Short answer: 529 of the 935 travel eSIM plans we sell list 5G, and a 5G plan usually costs no more than a 4G one. The label is a ceiling, not a promise: you get 5G only where the local network lets roaming visitors on it. For a typical week, buy the cheapest 10 GB, 30-day plan either way.
| Destination | Cheapest single-country 10 GB, 30-day plan | Does it list 5G? | Cheapest 10 GB, 30-day plan that lists 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | $9.99 | Yes | $9.99 |
| Thailand | $9.99 | Yes | $9.99 |
| Australia | $9.99 | Yes | $9.99 |
| France | $10.99 | Yes | $10.99 |
| South Korea | $10.99 | Yes | $10.99 |
| USA | $12.99 | Yes | $12.99 |
| United Kingdom | $16.99 | Yes | $16.99 |
| India | $18.99 | Yes | $18.99 |
| Singapore | $11.99 | No | No 5G plan listed |
| Egypt | $25.99 | No | No 5G plan listed |
| Dominican Republic | $27.99 | No | $38.99 |
| Spain | No single-country plan | n/a | $13.99 (eSIMGo Europe 10 GB, 33 countries) |
Prices checked on 29 September 2026. 10 GB covers a moderate week, which our trip data calculator puts at 4–7 GB; it also gives light and heavy ranges.
This guide counts which plans in our catalog list 5G, which countries have none, whether the label costs extra, why regional and global packs mostly leave it out, and why a 5G plan can still show 4G on your phone. You can check any destination on the travel eSIM catalog or the eSIM map. Plan details change, so treat the live listing on each product page as the source of truth before you buy.
What does “5G” on a travel eSIM listing mean?
It means the provider’s roaming deal in that country includes 5G, where it exists. It does not mean you will be on 5G all day.
Every plan in our catalog carries a network field set by the provider. It has only two values: “5G/4G/LTE” or “4G/LTE”. There is no plan that is 5G only, and no plan that names the mobile operator you will connect to. The field records the network generation, nothing else.
The providers’ own plan text says so. Of the 529 plans that list 5G, 432 carry the same sentence, from 13 of the 14 providers that sell 5G plans with us: “5G availability depends on network coverage, regional device specifications, and phone settings.” It goes on to say that where 5G is not available, the eSIM connects to 4G.
Three conditions hide in that sentence. The local network has to have 5G where you are standing. Your phone has to support 5G on the bands used in that country. And your phone has to be set to use it. A fourth sits behind the label: the local operator has to let roaming visitors onto its 5G. We come back to that below.
How many travel eSIMs list 5G?
Just over half. We count 935 plans you can buy new, after removing top-up add-ons for an eSIM you already hold. Of those, 529 list 5G and 406 list 4G/LTE only.
The share depends heavily on the provider:
| Provider | Plans | List 5G | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparks | 253 | 162 | 64% |
| Airalo | 176 | 66 | 38% |
| eSIMGo | 156 | 78 | 50% |
| TSimTech | 94 | 73 | 78% |
| NextLink | 88 | 51 | 58% |
| RoamVault | 65 | 55 | 85% |
| Ubigi | 41 | 10 | 24% |
Counts checked on 29 September 2026. Nine smaller providers make up the remaining 62 plans.
Single-country plans are more likely to list 5G than packs: 390 of 625 single-country plans do (62%), against 139 of 306 regional and global packs (45%).
Which destinations have no 5G plan?
Of the 81 countries where we sell a single-country plan, 48 have at least one that lists 5G and 34 have nothing but 5G plans. The other 33 have none.
Among the countries travellers ask us about most, the ones with no single-country 5G plan are Singapore, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Peru, Nepal, Cambodia, Jordan, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Tanzania.
Singapore is the case to read carefully. We list 16 Singapore plans and none of them lists 5G. That tells you what the roaming deals behind these plans include. It does not tell you anything about how much 5G Singapore has. A local prepaid SIM bought in the country may well give you 5G where our plans do not.
At the other end, every single-country plan we list for the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines lists 5G. In Japan, 16 of 27 plans do, and in Australia, 17 of 21.
Do 5G plans cost more?
Usually not. To test it we paired plans that cover the same single country with the same data and the same number of days, one listing 5G and one listing 4G only. There are 25 such pairs in the catalog. In 15 the cheapest 5G plan is cheaper, in 3 the price is the same, and in 7 the 5G plan costs more.
At the 10 GB, 30-day size, seven countries have both kinds:
| Country | Cheapest 10 GB, 30-day plan that lists 5G | Cheapest 10 GB, 30-day 4G-only plan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | $9.99 | $14.99 | 5G is 33% cheaper |
| India | $18.99 | $22.99 | 5G is 17% cheaper |
| Morocco | $18.99 | $20.99 | 5G is 10% cheaper |
| Dominican Republic | $38.99 | $27.99 | 5G is 39% dearer |
Prices checked on 29 September 2026. Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua are the other three countries with both kinds at this size.
The price follows the provider and its wholesale deal, not the network generation. In the Dominican Republic the only two 5G plans come from Ubigi, which is also the most expensive provider there. In Japan the cheapest plan of all happens to list 5G. So there is no reason to pay extra for the label, and no reason to avoid it either.
Regional and global packs: where 5G drops out
The larger the pack, the less likely it lists 5G. Packs covering 2 to 10 countries list 5G in 62% of cases. Packs covering 11 to 30 countries fall to 15%. And none of the 27 packs that cover more than 60 countries lists 5G, including Airalo Discover Global (154 countries), Ubigi World (179) and Sparks Global Special (126).
Europe splits by provider. All of eSIMGo’s 33-country Europe plans and NextLink’s 34-country Europe plans list 5G. None of Airalo’s 28-country EUconnect plans does, including its unlimited day passes.
That split decides the cheapest route for countries where we have no single-country plan. For Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and Austria, the cheapest 10 GB, 30-day option is eSIMGo’s Europe pack at $13.99, and it lists 5G. The cheapest 4G-only alternative is Airalo EUconnect at $18.99.
One more detail matters for packs. A 5G label on a pack is a single field for the whole pack. The plan text says the eSIM connects “in eligible countries with 5G or 4G LTE speeds”, so a 5G pack does not promise 5G in every country it covers. If 5G matters to you in one particular country, a single-country plan that lists 5G is the clearer bet. We compare the two routes on price in regional versus single-country eSIMs.
Why does a 5G plan still show 4G on your phone?
Because the label covers what the plan can do, not what the local network will give a roaming visitor at that moment. Four things have to line up.
The visited operator has to let roamers onto 5G. Most 5G networks today are “non-standalone” (NSA): a 5G radio layer added on top of a 4G core. The GSMA’s implementation guidelines for this setup say it “will not introduce any changes to the existing roaming architecture and procedures”, and that it is up to the visited operator whether inbound roamers may use it or are kept on LTE. So a travel eSIM that already roams on a 4G network can reach 5G there, but only if that operator switches it on for visitors.
Standalone 5G roaming is still rare. Standalone (SA) 5G uses a new 5G core, and roaming on it needs the two operators’ 5G cores to be connected. According to GSMA Intelligence, just over 20% of operators with commercial 5G networks had launched 5G SA as of 2025. In September 2026 T-Mobile US and Reliance Jio announced what they claim is the world’s first live 5G SA roaming connection. For a traveller in 2026, 5G on a travel eSIM almost always means the non-standalone kind.
The local roaming partner decides the quality. eSIM Go’s support centre puts it plainly: “Connection quality is entirely dependent on the local roaming partner’s signal strength.” It adds that a local SIM may occasionally outperform a roaming eSIM, because operators often prioritise their own subscribers over roaming traffic when the network is congested.
Your phone and settings have to allow it. The phone needs to be 5G-capable, support the bands used in that country, and have 5G switched on. Low Power Mode on an iPhone turns 5G off in most situations. The settings section below shows where to look.
Airalo’s own help centre says it cannot always guarantee 5G coverage “even if you’re using a supported device and are connected to a supported network”, and that the connection may drop to 4G, LTE or lower. That matches the plan text. A 5G listing means 5G is possible on that plan, and 4G is the floor.
Does 5G matter on a trip?
Where you actually get it, 5G is much faster. Opensignal measured Türkiye’s first 30 days of commercial 5G, from 1 to 30 April 2026: users saw average 5G download speeds of 201.3 Mbps against 38.5 Mbps on 4G, which Opensignal describes as 5.2 times faster. Those are measurements from local users on their own operators, not from roaming travel eSIMs, so treat them as the ceiling of what the local network can do.
For most of what a traveller does, 4G is already enough. Maps, ride-hailing, messaging, video calls and social apps work well on a decent 4G connection. 5G starts to matter when you move a lot of data at once: uploading a day of photos and video to cloud storage, tethering a laptop for work, or downloading a film before a flight. If that is you, and your destination has 5G plans, it is worth picking one. Our guide to unlimited plans, fair use and hotspot limits covers the other half of that decision, because a fast connection runs through a small plan quickly.
There is also a cost in battery. Apple describes 5G Auto as switching to LTE when 5G would not give a noticeably better experience, “saving battery life”, and says 5G On “might reduce battery life”. Neither Apple nor Google publishes a single figure for how much more battery 5G uses, and it varies with signal and use. On a long day of sightseeing with no charger, 5G Auto is the sensible setting.
Faster data does not change how much data you use for the same tasks. A video call uses about the same amount on 5G and 4G. What changes is how quickly a large download or an auto-playing video eats into the plan, so size the plan by your trip, not by the network.
How do you turn on 5G on iPhone and Android?
On an iPhone, Apple’s support page says iPhone 12 models or later work with the 5G networks of certain carriers. Open Settings, tap Cellular, then Cellular Data Options (on some models it reads Mobile Data, then Mobile Data Options), then Voice & Data. With two SIMs, pick the travel eSIM line first. You will see three choices:
- 5G Auto turns on Smart Data mode, which switches to LTE when 5G would not give a noticeably better experience, to save battery.
- 5G On always uses 5G when it is available, which Apple says might reduce battery life.
- LTE uses only LTE, even when 5G is available.
Apple also notes that Low Power Mode turns 5G off, except in some cases such as video streaming and large downloads on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. Our iPhone travel eSIM setup guide covers the rest of the dual SIM settings.
On a Pixel, Google’s help page says Pixel 4a (5G) and later phones work with 5G service. The setting is under Settings, Network & internet, SIMs, then Preferred network type, where you can pick 5G or LTE. With more than one SIM, choose the travel eSIM first. Samsung’s support page lists the same three conditions for 5G on a Galaxy phone: a 5G plan, 5G enabled on the phone, and being in a 5G coverage area. Our Android eSIM setup guide walks through the dual SIM screens.
If the plan lists 5G, the setting is on and you still see LTE, nothing is broken. The eSIM is working on the network the local partner allows. If you see no data at all, that is a different problem, and our checklist for an eSIM that is not working after landing is the place to start.
What happens after you pay?
The eSIM arrives by email as a QR code. We measure the time from payment to the delivery email being accepted by the recipient’s mail server: across the 9 orders where we hold delivery records, the median is 11 seconds and the slowest was 13 seconds. From payment to order completion, the median across 16 orders is 7 seconds, and the slowest order we have handled took 14 minutes. These are small samples, so treat them as a record of what has happened so far, not a guarantee.
If no QR code arrives within an hour of payment, a refund is started automatically. You do not have to ask for it. Card refunds then take the usual few working days to reach your account.
FAQ
Does a travel eSIM support 5G?
Many do. 529 of the 935 plans we sell list 5G. You get it only where the local partner network offers 5G to roaming visitors, your phone supports it, and 5G is switched on in your settings.
Is a 5G eSIM more expensive than a 4G eSIM?
Usually not. Across 25 like-for-like pairs in our catalog, the 5G plan was cheaper in 15, the same in 3 and dearer in 7. Price follows the provider, not the network generation.
Why does my 5G eSIM only show LTE?
Because 5G on a roaming eSIM depends on the local network’s coverage, the roaming agreement behind the plan, your phone’s bands and your settings. If any one of those is missing, the eSIM falls back to 4G, as the plan text says it will.
Do global eSIMs include 5G?
Not in our catalog. None of the 27 packs covering more than 60 countries lists 5G. Smaller regional packs often do, and eSIMGo’s and NextLink’s Europe packs list 5G.
Which iPhones and Pixels work with 5G?
Apple says iPhone 12 models or later work with 5G on certain carriers. Google says Pixel 4a (5G) and later Pixel phones work with 5G service.
Conclusion: buy on price, treat 5G as a bonus
Most travel eSIMs we sell already list 5G, and the label does not cost extra in most places. Pick the cheapest plan with enough data for your trip. If you want 5G in a particular country, choose a single-country plan that lists it, turn on 5G Auto or 5G in your settings, and expect 4G where the local network does not offer 5G to visitors.
Before you buy, confirm
- Your phone is eSIM-capable, not carrier-locked, and 5G-capable if you care about 5G.
- The plan’s network field says 5G/4G/LTE if 5G matters to you.
- For a multi-country trip, you checked whether a pack lists 5G at all.
- You know where the 5G setting is on your phone, and that Low Power Mode can turn it off.
- The data size fits your trip; a moderate week is 4–7 GB.
Soft next step
Affordable travel eSIM, refund if no code in 1 hour. Compare plans for your destination in the travel eSIM catalog, for example the Japan eSIM plans, where the cheapest 10 GB plan already lists 5G. Plan details change, so treat the live listing on each product page as the source of truth before you buy.