No travel eSIM we sell for Japan, South Korea or mainland China includes a local phone number, calls or texts. That covers all 72 plans for Japan, 80 for South Korea and 72 for China in our catalogue. The practical answer is to keep your home number on as a second line for calls and SMS codes, and use the travel eSIM for data. In South Korea you can also get a local number from a Korean provider.
“Japan eSIM with phone number” is a common search, usually from people who need to receive a bank code, book a restaurant or be reachable by a hotel. We would rather say plainly that our East Asia plans cannot do that than leave you to find out after landing. Here is what we checked in our catalogue on 6 October 2026, why local numbers are harder to get in these countries, and what works instead.
- Japan, South Korea, mainland China: 0 plans with a local number, calls or SMS. The same holds for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Where we do sell numbers: 12 of our 1,094 plans include calls, all for the US, the UK or the EU.
- Your best option: keep your home number active alongside the travel eSIM, with data roaming off on the home line.
- If you need a local number: in South Korea, Korean providers sell prepaid SIMs and eSIMs that can include one.
Which travel eSIMs come with a phone number
| Destination | Plans covering it | With a number, calls or SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 72 | 0 |
| South Korea | 80 | 0 |
| Mainland China | 72 | 0 |
| Hong Kong | 76 | 0 |
| Taiwan | 62 | 0 |
| USA | 108 | 4, with a +1 number |
| UK | 95 | 6, with a UK number |
| France and the EU | 104 | 2, with a French +33 number |
If your trip includes the US, the UK or Europe, see USA eSIMs with a phone number, UK eSIMs with minutes and Europe eSIMs with a phone number. Our calls and SMS audit explains why so few travel eSIMs include voice at all.
Why local numbers are harder to get here
Mobile numbers in these countries are tied to a verified identity. Japan’s Act on Identity Confirmation by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers (Act No. 31 of 2005) requires a carrier to confirm the subscriber’s name, residence and date of birth before it signs a voice contract (Article 3). In mainland China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s rules on real-name registration of telephone users, in force since 1 September 2013, require operators to register users’ real identity information.
The travel eSIMs we sell for these countries are data-only and are delivered by email without an identity check. None of the providers in our catalogue offers a local number for Japan, South Korea or mainland China.
Option 1: keep your home number on a second line
Most eSIM phones can run two lines at once. Apple says both numbers on a Dual SIM iPhone can make and receive calls and send and receive SMS, while only one line uses cellular data at a time, in its Dual SIM guide. So you can:
- Install the travel eSIM and set it as the cellular data line.
- Leave your home line on for calls and texts, so bank codes and messages still reach you.
- Turn off data roaming on the home line, so it never uses expensive roaming data.
Apple’s guide to travel eSIMs notes that you might still be charged roaming fees on your home line, so check your carrier’s rates for receiving calls and texts abroad. Our dual SIM guide has the step-by-step settings, and how to avoid accidental roaming charges covers the traps.
Option 2: calls over data
With a data eSIM you can call and message through any internet calling app your contacts already use, on the travel eSIM’s data. That covers most calls home and most bookings that accept a messaging app. In mainland China, which apps you can reach depends on where the plan’s data exits; our China eSIM without a VPN page explains how to check.
Option 3: a local number, where you can get one
- South Korea: the Korea Tourism Organization’s VisitKorea guide says prepaid SIMs and eSIMs from Korean providers let travellers use unlimited data or receive a local mobile number. It lists airport roaming centres and major convenience stores among the places to buy.
- Japan and mainland China: a local voice number means a contract with identity checks under the rules above. If you only need to receive codes, Option 1 is simpler.
The data plans to pair with your home number
| Destination | Plan | Price | Network | Data exits in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Japan 10 GB, 30 days | $7.00 | NTT Docomo | Japan |
| South Korea | South Korea 10 GB, 30 days | $7.20 | SK Telecom, LG U+ | Hong Kong |
| Mainland China | China 10 GB, 30 days | $8.00 | China Mobile | Hong Kong |
| All three | China Korea Japan 12 GB, 30 days | $10.60 | China Mobile, SoftBank and KDDI, SK Telecom | Hong Kong |
For more detail by country, see our guides to the cheapest Japan eSIM, Korea eSIM networks and China, Hong Kong and Macau on one eSIM.
Comparing brands, not just plans? Our guides to the best eSIM for Japan, South Korea and China put our prices next to Airalo, Ubigi and Holafly for the same trips.
Going to Japan? Our Japan local eSIM page lists every plan on NTT Docomo and KDDI 5G, all with a Japanese IP address, and recommends one from your trip length and daily use.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Japan eSIM with a phone number?
Not from us. On 6 October 2026, none of the 72 plans covering Japan in our catalogue included a number, calls or SMS. Japan’s mobile voice law requires carriers to confirm name, residence and date of birth for voice contracts. Keeping your home number on a second line is the simplest way to stay reachable.
Can I get a Korean phone number on a travel eSIM?
Not on the 80 plans covering South Korea in our catalogue, which are all data-only. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, prepaid SIMs and eSIMs from Korean providers can include a local mobile number, and are sold at airport roaming centres, convenience stores and online.
Does a China eSIM come with a Chinese phone number?
None of the 72 plans covering mainland China in our catalogue includes a number, calls or SMS. China requires real-name registration for telephone users under ministry rules in force since September 2013. For calls and verification texts, keep your home number active on a second line.
How do I receive bank SMS codes while using a travel eSIM?
Keep your home line switched on alongside the travel eSIM. On a Dual SIM iPhone, Apple says both numbers can send and receive SMS while only one line uses data. Set the travel eSIM for data and turn off data roaming on the home line. Your carrier may charge for receiving texts abroad.
Will my home number use roaming data if I keep it on?
Not if you set the travel eSIM as the cellular data line and turn off data roaming for the home line. Calls and texts on the home line can still be charged at your carrier’s roaming rates, so check them before you go, or switch the line off when you do not need it.
Which travel eSIMs do include a phone number?
In our catalogue, 12 of 1,094 plans include calls: four USA plans with a +1 number, six UK plans with a UK number and minutes, and two EU plans with a French +33 number and unlimited calls within the EU. None covers East Asia.
For Japan, South Korea and China, a travel eSIM is a data product. Pair it with your home number on a second line and you stay reachable for calls and codes without paying for roaming data.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. Plan counts, inclusions and prices come from our own catalogue and product pages on that date and change often; product pages are authoritative. Legal descriptions summarise Japan’s Act No. 31 of 2005 in its official English translation and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Order No. 25 of 2013; they are not legal advice. Dual SIM behaviour is from Apple’s support pages. NTT Docomo, SK Telecom, LG U+ and China Mobile are trademarks of their owners; this article is independent of them.