Costa Rica eSIM Setup, Step by Step
Setting up an eSIM for Costa Rica is genuinely a few-minute job, and almost every problem people hit comes from doing the right steps in the wrong order. The reliable sequence is simple: install at home on wifi, configure your lines, and switch the data on only after you land. Get that order right and you are online before you reach the rental car desk at San Jose or Liberia. This guide walks it for both iPhone and Android, then heads off the three errors that cause nearly every problem.
Installing is not activating. The single idea that prevents most eSIM headaches is understanding that you can add the profile weeks early and the clock only starts when you choose.
Before you start: check your phone is eligible
Two things must be true. Your phone has to support eSIM, which covers essentially every iPhone from the XS onward and most flagship and mid-range Android phones from recent years. And it has to be carrier-unlocked, meaning not locked to a single home operator. If you bought your phone outright or have finished a contract, it is almost certainly unlocked. If you are unsure, your home carrier can confirm, and it is worth checking before you travel rather than discovering a lock after landing.
On iPhone, go to Settings, General, About and look for an Available SIM or EID entry. On Android, search the settings for eSIM or look under network and SIM settings for an option to add a data plan or download a SIM. If the option exists, your phone supports eSIM. The unlock status is separate and best confirmed with your carrier.
Step by step: the sequence that never fails
When your eSIM is delivered, add the profile to your phone over a stable wifi connection, before you fly. Scan the QR code or use the in-app direct install. This loads the profile but does not start your data allowance.
Give your home SIM and the Costa Rica eSIM clear names in settings, such as Home and Costa Rica. This makes the next steps unambiguous and stops you toggling the wrong line later.
Before or just after landing, set the Costa Rica eSIM as your mobile data line, and switch off data roaming on your home line so it cannot bill you in the background. Keep the home line on if you still want its calls and texts.
Enable the Costa Rica eSIM line once you are in the country. It connects to Kölbi or Claro, activation begins, and you are online. Toggle data roaming on for the Costa Rica line specifically, since a travel eSIM technically roams onto the local network.
A travel eSIM connects to a Costa Rican network as a roaming partner, so the data roaming switch must be ON for the eSIM line for it to work. This feels wrong because we are trained to keep roaming off. The trick is that it applies per line: roaming OFF on your home line to avoid home-carrier charges, roaming ON for the Costa Rica eSIM line so it can use the local network. Setting them both the same way is the most common setup error.
iPhone specifics
On iPhone the eSIM lives under Settings, Cellular or Mobile Data. After installing, you will see your plans listed; tap the Costa Rica plan to rename it, set it as the data line, and toggle Data Roaming on for it. Under the home line, turn Data Roaming off. iPhones handle two active lines cleanly, so you can keep iMessage and calls on your home number while data flows through the Costa Rica plan.
Android specifics
Android wording varies by manufacturer, but the path is similar: Settings, then Network and internet or Connections, then SIMs or SIM manager. Add or download the eSIM, name it, set it as the mobile data SIM, and enable roaming for that SIM while disabling it for the home SIM. Samsung, Google Pixel and most other recent flagships support this dual-SIM setup without trouble.
The three errors that cause almost every problem
- Roaming off on the eSIM line. The travel eSIM needs roaming enabled to use the Costa Rican network. If you have data but no connection, this is the first thing to check.
- Data line still set to home. If the phone is still using the home SIM for data, you will be on expensive roaming or no data at all. Confirm the Costa Rica eSIM is the selected data line.
- Installing after landing without wifi. Scanning a QR code or downloading a profile needs an internet connection, which is exactly what you do not have yet. Always install at home on wifi first.
Toggle airplane mode on and off to force a fresh network search, confirm the Costa Rica eSIM line is enabled and set for data with roaming on, and check that you have signal where you are. A manual network selection, choosing Kölbi or Claro by hand, occasionally helps in a fringe coverage area. Most issues resolve within a minute of landing once the line is configured correctly, and the airports are well covered.
Where we land
The whole game is order and the per-line roaming toggle. Install at home on wifi, label your lines, set data to the Costa Rica eSIM with roaming on for it and off for your home line, and switch it on after landing. Done in that sequence, setup is a thirty-second task on arrival. Our Costa Rica plans deliver the profile for install the moment you buy, so you can set everything up at home and simply flip the switch when you reach Costa Rica.
Plans for Costa Rica
Costa Rica eSIM plans
Prices in USD. Instant QR activation. Pick your data, land connected.
FAQ
When should I install my Costa Rica eSIM?
Install the eSIM profile at home over wifi, before you travel, as soon as it is delivered. Installing loads the profile but does not start your data allowance, so there is no downside to doing it early. Trying to install after landing is the most common mistake, because scanning the QR code or downloading the profile needs an internet connection you do not yet have.
Do I need to turn on data roaming for a Costa Rica eSIM?
Yes, for the eSIM line specifically. A travel eSIM connects to a Costa Rican network as a roaming partner, so data roaming must be enabled for the eSIM line to work. At the same time, keep data roaming off for your home line so your home carrier cannot bill you. The setting applies per line, which is why this catches people out.
Will my Costa Rica eSIM work on my iPhone or Android?
It works on any eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked phone, which includes essentially every iPhone from the XS onward and most recent flagship and mid-range Android phones from Samsung, Google and others. Check that your phone supports eSIM in its settings and confirm with your home carrier that it is unlocked before you travel.
Can I keep my home number active while using a Costa Rica eSIM?
Yes. The Costa Rica eSIM is a separate line, so your home SIM stays active for calls and texts on your home number while your data runs through the Costa Rica eSIM. Just keep data roaming switched off on the home line so it does not incur charges, and set the Costa Rica eSIM as your data line.
My Costa Rica eSIM has no connection after landing. What do I check?
Check three things in order: that data roaming is enabled for the eSIM line, that the Costa Rica eSIM is selected as the mobile data line rather than the home SIM, and that the eSIM line is switched on. Toggling airplane mode forces a fresh network search. If it still fails, try selecting Kölbi or Claro manually in network settings. Most issues resolve within a minute once the line is configured correctly.