Australia and New Zealand on one trip: one eSIM or two?
Sydney and Melbourne, then a flight across the Tasman to Auckland or Queenstown. Australia and New Zealand pair well on one trip, and the only question for your phone is whether one eSIM should cover both countries or each should get its own.
What do the options cost?
Our plans for 30 days, in US dollars:
| Plan | 5GB | 10GB |
|---|---|---|
| Australia and NZ | US$16.50 | US$30.30 |
| Australia only | US$7.80 | US$12.10 |
| New Zealand only | US$11 | US$18.30 |
| Oceania | US$28 | US$49.40 |
The Australia and NZ row is our combined plan, which covers just those two countries, on Optus 5G in Australia and Spark 5G in New Zealand. The Oceania row adds Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru. RoamMore wrote this page and sells these plans; every price comes from our live catalogue and changes when it does.
How the Australia and New Zealand eSIM works
Our combined plan is one eSIM with agreements in both countries. When you land in the second country, your phone drops the last network and joins the partner network there, with nothing to buy on arrival and no second QR code to scan. It starts from US$5.30 (updated 30 Oct 2026), and our Australia and New Zealand eSIM page lists every size. It is the simplest setup, but not the cheaper one.
One regional plan or one per country?
For the same total data, an Australia plan and a New Zealand plan cost clearly less than the combined plan. Two 5GB country plans, US$7.80 and US$11, give you 10GB for much less than the combined plan's US$30.30. A 10GB plan for each country currently costs about the same as the combined 10GB plan, for twice the data. The cost is a little admin: two installs instead of one, and one switch of your mobile data line when you arrive in the second country.
| Your trip | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting both countries from elsewhere | An Australia plan and a New Zealand plan | Clearly less for the same total data |
| You want one install and no switching | Australia and New Zealand plan | One install, one balance, nothing to change mid trip |
| You live in New Zealand or Australia | The other country's plan only | You do not need a plan at home |
| Adding Fiji or another Pacific island | Compare the Oceania plan with country plans | One eSIM for all eight countries |
Each country plan is sized for its own leg, so two weeks in Australia and one in New Zealand can be a 10GB plan and a 5GB plan.
Countries to double check
- Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Not on the Australia and New Zealand plan. Our Oceania plan covers them with both countries, or buy a Fiji eSIM for that leg. For Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, three country plans cost less than the Oceania plan for about the same data.
- Your home country. If you live in New Zealand or Australia, a plan that covers both countries also covers home, where you do not need it.
Switching between two eSIMs
- Install both eSIMs at home, on wifi, a day or two before you fly.
- When you land in the first country, set its line as the line for mobile data and turn on Data Roaming for it.
- When you reach the second country, choose that country's line for mobile data instead.
- Keep your home line on for calls and texts if you want them, with its Data Roaming off.
Our landing day checklist walks through each step on iPhone and Android.
Crossing the Tasman
The flight between Australia and New Zealand takes about three hours, and there is nothing to do mid air: your eSIM simply waits on the plane. If you live in either country, you only need the other country's plan, and our guides to NZ roaming against a travel eSIM and Australian roaming against a travel eSIM compare what your own carrier charges to roam across the Tasman. Adding the islands? Our Pacific islands guide explains the Oceania plan island by island.
If you lose signal after you land
- Wait a couple of minutes.
- Restart your phone.
- In the eSIM line settings, turn off automatic network selection and choose the carrier listed for that country on our plan page.
- Still stuck? Message us on WhatsApp or email [email protected] with the country and what your screen shows.
How much data for Australia and New Zealand?
Two weeks of Standard use (maps, social media, photos and video calls) is about 14GB, and navigation on a road trip adds a little each day. Our cost and data guide has the full table, and our guides to the best eSIM for Australia and the best unlimited eSIM for New Zealand compare brands country by country.
Prices for popular trips
- Australia & New Zealandfrom US$5.30
- Australiafrom US$3.60
- New Zealandfrom US$3.90
- Oceaniafrom US$7.60
- Fijifrom US$5.70
Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 30 Oct 2026.
Questions travellers ask
Can one eSIM cover Australia and New Zealand?
Yes. Our Australia and New Zealand plan covers both countries, on Optus 5G in Australia and Spark 5G in New Zealand. Our Oceania plan covers both too, plus Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
Is it cheaper to buy one eSIM for each country?
Yes, clearly, for the same total data. An Australia plan and a New Zealand plan together cost less than our combined plan. The combined plan saves one install and one switch of your mobile data line, and that is its whole advantage.
I live in New Zealand. Do I need the combined plan for a trip to Australia?
No. Buy an Australia plan only, because a plan that covers both countries also covers home, where you do not need it. The same goes for Australians visiting New Zealand, who need only a New Zealand plan. Our NZ and Australian roaming guides compare your own carrier's roaming with a travel eSIM.
When should I install the second eSIM?
Install both before you fly, while you have wifi, and check each plan page for when its days start counting. Your phone keeps both lines. When you land in the second country, choose its line for mobile data.