qukbnaroReaders' questions about UK mobile · Postbag 11
Postbag 11
Should I pay to move my eSIM?
Answered 6 June 2026 · reading time about 3 minutes
“Someone rang saying my eSIM needs transferring to my new phone and there's a small admin charge. It sounded plausible. Is it?”
— G.A., Swansea
Photo from a free stock library, used for illustration only.
Important notice: qukbnaro is an independent reader-question blog. We are not a mobile network, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Three, O2, Sky Mobile, EE, Vodafone or any other provider. We do not sell SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services. Every answer is general guidance only — confirm current details with the provider's own website or app before deciding anything.
The short answerAbsolutely not. Issuing and transferring an eSIM through official channels is free on every UK network. Anyone charging you for it is running a scam, however official they sound.
An eSIM is simply your plan written into the phone's built-in chip instead of a piece of plastic. It goes live in minutes, and it makes travel dramatically cheaper if you use it properly.
EEOne of the smoothest in-app issue flows in the country.
Three and O2Issue in minutes through app or website.
Sky MobileArrived later and still varies by handset — confirm your exact model first.
HandsetsRecent iPhones and Android flagships, broadly supported.
Getting one
Official channels only
Request the eSIM inside your network's own app or website. A QR code or in-app flow activates it within minutes, at no cost.
Changing phone
Use the network's transfer flow
Every network has one built in. There is no third party involved and no fee.
Switching network
The ordinary PAC text
Keeping your number works identically to plastic: text PAC to 65075, free, valid 30 days.
Travelling
The dual-SIM pairing
Before flying, buy a local or regional data eSIM. On landing, enable it for data only and keep the UK line for calls and texts. When you get home, delete or archive it — the whole thing is reversible in seconds.
Reader beware: The fee your caller quoted does not exist anywhere in UK mobile. Do not pay it, do not read them any code, and report the text or call to 7726 free of charge.
Important notice: qukbnaro is an independent reader-question blog. We are not a mobile network, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Three, O2, Sky Mobile, EE, Vodafone or any other provider. We do not sell SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services. Every answer is general guidance only — confirm current details with the provider's own website or app before deciding anything.
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