Quick answer
Your plan does not start when you buy or install it. The validity period begins the first time the eSIM connects to a network at your destination. Until then it waits: the plans sold today can be installed up to 180 days after purchase.
The timeline
- Purchase: the QR code arrives by email. Nothing is counting yet.
- Install at home: the line sits on the phone, still not counting.
- Land, data roaming on: the eSIM connects for the first time. A 7-day plan now runs for 7 days from this moment; a daily plan gives its first day's allowance.
One thing to avoid
If the plan covers your home country too (regional and global plans often do), do not switch its data roaming on at home: the first connection would start the plan early. Keep the line installed but with roaming off until you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I see the expiry date?
My eSIMs shows the status of each eSIM and, once it has started, the days and data remaining. The VoyaSIM app shows the same.
Can I pause a plan?
No. Once started, validity runs continuously, including days you do not use data.