Cambodia eSIM: The Complete 2026 Guide for Travelers

A Cambodia eSIM gives you prepaid mobile data on the Metfone and Cellcard networks from the moment you land, without queuing at a SIM counter or swapping plastic cards. You buy a plan online, install it at home over Wi-Fi, and the plan only starts when your phone first connects to a network in Cambodia. This guide covers compatible phones, coverage from Phnom Penh to the islands, choosing a plan, border crossings, setup and quick fixes.

What a Cambodia eSIM is — and what it is not

An eSIM is a SIM profile that your phone downloads instead of a physical card. Our Cambodia plans are data-only: you get mobile internet for maps, Grab and PassApp rides, Telegram and WhatsApp, bookings and photo uploads, but no Cambodian phone number, and no regular calls or SMS on the eSIM. For most visitors that is exactly what they need:

• Your home SIM stays in the phone. You keep receiving texts such as bank verification codes on your usual number. Leave it as the line for calls and texts, with data roaming switched off.
• Calls go over data. WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger and FaceTime calls all work on the eSIM. Guesthouses, tour operators and tuk-tuk drivers in Cambodia often prefer a Telegram or WhatsApp message to a phone call anyway.
• No local one-time codes. A data-only eSIM cannot receive SMS, so a service that insists on texting a code to a Cambodian number will not work with it. Set up your travel apps at home, using your own number.

Cambodia plans also route your traffic through Singapore, so websites and apps see a Singapore IP address. Maps and ride-hailing apps use your phone’s GPS and work normally, but search results, some streaming catalogs and in-app content may default to Singapore, and a banking app may ask you to confirm a login from a new location.

Check your phone first

Two things matter: the phone must support eSIM and it must be carrier-unlocked. Most recent phones support eSIM, including:

• iPhone: iPhone XS, XR and every newer model, including the SE (2nd generation and later).
• Google Pixel: Pixel 3 and newer.
• Samsung Galaxy: Galaxy S20 and newer, plus many other recent Galaxy models.
• Other Android phones: many recent models, but support depends on the model and the country where it was sold.

The quickest check is to dial *#06#: if the screen shows an EID number, the phone has an eSIM. If your phone came from a carrier on contract, ask the carrier whether it is unlocked before you buy. Once the QR code has been emailed, an eSIM cannot be cancelled or refunded, even if it is never installed — our refund policy explains the exceptions.

Networks and coverage across Cambodia

Cambodia plans connect to Metfone and Cellcard, two of the country’s largest mobile networks, and your phone uses whichever signal is stronger where you are. Expect 4G in towns and cities, with 3G in some rural areas; these plans do not include 5G. Coverage is a matter of geography:

• Cities and towns: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang, Kampot and Kep generally have 4G in and around town.
• Main roads: the national roads linking the big towns are mostly covered, with gaps on forested and hilly stretches.
• Angkor: the main temples close to Siem Reap usually have signal, while remote sites such as Beng Mealea and Koh Ker are patchier. Our Angkor Wat and Siem Reap guide covers the temple area in detail.
• Islands: signal on Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem is patchier than on the mainland — usually best around the main villages and piers, and weak or absent on remote beaches and inland trails. Download what you need before you board the ferry.
• Remote regions: the Cardamom Mountains, forested parts of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri, and quiet stretches of the Mekong between towns can have weak or no signal.

In the provinces a storm or power cut can occasionally knock out signal for a while. Before any day trip, download offline maps and keep hotel addresses and tickets saved on the phone.

Choosing the right plan

Our Cambodia plans come in two types. Each plan in the Cambodia plan list shows its data, validity and whether it can be topped up.

Fixed-data plans

A set amount of data for a set number of days, counted from your first connection in Cambodia:

• 100 MB, 500 MB or 1 GB for 7 days: messaging and maps on a short stay, or a backup next to hotel Wi-Fi.
• 3 GB for 15 or 30 days: light use over one or two weeks.
• 5 GB, 10 GB or 20 GB for 30 days: typical to heavy use on a one- to three-week trip.

Plans marked Top-up can be refilled on the My eSIM page without installing anything new, so you can start smaller and add data if you need it.

24-hour passes

A 24-hour pass gives you a daily high-speed allowance, from 500 MB up to 3 GB, for 24 hours. Once the allowance is used you stay online at a reduced speed, shown on each plan, until the pass ends. Passes suit a stopover, a transit day or one day of heavy uploads and video calls. The data guide matches plan sizes to common Cambodia itineraries.

Crossing into Vietnam, Laos or Thailand

Cambodia-only plans work only in Cambodia, not in Thailand, Vietnam or Laos. If your trip crosses a border, a multi-country plan covers both sides on one eSIM:

• Asia (7 areas): Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
• South East Asia (8 areas): Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
• Larger Asia plans and a global plan are also listed for longer journeys.

Popular overland routes to Vietnam are the Bavet–Moc Bai border on the Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City road and the Mekong speedboats between Phnom Penh and Chau Doc. Near any border your phone may pick up a foreign network; a Cambodia-only plan will not connect to it, so if data drops, select Metfone or Cellcard manually in your network settings. Thailand’s land crossings with Cambodia, including Poipet–Aranyaprathet, were closed in 2025 and were still closed in 2026 when this guide was written. Check the current status before planning that route; most travelers between the two countries fly between Bangkok and Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.

Installing your eSIM, step by step

1. Install before you fly, at home on Wi-Fi. Installing does not start the plan, and an eSIM that has not been installed yet usually stays valid to install for 180 days after purchase.
2. On iPhone go to Settings › Cellular (called Mobile Data in some regions) › Add eSIM › Use QR Code. On Android open Settings › Connections (or Network & internet) › SIM manager › Add eSIM. Scan the QR code from your email or from the My eSIM page.
3. Label the new line “Cambodia” so it is easy to recognize.
4. Choose the eSIM for mobile data and keep your home SIM as the default line for calls and texts.
5. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. A travel eSIM connects to Metfone or Cellcard as a visitor, so roaming must be on; it costs nothing extra because the data is prepaid. Keep data roaming off on your home SIM so your home carrier has nothing to charge you for.

When you land, switch off airplane mode and the eSIM connects; your plan’s validity starts at that first connection in Cambodia. Our airport arrival guide covers Techo, Siem Reap–Angkor and Sihanouk airports.

Quick fixes if data does not work

• No data at all: check that data roaming is on for the eSIM and that the eSIM is selected for mobile data.
• Still nothing: switch airplane mode on and off, or restart the phone.
• “No service” near a border or on a boat: turn off automatic network selection and choose Metfone or Cellcard manually.
• Connected but slow: check remaining data on the My eSIM page. A used-up fixed-data plan can be topped up; on a 24-hour pass, reduced speed after the daily allowance is normal until the pass ends.
• Weak signal in the countryside: move to open ground or wait until the next town; remote areas simply have fewer masts.

If none of that helps, contact us through the contact form with your order email; we reply within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Cambodia eSIM give me a Cambodian phone number?

No. It is a data-only eSIM, so there is no local number, calls or SMS. Keep your home SIM for texts and call through WhatsApp, Telegram or FaceTime.

Which networks does the Cambodia eSIM use?

It connects to Metfone and Cellcard and picks the stronger signal automatically. Expect 4G in towns and cities and patchier coverage in remote forests, hills and on some island beaches.

Will my Cambodia plan work in Vietnam or Thailand?

No, Cambodia-only plans stop working at the border. For a trip that continues to Vietnam, Thailand or Laos, choose a multi-country plan such as Asia (7 areas) or South East Asia (8 areas).