The first 48 hours in a new country are often the most stressful part of studying abroad. Students need to tell their families they have landed, find their way to accommodation, use ride-hailing or public transport and sometimes complete registration steps that require a phone. Without mobile data, all of that becomes harder.
Study-abroad agencies already help with applications, visas and accommodation. Adding connectivity to pre-departure support is a natural extension, and eSIM makes it simple to deliver.
What students actually need
Data from the moment they land, before they have time to compare local mobile offers.
Enough data for maps, messaging and video calls home during the first weeks.
A clear path to a longer-term option, whether that is continuing with a travel eSIM or switching to a local plan once they have a local address or bank account.
Choosing plans for longer stays
Students differ from short-term tourists. A semester or a full degree program means the first plan is really a bridge: it should cover the arrival period comfortably, and students should know what to do when it runs out. Some agencies prefer a 30-day plan for arrival; others choose longer plans for exchange programs that last a few months.
Destination matters too. Agencies sending students to several countries can keep things simple with a short list of single-country plans for their main destinations.
Fitting eSIM into pre-departure packs
Send the eSIM digitally with other pre-departure documents, together with a one-page guide: check that the phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, install the eSIM before the flight while on reliable Wi-Fi, and switch mobile data to the eSIM after landing.
Mention it in pre-departure briefings, and make sure parents know too; they are often the ones who worry most about the first call home.
Keeping workload low
Issue eSIMs in batches for each intake rather than one by one.
Agree with your eSIM partner who handles technical support, so your counselors are not troubleshooting phones.
Decide whether eSIM is included in your service fee or offered as an optional extra, and keep the message simple for families.
Getting started
A single intake is a good pilot. Choose your top destinations, prepare clear instructions and collect feedback from students in their first week. That feedback will tell you which plans and instructions work best for the next intake.
AeroLink Cloud is onboarding early-access partners, including education and study-abroad agencies. eSIM supply and bulk issuance are available on partnership onboarding. Tell us your main destinations and intake sizes and we will follow up.
Join early access
Tell us about your travelers, destinations and systems, and we will follow up about partnership onboarding.
Join early access