The quick answer
Set up an eSIM before you fly, or order a SIM to your new address. Rolling monthly plans suit most students: you get a UK number straight away, with no long contract. Good starting points:
| Best for | Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Online straight away | VOXI from £10, 30-day plans | Available as an eSIM, with unlimited social media data on every plan |
| Lots of data | iD Mobile 80GB for £10, rolling | Available as an eSIM, with roaming in 50 destinations for trips home or around Europe |
| No credit check | Chattr unlimited 5G, £15 | Chattr says it runs no credit checks, useful before you've built a UK credit history |
| Pay as you go | 1pMobile | Pay as you go from 1p a minute, 1p a text and 1p per MB, or 30-day bundles from £5 |
Prices and features checked on each provider's website, 5–6 November 2026.
Your first week: step by step
- Check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM. Our guide shows how to check if your phone is unlocked.
- Choose a rolling plan so you can switch any month as you work out how much data you use.
- Install your UK eSIM before you travel or when you arrive. Our step-by-step eSIM guide has pictures for iPhone and Android.
- Keep your home number too. Most recent phones are dual SIM, so you can keep your home SIM for bank texts and family, and use the UK SIM for data and local calls.
- Use Wi-Fi calling and apps like WhatsApp to call home, so you only use data.
How much data will you need?
Halls and campus Wi-Fi cover a lot, so many students are happy on 20GB to 50GB a month. If you stream, use maps a lot or don't have Wi-Fi at home, go bigger or unlimited. Our data usage calculator works it out in 30 seconds.
Travelling during the holidays?
iD Mobile includes roaming in 50 destinations, and 1pMobile and Asda Mobile in 46 European destinations: see SIM deals with free roaming. For anywhere else, a travel eSIM gives you data from a few pounds.
