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Find the lock status before buying
On your iPhone, open Settings → General → About. Find Service Provider Lock, sometimes labelled Carrier Lock. “No SIM Restrictions” means the iPhone isn’t locked to one carrier. If another status appears, contact the original carrier about unlocking that exact handset.
An eSIM menu doesn’t prove the phone is unlocked
A carrier-locked iPhone can still show Add eSIM. That doesn’t mean it will accept a travel provider. Apple says only the carrier can unlock the phone; The SIM Shop can’t remove that lock.
Ask the carrier: “Is this iPhone unlocked for another provider’s eSIM, and has the unlock been completed?” Wait for confirmation and check the status again before purchasing. Don’t treat a request lodged with the carrier as a finished unlock.
Then check the hardware and region
Unlock status is one check. The exact iPhone model and region must also support eSIM, and the selected plan must cover the trip. In Settings → General → About, note the model name and model number. Use our compatibility checker or send those details and the purchase country to the Travel Desk.
You don’t need to scan a purchased QR to test any of this. Save the email after buying and install after landing on steady Wi-Fi.
If you’ve already bought and see a lock error
Keep any listed eSIM profile installed. Send us the order number, phone model and the exact error, with QR and activation details hidden. Contact the carrier about the lock separately. We’ll check the order’s available options; an unlock, reissue or refund isn’t something to assume from the error alone.
