Free eSIM in New Zealand — free data for first-time users, claimed in the Wanderly app.
How many days?
Choose your validity to narrow the plans.
Choose your package
Start with a travel style or fine-tune the sliders.
Total plan price
Price per GB
$0.80
- Coverage
- Single country
- Plan type
- Data only
- Top-up
- Unavailable — buy another plan
- Activation
- On network connection
Data-only eSIM
Validity starts at the first network connection.
Top-ups unavailable. Usage tracking supported. Hotspot supported.
Calls and SMS are not included. Internet calling apps use your data.
Coverage (1 country)
New Zealand
Refund eligibility depends on the plan and its activation status. Contact Wanderly support before installing or using the eSIM.
What's Included
New Zealand eSIM plans at a glance
Wanderly lists 39 fixed-data New Zealand plans, ranging from 1GB up to 50GB over 3 to 180 days. Prices start at $2.99, and the lowest cost per gigabyte is $0.46/GB on the 50GB 3-day plan.
Unlimited day-passes are also available from $2.99 per day, billed per day rather than per gigabyte. 6 of the 43 New Zealand data-only plans can be topped up without reinstalling the eSIM.
Calls and SMS depend on the selected plan. Install using the supplied QR code and keep your home number on its own line. Activation timing varies by plan; check your selected plan's terms before purchasing or installing.
How much does a New Zealand eSIM cost?
A New Zealand eSIM from Wanderly costs $2.99 for 1GB (7 days), $5.99 for 5GB (3 days) and $12.99 for 20GB (5 days), as a one-off price with no subscription. Larger plans cost less per gigabyte: $2.99/GB at 1GB against $0.65/GB at 20GB.
Across its data-only plans, New Zealand works out at a median of $0.90 per GB, below the $1.41 median across the 181 countries in the Wanderly eSIM Price Index. 57 of them have a lower median.
| Data | Validity | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| 3GB | 3 days | $3.99 | $1.33 |
| 5GB | 3 days | $5.99 | $1.20 |
| 10GB | 5 days | $7.99 | $0.80 |
| 20GB | 5 days | $12.99 | $0.65 |
Cheapest current data-only plan at each size, as charged at checkout. Prices follow the live catalogue. Compare New Zealand with every country in the eSIM Price Index.
🇳🇿 About eSIMs in New Zealand
New Zealand coverage follows the population, which for a road-trip country is worth planning around. Wanderly New Zealand eSIMs connect to Spark or One NZ, giving you 4G/5G in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, and reliable signal along State Highway 1 and most of the tourist route.
The gaps are real and predictable: Fiordland, Milford Sound road, the Catlins, parts of the West Coast and alpine passes like Arthur's and Haast have long dead zones on every carrier. Download offline maps for the entire South Island before you leave a city — this is the single most useful thing you can do.
For a two-week self-drive with maps, photo uploads and accommodation apps, 10–20 GB is realistic. The eSIM installs by QR code in about 90 seconds, so you are online at AKL or CHC before you pick up the campervan.
How to activate your eSIM in New Zealand
- 1Buy before you flyInstall on Wi-Fi at home — the QR code arrives by email in under a minute.
- 2Install the eSIMiPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Scan QR. Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM.
- 3Land and switch dataAt Auckland or Christchurch, cycle airplane mode, select the New Zealand eSIM for Cellular Data and turn on Data Roaming for that line.
- 4Save offline maps before you driveFiordland, the Catlins, the West Coast and alpine passes have no coverage on any network. Download the whole South Island offline.
New Zealand eSIM FAQ
Which networks does it use?
Spark and One NZ, the two carriers with the broadest national footprint including most of the South Island tourist route.
Will I have signal at Milford Sound?
No — the Milford road and much of Fiordland are dead zones on every New Zealand carrier. Offline maps and downloaded bookings are essential.
Does an Australia plan cover New Zealand?
Not unless it is an Oceania regional plan. Australia and New Zealand are separate markets — check the coverage list before buying one plan for both.
How much data for a two-week road trip?
10–20 GB is realistic once you factor in maps, photo backups and booking apps.
Can I hotspot in a campervan?
Yes, tethering is enabled on all Wanderly New Zealand plans where coverage exists.
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