ANZROAM: Using Separate Australia and New Zealand eSIMs on One Trip

With ANZROAM, You Currently Need Two Separate Plans for Australia and New Zealand

ANZROAM’s current product catalogue lists two travel eSIMs: the Australia eSIM and the New Zealand eSIM. Each covers a single country only. ANZROAM does not currently offer a combined plan covering both countries. A trip crossing the Tasman means purchasing both eSIMs separately. Some providers do sell combined AU+NZ plans, but ANZROAM’s structure today is two distinct products.

For a single-country trip (Australia only or New Zealand only), you need just one eSIM for that country. Only if your itinerary crosses both countries within the same trip do you need both products.

Both plans are data-only. Neither includes a local phone number for calls or SMS, so your home number must stay on your home line throughout. That shapes everything that follows.

Installed vs Active: Storing Profiles Is Different from Running Them

Storing an eSIM profile on your phone and having that line actively connected are two separate things. Confusion between them is where this trip often breaks down.

Your phone can store multiple eSIM profiles, but how many can be active at the same time is far more limited. Storage capacity and simultaneous active lines vary by device model. Check your exact phone model on the manufacturer’s official eSIM support page for specifics.

For this trip, the key constraint is how many lines can run at the same time:

• iPhone: Two eSIMs can be active together on iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 13 and later. Earlier eSIM-capable models such as iPhone XS, XR, 11, and 12 series typically pair one eSIM with one physical SIM, allowing only two active lines total.
• If your home number is already an eSIM and you own an iPhone such as XS, XR, 11, or 12 series (earlier eSIM-capable models), you may not be able to run both your home eSIM and a travel eSIM simultaneously. Verify your exact regional model on Apple’s support page before purchasing ANZROAM’s plans.
• Android: Dual-SIM eSIM support varies by manufacturer, model, regional variant and carrier. No uniform rule applies to all Android devices. Check your exact device model on the manufacturer’s official support page and confirm compatibility with your home carrier.

On a typical trip crossing both countries, you need this configuration:

• Home line: active, handling calls and SMS
• Travel eSIM for your current country: active, handling mobile data
• Travel eSIM for the other country: installed, but inactive (switched off)

Installing Both eSIMs Before You Fly

Four separate steps occur at four different moments, and it matters to keep them straight:

1. Install the profile. Scan the QR code and the eSIM profile lands on your phone.
2. Turn the line on in Settings. A toggle that activates or deactivates the profile.
3. Register on a network. Once the line is on and you arrive in-country, your phone connects to a supported carrier network.
4. Plan validity begins. Details on when the plan’s validity period starts are on the purchase page and order confirmation.

ANZROAM’s FAQ indicates that you can install profiles any time before travel, and suggests activating them only once you arrive in Australia or New Zealand. Check your order confirmation for when the plan’s validity period begins.

Scan each QR code on the phone you are actually travelling with (preferably over Wi-Fi) and leave both profiles installed for the entire trip, rather than deleting and reinstalling them during travel.

iPhone. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Add eSIM and follow Apple’s eSIM setup instructions. Give each profile a distinctive name like "ANZROAM Australia" and "ANZROAM New Zealand" to avoid switching the wrong line when managing them during your trip.

Android. The exact menu depends on your phone’s manufacturer, so there is no one path that works everywhere. The general principle is: add the eSIM through your SIM settings or network settings, then separately assign which line handles voice and SMS versus which line handles cellular data. On Google Pixel, the path is Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM; see Google’s full instructions. For other manufacturers (Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, and others), consult that maker’s official eSIM support page instead of a third-party guide, since the menu steps and carrier requirements vary by device and region.

After you install both profiles at home, disable each travel line until you reach the country it covers. Turn off Data Roaming on your home line, so it cannot silently pull paid data while you are relying on your travel eSIM. Note that ANZROAM travel eSIMs typically require Data Roaming to be switched on for the travel line to work properly in the destination country; you will enable this when you activate each travel line in-country.

Keeping Your Home Number Working: Calls, SMS, and 2FA

Your home line and travel eSIMs serve different purposes. Travel eSIMs carry mobile data. Calls and SMS, including bank codes and app verification codes, still arrive on your home line, but only when that line is switched on and has network service.

Here is what to set up:

• Keep your home line on. Switching it off to avoid charges is the most common reason people lose SMS-based two-factor authentication mid-trip. If your bank or app sends you a verification code while your home line is off and you have no backup authenticator, you will be locked out.
• Turn Data Roaming off on your home line. This prevents your phone from quietly running up international roaming charges if it falls back to your home carrier for data at any moment.
• Set voice, SMS, and cellular data separately. On iPhone, you assign a default line for voice and SMS, then independently set which line handles cellular data. These are two separate settings. On Android, the exact menu wording differs by manufacturer, but the principle is the same: choose which line handles calls and texts, and which handles data.
• On iPhone, be careful with "Allow Cellular Data Switching." If left on, your phone may fall back to your home line for data in certain conditions, incurring roaming charges. Turn this off while travelling if you want to rely only on your travel eSIM for data.
• On iPhone, "Primary" and "Secondary" are labels for outgoing defaults, not delivery rules. These labels identify which line is default for outgoing calls and messages, but they do not prevent your home line from receiving incoming calls and SMS if it is active and has service. Both active lines can typically send and receive calls and messages. Actual behaviour varies by device model, carrier support, and Wi-Fi Calling availability. Verify your exact model’s capabilities before relying on a specific setup.
• Check your home carrier’s rates for incoming calls and SMS in Australia and New Zealand. Receiving calls and SMS is not always free, and costs vary by plan and country.

On two-factor authentication: If any critical service (bank, email, password manager) lets you switch from SMS to an authenticator app before you leave, do that instead. It removes the dependency on your home line having signal entirely.

Choosing How Much Data for Each Leg

There is no shared pool. Two plans means two separate allowances, bought per country, and leftovers on one do not help you on the other.

Size each leg against what you will actually do there. Heavy mapping across a long Australian drive is not the same load as a few city days on hotel Wi-Fi in Auckland. Data amounts, validity and prices sit on the two product pages, and they change, so check them when you buy rather than trusting a figure in any article, this one included.

Crossing the Tasman: The Switch Checklist

Before you leave Australia:

• [ ] Load a page on the Australia eSIM to confirm it is still working
• [ ] Confirm the New Zealand profile is already installed on this phone. If it is not, install it now, on Wi-Fi, before you fly
• [ ] Switch the Australia eSIM line off so it does not try to connect on the other side
• [ ] Check that Data Roaming is off on your home line

On the plane: nothing to do. Airplane mode covers it.

After you land in New Zealand:

• [ ] Turn airplane mode off
• [ ] Switch the New Zealand eSIM line on
• [ ] Turn on Data Roaming for the New Zealand eSIM line (per ANZROAM instructions)
• [ ] Set that line as your cellular data line, and leave the home line as default for calls and SMS
• [ ] Load a website to confirm data is working
• [ ] If nothing connects straight away, give the phone time to register on a local network before you start changing settings

Returning to Australia: run the same sequence in reverse. Switch the New Zealand line off, switch the Australia line on, turn on Data Roaming for the Australia eSIM line (per ANZROAM instructions), and reassign your cellular data line. Confirm your home line Data Roaming remains off.

Keep both profiles installed for the whole trip. Deleting one to tidy up is not recommended, as reinstalling may not be straightforward if you need it again.

Coverage: What to Check Before You Go

Before you go:

• Check the Australia eSIM and New Zealand eSIM product pages to see which carrier each plan uses, then check that carrier’s current official coverage map for the exact areas you will visit
• Coverage varies significantly by exact location, terrain, device and network conditions. Carrier coverage maps show predicted service areas based on antenna models, not a guarantee of actual service. Terrain, building materials, network load, and your specific device all affect real-world results
• Download offline maps for any road driving you plan
• In remote areas and backcountry on either side of the Tasman, do not rely solely on a mobile network as your emergency communication. Carry a satellite messenger device or leave your planned route and expected check-in times with someone who will actively notice if you go silent

If the eSIM Will Not Connect

Try these steps in order:

• Toggle airplane mode on and back off, which prompts your phone to search for a network again
• Restart the phone
• Check in Settings that the travel line is switched on and set as your data line
• Confirm you are in the country the plan covers. The Australia plan only works in Australia; the New Zealand plan only works in New Zealand
• Give the phone time to register on a local network before you start changing settings
• If it still will not connect, contact ANZROAM support from your home line or over Wi-Fi

If a profile will not install at all (the QR code will not scan or Settings cannot add it), possible causes include device model incompatibility, a carrier lock, invalid or already-used QR code, or network configuration issues. Before you buy, check your exact phone model on the manufacturer’s official eSIM support page to confirm eSIM capability and that your handset is carrier-unlocked. eSIM support depends on the specific device model and sometimes the regional variant, not on how old a phone appears. If installation fails after you confirm your device is compatible and unlocked, contact the manufacturer’s support or contact ANZROAM support for further troubleshooting.

After the Trip

Both plans stop when their validity runs out, and the terms for that are on the product pages.

• Leave the profiles installed if you might be back inside the validity window.
• If you do delete a profile, reinstalling it later may not be straightforward, so keep both installed if there is any chance you might use them again.
• Restore your home line as your cellular data line once you arrive home. Whether to enable Data Roaming on your home line depends on your home carrier and your personal plan.

The Bottom Line

ANZROAM currently offers two separate data-only eSIMs: the Australia eSIM and the New Zealand eSIM, with no combined plan covering both countries. For a trip crossing both, purchase both eSIMs and install both before you fly. Keep your home line active for calls and SMS throughout. Switch on the travel eSIM for whichever country you are in to handle data, and leave the other one installed but inactive.

For this trip, the phone must manage three lines or SIMs: your home line, the Australia eSIM, and the New Zealand eSIM. However, only one travel eSIM is active at a time. The one for whichever country you are currently in is the data line. iPhone 13 series and later, as well as iPhone SE (3rd generation), can enable two eSIMs simultaneously, which is sufficient for this itinerary (home line plus current country’s travel eSIM, with the other country’s eSIM disabled). Earlier eSIM-capable iPhone models typically support one eSIM plus a physical SIM only. Android capabilities vary by manufacturer and regional variant. Check your exact device model on your manufacturer’s official eSIM support page before purchasing to confirm it can run your home line alongside a travel eSIM, and contact ANZROAM support or your home carrier if you have specific questions about your phone’s dual-SIM capabilities.