Order a prepaid eSIM from abroad

Rufratzusch94

Hello. I am in the UK and trying to find out how to get an eSIM for my son who will soon visit Switzerland. He has an iPhone13. I was told one can buy 8Gb data, unlimited free calls and texts for £29.99 via a website, and that set-up is easy, but no amount of searching will lead me to the Swisscom link to set it up and pay.

Can anyone give me the exact link to do this please, if it exists?

Thank you for any help.

Black Mamba

@Rufratzusch94

Block SIM, activate eSIM/SIM card | Swisscom

On this page: Find out how to block your SIM (e.g. if you have lost your mobile phone) and how to order and activate a new SIM card or eSIM online and free of charge.

Order a new eSIM card (free of charge)
Order your free eSIM in the Cockpit, Swisscom Shop or from the Hotline. When you order, you will receive a QR code with your new eSIM profile. You can access and activate this at any time in My Swisscom.

follow the URL links given on this page 😀

Cockpit: Enter mobile number (swisscom.ch)

ℹ️ Your phone must be connected to the mobile network to order the eSIM via Swisscom Cockpit. To do this, switch off the WLAN connection

Swisscom Shops and opening hours - Help | Swisscom

Product set up: Mobile – Residential customers: contact us via call, chat, text | Swisscom

Mobile, TV, Internet: Swisscom Residential Customers | Swisscom > My swisscom

Rufratzusch94

Thanks. I had already tried that website and failed hence the message. Given your message and nice link to Cockpit, I still can't do it, because I am not a Swisscom customer, and am overseas, so I can't connect to their mobile network.

"Unknown number. Access is only possible with a NATEL® subscription." No idea what a NATEL subscription is.

I just want to pay £30 in advance, without any other subscription with Swisscom, for an eSIM for a given phone number (that of my son).

We are all overseas until arriving and needing to use the eSIM, without being able to go to a shop in Switzerland, as he will be with a school group.

Finally, I am doing this not on my son's phone, but on a laptop. It would be possible but a bit fussy to connect to the phone's mobile network. I hope they make this easy.

Thanks again, Rufratzusch94

Rufratzusch94

In my reply just now, the same error happens when I use my phone on 4G mobile network here, and without using a VPN or relay service. Same error: "Unknown number. Access is only possible with a NATEL® subscription."

If it is only possible to buy this when you are already in Switzerland, that is no good. The service needs to be purchased while overseas and then okay to scan a bar code and start if off once there, and use the 8Gb over that period of a max of 14 days as someone explained.

Thanks again for help on this.

bitracer

Do you already have "My Swisscom" account? If you do, you can subscribe from there as well as manage eSIMs.

Rufratzusch94

@"x"#1143665No, I don't have a Swisscom account. Does this involve paying for a monthly subscription or just a basic form-filling exercise in order to obtain such an account? (And then be able to pay for an eSIM as you say, for which I still don't know if I can access the relevant links etc from overseas...)

bitracer

It's just registering on the portal that allows you to manage all Swisscom services. Through "My Swisscom" you'll be able to chat directly with the customer care team and ask all the questions you have.

Once you purchase some services, you'll be able to manage those from there. That includes eSIM provisioning.

Rufratzusch94

Thanks. Do you know the link to the registration or the portal, please, as I'm not able to see such a link?

Rufratzusch94

I realise that I am logged in, in order to see this conversation. So that's done, I assume? But I cannot see a chat lonk to speak to a person. Can anyone help me?

bitracer

https://www.swisscom.ch/myswisscom

Once you login, on the lower right you'll see the chat button. First few messages will be handled by virtual agent. You'll be then passed on to the support person if you don't find answer to your question.

If you already know which product you want, you can proceed straight with the ordering.

Rufratzusch94

I am now logged in. There was no chat button lower right.

what is the phone number to speak to a human being please?

what is the email to get a human being to write back please?

bitracer

You'll find all info here:

https://www.swisscom.ch/en/residential/help/contact.html#beratung-und-bestellung/mobile

Rufratzusch94

I have just wasted two hours chatting with Swiss con operators. I am now exhausted mid morning Monday. They didn't know that you cannot buy an eSIM from the UK.

The list of countries includes France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany but not the UK. I cannot get past this in the form they have given a phone number, but but it will cost more to court with no guarantee of success than the eSIM costs.

If anyone else has managed to purchase an eSIM with Swiss con from the UK, I would love to hear about it. But as far as I can tell it cannot be done and no operators could help me in setting it up. Nor were they willing to phone a number in the UK on callback in order to discuss and sort this out.

Since I am buying for my child, and the child will be with a group of 40 children it is impossible for that child to leave the group, go to a kiosk in the airport and get an eSIM there.

It has to be done remotely prior to the trip which is in two weeks time.

Thank you to everyone for trying to help, but Swiss con cannot seem to handle this simple and small request.

bitracer

Are you looking to go prepaid with some data plan or get a subscription?

bitracer

Check also travel eSIM providers Airalo, Nomad and Holafly.

LeylaG

Hello @Rufratzusch94 and welcome in the Swisscom Community.

Ordering an eSIM online is only possible for people over 18 years old. Once the online order placed, a personal registration with an ID is required according to the Swiss law.

To purchase a prepaid bundle, minors have to visit a Swisscom Shop. In addition, parents have to be there and sign for children from 7 to 11 years old.

Thank you for your understanding

Rufratzusch94

It has been totally impossible even to order an eSIM for myself, and I am over 50 years of age. The whole thing has been a complete blockage and waste of time, for something so simple. I do not have a Swiss phone, only a UK one. The Swisscom website only accepts Swiss numbers, even if you put in the Swiss address you will be staying at in Switzerland, it just can't be done. I have given up.

Rufratzusch94

Just a simple eSIM on a UK mobile phone, for one week, prepaid for 8Gb of data and free calls. For calling with friends on the slopes. Nothing could be simpler. I have given up.

bitracer

Check with your local provider. Maybe they have some travel option you can activate and it fits your need.

Rufratzusch94

They don't, no. Obviously I asked that question of them right at the start.

No, the only (partial) solution was to buy esim cards from random small companies other than SwissCom that we had never heard of before, data only, and bite the bullet on roaming calls at high cost. This took a very long time to get to.

It would have been faster for someone who knows the Swisscom products to narrow the geography that their esim card can be bought from (ie German speaking countries and France and Italy only).