Canada SIM or eSIM for Indians (2026): visitors and students, Jio pack vs local plan

You have three ways to stay online in Canada: a Jio or Airtel roaming pack, a Canadian monthly plan, or a travel eSIM installed before you fly. A two-week visit and a student's first term need different answers, so this guide treats them separately.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹249, and 3 GB is ₹649 and 20 GB ₹2,899, each for 30 days. Unlimited plans give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps: ₹699 for 3 days, ₹1,099 for 5, ₹2,099 for 10, ₹3,099 for 15 and ₹5,699 for 30. The 30-day 5 GB plan at ₹999 costs less than the 7-day version at ₹2,499. All plans are on the Canada eSIM page.

How much data you need

Bell, Rogers and Telus: who is strongest

Canada's three national operators are Bell, Rogers and Telus. eSIMKite's Canada plans connect to Bell, Rogers, Telus, SaskTel and Videotron. Opensignal's August 2026 report, based on data from 1 April to 29 June 2026, found:

• Telus was named 'Best Network'. It won Download Speed outright at 91.8 Mbps, tied for Reliability and Consistent Quality, tied with Bell on Coverage, and led Time on 5G at 31.8%.
• Rogers won the most awards, nine, including Upload Speed at 14.1 Mbps.
• Bell had the fastest 5G downloads, at 173.6 Mbps.
• Telus and Bell share networks, so they tie on several coverage measures, while Rogers runs its own.

Across Canada, the average mobile download was 141.34 Mbps in September 2026, 60th in the world (Ookla). Distance matters more: Opensignal notes that Bell is adding 220 cell sites in 2026 and Telus is aiming for 160 towers by 2030, so expect gaps outside cities and on highways through parks, and download offline maps before a road trip.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

A travel eSIM is data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so bank SMS still reach your number and WhatsApp keeps your Indian number. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: keep your plan valid and the SIM switched on. The USA, Mexico and Canada pack includes 100 SMS and unlimited incoming calls. Without a pack, calls in Canada cost ₹2 a minute, incoming included. Check in the MyJio app what receiving SMS costs.
• Airtel prepaid: the ₹118 activation pack (28 days) turns roaming on at standard charges without buying data. Check SMS charges in the Airtel Thanks app.
• Vi: check your roaming options and SMS charges in the Vi app before you fly.
• WhatsApp and FaceTime calls work over the eSIM's data, and we found no reports of Canadian limits on them. Skype closed on 5 May 2025, and Microsoft moved its users to Teams.
• UPI does not work in Canadian shops: Canada was not among the places accepting UPI merchant payments on 31 August 2026, so carry a card or forex card.

Before you land

• Visa: Indian citizens need a Canadian visitor visa, even if they hold a US visa; check IRCC.
• ArriveCAN: the Advance Declaration is optional. Submit it up to 72 hours before your flight to use the express lanes, which CBSA says are up to 50% faster. It works at Toronto Pearson (Terminals 1 and 3), Vancouver and eight other airports, and needs data, so do it at home or on arrival Wi-Fi.
• Toronto Pearson: free Wi-Fi on 'Toronto Pearson Public Wi-Fi'; accept the terms and tap 'Connect'. UP Express runs from Terminal 1 to Union Station in 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, for CAD 12.35, or CAD 9.25 with PRESTO. TTC, GO Transit and UP Express also take a contactless card or phone wallet through PRESTO.
• Vancouver YVR: Lyft and Uber are the authorised ride apps, with pick-ups at International Arrivals Level 2, Domestic Arrivals Level 2 and the South Terminal. SkyTrain and buses take contactless cards and phone wallets: CAD 3.50 for 1 zone, 5.10 for 2 and 6.70 for 3, plus an AddFare from the airport.

First week as a student: checklist

For a long stay, a Canadian monthly plan is the end point. The question is what to use until it is set up, and how to keep your Indian number for OTPs.

1. At home: install an eSIMKite Canada plan (3 GB for ₹649 or 5 GB for ₹999, each for 30 days) or, on Jio, buy the ₹1,555 USA, Mexico and Canada pack for 15 days.
2. Up to 72 hours before the flight: fill in the optional ArriveCAN Advance Declaration on home Wi-Fi.
3. On landing: switch on the eSIM line, or join Pearson's free Wi-Fi, and tap a contactless card for the train into the city.
4. In the first week: sign up for a Canadian monthly plan. Public Mobile, for example, offers eSIM sign-up with Canada-wide plans from CAD 22 for 1 GB to CAD 35 for 50 GB a month, all with unlimited talk and text. Opensignal reports that the regulator, the CRTC, recently banned activation fees, which lowers the cost of starting one.
5. Keep your Indian number for bank OTPs. Canada is on Jio's 132-country list, which has a ₹2,799 pack lasting 365 days with 3 GB and 100 minutes.

Canada plus USA road trips: what a Canada plan covers

We have not confirmed that eSIMKite's Canada plan works in the USA or Alaska, so do not count on it there. Check the country list on the Canada eSIM page before you buy, and add a plan for the US leg if the USA is not listed; our USA guide covers it. These options cover both countries:

• Jio's USA, Mexico and Canada packs: ₹1,555 for 15 days (12 GB), ₹2,555 for 30 days (25 GB) and ₹3,455 for 35 days (40 GB).
• Public Mobile's Canada-US-Mexico plans, once you have a Canadian plan: CAD 40 for 70 GB, CAD 45 for 125 GB or CAD 50 for 175 GB a month, with 1,000 international minutes.
• T-Mobile's U.S. Pass eSIM includes unlimited talk and text in Canada and 5 GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, but it must be bought and activated in the US first.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Canada plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. Leave the eSIM line off until you land. On most plans the validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy or install it.
4. After landing, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the line for mobile data.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local plan or roaming is the better choice

If you are on Jio and staying up to 15 days, the ₹1,555 pack gives 12 GB with 150 minutes out and unlimited incoming calls, which is more data than our 10 GB plan at ₹1,699, and it also covers the USA. Airtel's ₹1,298 10-day pack (6 GB, 200 minutes) suits Airtel users who need many normal calls. See Jio vs Airtel vs Vi roaming packs.

The eSIM makes more sense if you are on Airtel or Vi and mainly need data, or if your trip runs past 15 days on modest data: 5 GB for 30 days is ₹999. A Canadian monthly plan is the better choice for students and anyone staying more than a month: Public Mobile's 10 GB is CAD 28 a month with unlimited talk and text and a Canadian number.

Questions

More guides

• USA eSIM for Indian tourists
• UK eSIM for Indians
• Australia eSIM for Indians
• How much data you need
• Jio, Airtel and Vi packs compared

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Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.