the data plan, you have to pay rent, insurance and shipping costs. The battery lasts at most 6 hours. If you use it with other people you have to be in the same room. You have to carry it with you wherever you go and you run the risk of losing it. |
Some of the best brands for renting Pockets Wifi in New Zealand are Travel Wifi, Ncpocketwifi and Mywebspot. Plans are contracted by the day or by the month, depending on the company. With Travel Wifi for example, the day costs almost 4€, and Ncpocketwifi 7€ per day.
To these costs, however, you have to add shipping, insurance, extra batteries or car chargers.
These devices usually have about 12h of autonomy, after that time you will have to recharge it. It is a good alternative if we use it to work in a fixed location, for example.
This system for a short trip can be uneconomical. This is why it is usually recommended for longer stays or business trips where the device is always kept in the same place and can be shared among several people.
3. Search for free WiFi networks in New Zealand
New Zealand is a very touristy destination where you will have no trouble finding free wifi hotspots in places like department stores, cafés, museums and hotels. However, the big disadvantage of public networks is their vulnerability to hacking. That is why it is recommended to limit their use to a minimum and avoid at all costs making transactions where your personal data is put at risk.
| Advantages | It’s free. No need to install anything on our mobiles. |
| Disadvantages | It is difficult to find free wifi networks. Public wifi networks are often slow or have connection problems. You often have to fill in forms and give your personal details. Some free wifi networks are time-limited. You should always connect close to the router. They are vulnerable to hacking. |
4. Enable roaming for New Zealand
Data roaming is a service offered by phone companies to continue using your local data plan when traveling to New Zealand.The cost of this service is usually high, so it is advisable to check with your usual carrier before embarking on your trip, to avoid surprises at the end of the month.
From Spain there are several telephone companies that make this service available to their customers, such as Vodafone, Movistar, Orange, Jazztel or Yoigo. The price varies depending on the brand, but it can be as high as €25 per gigabyte spent, which is really expensive compared to other options such as eSIMs.
| Advantages | No installation on our mobile. No extra services to sign up for. You can receive calls, send messages and connect to the internet immediately. |
| Disadvantages | It is the most expensive option. Sometimes it is activated without realising it. Not all telephone companies offer this service. |
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Frequently asked questions about having internet in New Zealand with an eSIM
eSIM cards allow you to have internet on your mobile phone when you travel abroad without having to remove your usual SIM card, as is the case with SIM cards. This is possible thanks to a chip that is built into the latest generation of mobile phones.
The purchase of the eSIM data plan can be done through the website or the App of some brands. Choose your destination, the duration and the gigabytes of the data plan and pay securely.
The installation and activation of the eSIM is a really easy procedure that will only take a few minutes.
Once you have verified that your mobile phone is compatible with the product and chosen the data plan that best suits your needs, go to the mobile data settings on your smartphone and select “add data plan”. The camera will then open so you can scan the QR code that you will have received in the mail after the purchase. The installation and activation of your card will then begin.
This process must be carried out with an internet connection, which is why it is recommended that you do it before setting off on your trip or as soon as you arrive at the hotel.
Most models of popular brands such as Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei or Google are compatible as long as they are recent models. Several iPads are also compatible. However, it is best to consult the website of each provider, where they will indicate all the compatible models.
SIM cards can be purchased in physical shops or online, with delivery times ranging from 48 to 72 hours. There are also companies that offer same day express delivery.
It is best to activate it just before your trip as you will need an internet connection.
Holafly is the only brand that offers unlimited data plans in New Zealand.
Data packages usually last for one week, however, there are providers such as Holafly that offer more flexible packages between 5 days and 20 days.
Data plans do not normally allow data sharing, but plans with a specific number of GBs included do.
Holafly is a Spanish company launched in 2018 that you can trust, it has been tested by more than 400,000 customers, travel blogs and Youtubers. Holafly has been marketing eSIMs since 2019.
Holafly has over 10,000 positive experiences published on Trustpilot, with a rating of “Excellent” and an average score of 4.7.
SIM Options has both positive and negative reviews, and a lower average Trustpilot rating than Holafly at 4.4. SIM Options is a Hong Kong based company.
Maya is owned by a US company, Maya Virtual Inc. Maya’s reviews on Trustpilot are good, with an average rating of 4.7.
You can purchase your eSIM at any time before or during your trip to New Zealand from the online store of the specialized brands.
Airalo reviews on Trustpilot are good, with an average score of2.6.
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