eSIM for a School Trip to Poland: A Complete Guide for Group Leaders

Short answer: check that every phone supports eSIM weeks before the trip, choose one plan for the whole group with a safety margin, assign each eSIM to a named student and send them their own QR code, hold an installation session at home on Wi-Fi, and remind everyone to turn on data roaming on the eSIM line when you land in Poland. Each student keeps their home SIM and WhatsApp number.

Leaders of school delegations to Poland know the drill: a few days before the flight, the question "how will we have internet there?" comes from every direction, from parents, students and staff. An eSIM for a group trip to Poland solves it without airport kiosks, without SIM cards that get lost, and without expensive international add-ons. This guide covers everything a group leader needs to know, from the first check to the last day in Poland.

Why an eSIM is a particularly good fit for a delegation to Poland

A delegation is a large group moving together on a tight schedule. There's no time to stop at a phone shop, and no room for "the card won't go in" or "I lost my home SIM". An eSIM is a digital SIM installed on the phone itself by scanning a QR code, so:

• There are no physical cards to hand out, collect or lose. Every student gets a code, scans it, and that's it.
• The home SIM stays in the phone. The number and WhatsApp keep working as usual, and parents know which number to message.
• Install at home, land connected. No need to hunt for Wi-Fi at the airport in Warsaw or Kraków.
• Everyone has their own connection. Even when the group splits into smaller groups, nobody depends on a router someone else is carrying.

Step 1: check that the phones support eSIM

This is the most important step, and it's worth doing weeks before the flight, not the night before. Most smartphones from recent years support eSIM, but not all, and in a delegation of dozens of students there will always be a few older or budget models that don't.

The simple way: send students and parents a link to the FlySim compatibility checker and ask everyone to check their model and report back. That way you know in advance who needs another solution.

What about students whose phones don't support eSIM?

One option is to share data from a friend's phone through a hotspot. Another is to rely on hotel Wi-Fi. What matters is knowing this in advance, not discovering it in Poland.

Step 2: decide how much data you need

On a delegation to Poland, most usage is WhatsApp messages, photos for parents, navigation and a little social media. On most days there's also hotel Wi-Fi in the evening. On the other hand, students who upload videos or watch content on social media can burn through a small plan very quickly.

Our recommendation: choose one plan for the whole delegation with a safety margin, not the smallest one. The price difference is small, and it saves you "my internet ran out" messages in the middle of the day. For more detail, see our guide on how much data to buy for a trip, and see the available plans on the eSIM for Poland page.

Step 3: order for the whole delegation

There are two ways to order eSIMs for a group:

• Order on the website: choose the Poland plan, add it to the cart and update the quantity. All the QR codes go to the email of the person who ordered.
• Group quote: for large delegations, leave your details on our business and groups page. We'll get back to you with a quote based on quantity and open a management area for your delegation.

Every order comes with a digital receipt sent by email.

Step 4: hand out the QR codes to students

This is where most leaders get stuck: one email with dozens of QR codes, and you need to work out which code goes to whom. Each QR code is meant for one scan only, so two students must never scan the same code.

FlySim's business and groups management area makes this simpler:

1. Sign in to the management area with your email. You get a one-time login code, no password.
2. Next to each eSIM, enter the student's name and their (or their parent's) email.
3. Click "Send QR to traveler". The student gets an email with only their eSIM, together with installation instructions.

Every student has their own code, and you have an organized list of who got what. More on this in our guide to managing eSIMs for groups.

Step 5: install at home, before the flight

The safest option is to install the eSIM at home or at school, on Wi-Fi, a few days before the flight. Before installing, check on the plan page when its validity starts: on some plans the clock starts only at the first connection to a network at the destination, and on others at installation. We have a detailed guide on when to install and when to activate an eSIM.

A tip that works well for delegations: hold a short installation session at one of the preparation meetings. All the students install together, and anyone who gets stuck gets help on the spot. The steps themselves, for iPhone and Android, are in the eSIM installation guide.

Step 6: on landing in Poland, data roaming

This is the most common problem: the eSIM is installed, but there's no internet. Almost always the reason is that data roaming wasn't turned on for the eSIM line. Prepare a short message to send in the delegation's WhatsApp group right after landing:

• iPhone: Settings → Cellular → choose the eSIM line → turn on Data Roaming. Also: Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data → choose the eSIM line.
• Android: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → the eSIM line → turn on roaming. And in SIM manager, under Mobile data, choose the eSIM line.

Leave roaming off on the home line, so students aren't charged by their home carrier. Full details: how to turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.

Step 7: keep track during the trip

In the management area you can see, for each eSIM, how much data is left, when it expires and what its status is. That lets you spot in advance who:

• Hasn't activated their eSIM yet. After landing, this usually means roaming is off and it's worth checking in with the student.
• Is about to run out of data. You can filter to see everyone who has little left, before they get stuck.

Note: usage data comes from the mobile network and can update a few hours late. In Poland the eSIM connects to local networks such as Play and Orange.

Checklist for the group leader

1. Send students a link to the compatibility checker and collect answers.
2. Choose one plan for everyone, with a safety margin.
3. Order, or request a group quote.
4. Assign each eSIM to a student and send them their own QR code.
5. Hold an installation session at home, on Wi-Fi.
6. Prepare a data roaming message to send on landing.
7. Use the management area to follow up on who hasn't activated and who's running out.

Frequently asked questions

Will students keep receiving WhatsApp messages on their home number?

Yes. The eSIM is added alongside the home SIM, and WhatsApp keeps working with the same number. The data itself goes through the eSIM.

Can the eSIM be installed a few days before the flight?

Yes, and it's actually recommended to install at home on Wi-Fi. Just check on the plan page when the validity starts: on some plans it starts at the first connection to a network in Poland, and on others at installation. In that case, install as close to the flight as possible.

What happens if a student accidentally deletes the eSIM?

Each QR code is meant for one scan, so it can't simply be scanned again. Contact us with the last 4 digits of the eSIM (shown in the management area) and we'll check the options.

How do I know how much data each student has left?

The group management area shows, for each eSIM, how much data is left and when it expires. An individual student can check for themselves on the check usage page using their eSIM number.

What about a student whose phone doesn't support eSIM?

You can share data with them from a friend's phone through a hotspot, or rely on hotel Wi-Fi. That's why it's worth checking compatibility early.

Organizing a delegation? We're happy to help

Tell us how many participants you have and when you're flying, and we'll get back to you with a quote and an organized management area for the delegation. Request a quote for your delegation.