Canada SIM Card in India: Register Before You Fly

You can get a Canada SIM card in India before you fly. Unlimit Mobile sells a Canada eSIM with a Canadian number on Telus 5G+, sent by email, and a physical SIM delivered within India. Pick a plan, pay from India, finish a quick passport check, and your number goes live 48 hours before you travel.

This guide is for Indian students heading to Canada for college, and for parents and tourists visiting them. It covers both ways to buy, what "Canada SIM registration" really involves, whether your Indian SIM works in Canada, and a checklist for the week before your flight.

Can you buy a Canada SIM card in India?

Yes. You can buy a Canadian SIM online from India and land with a Canadian number that already works. Unlimit Mobile offers two ways to do it. Both give you the same plans and a Canadian number; the only difference is how the SIM reaches you.

Option 1: a Canada eSIM, sent by email

An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone. After you pay, your eSIM QR code and set-up instructions arrive by email. You scan the code at home in India, and the Canadian line sits on your phone next to your Indian SIM. Nothing has to be shipped, so you can order as late as the day you travel.

Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-compatible. Check your exact model on our list of eSIM compatible phones before you buy.

Option 2: a physical Canada SIM, delivered in India

If your phone doesn't support eSIM, order a physical Canada SIM card delivered in India and put it in your phone when you land. Physical SIMs ship within India only, and they can't ship within 7 days of your travel date, so order at least 8 days before you fly. Your phone needs to be unlocked and work with international networks.

Canada SIM registration: how to get your Canadian SIM before you arrive

People search for "Canada SIM registration" when they want a Canadian SIM set up in their own name before they land. With Unlimit Mobile there is no separate registration form and no store visit. Registering is the online order plus a short identity check (eKYC), and you do all of it from India.

1. Check that your phone is unlocked, and eSIM-compatible if you want the eSIM.
2. Choose your plan and how long you need it: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.
3. Choose eSIM or physical SIM. A physical SIM needs a delivery address in India and a travel date at least 8 days away.
4. Enter your details and your travel date. Your travel date sets when your number goes live.
5. Pay online from your Indian bank account or credit card. There is no contract and no credit check, and the CAD 80 sign-up fee is waived.
6. Complete eKYC: after paying, upload photos of your passport.
7. Set up the SIM: scan the eSIM QR code from your email, or keep the physical SIM safe to insert on arrival.

When does my Canadian number start working?

Your number goes live 48 hours before your travel date. If you travel today or within the next two days, it goes live within 1–2 hours of paying. Either way, your Canadian line is ready when you land. With the eSIM installed, or the physical SIM in your phone, you can book a ride, message your landlord and tell your family you've arrived without hunting for airport Wi-Fi.

What documents do I need?

Just your passport, for the eKYC photos after payment. You don't need a Canadian credit history, a Canadian bank account or any local paperwork to buy a plan.

Can I get a SIM after I land instead?

You can. Phone stores, and some airport counters, in Canada sell SIMs. But you sign up in person after a long flight, and you have no Canadian number until you do. Ordering from India means your number is ready before you board. For a side-by-side look at every option, read our guide to the best SIM card in Canada for international students.

Can an Indian SIM card work in Canada?

Yes, but only on international roaming. Your Indian operator's partner network in Canada carries your calls and data, and you pay your Indian operator's roaming rates. You keep your +91 number. You don't get a Canadian one.

That last part matters if you're moving to Canada. Banks there need a Canadian number for OTPs and account verification. Landlords prefer a local number to reach you on. Healthcare registration and government registrations, including your SIN, ask for one too.

Can I use my Jio SIM in Canada?

Yes, if you switch on international roaming for your Jio number before you leave India. Roaming in Canada is priced by Jio, not by a Canadian network, so check its current roaming packs for Canada, and what they include, before you fly. The same goes for any other Indian SIM.

Roaming can make sense for a short visit. For a semester or longer, a Canadian plan gives you a local number, local calls and texts, and data on a Canadian network.

Should I keep my Indian SIM active in Canada?

Yes. Indian banks and UPI apps send OTPs to the number registered with them, so don't let your Indian number lapse. On a dual-SIM phone, use the Canadian eSIM for data and calls, and keep the Indian SIM switched on for SMS. Whether OTPs reach you abroad depends on your Indian operator's roaming rules. Our guide to using an eSIM abroad with your Indian number walks through the settings.

Which Canada plan should you buy from India?

All three Unlimit Mobile Canada plans run on Telus 5G+ and include the same calls and texts. They differ only in high-speed data each month: Unlimit Slay has 50GB, Unlimit Loki 75GB and Unlimit GOAT 120GB.

Every Canada plan includes:

• A Canadian phone number
• Unlimited local calls and SMS across Canada
• 1,000 minutes of international calling to 34 countries, India included
• Unlimited international SMS
• Hotspot on compatible phones
• No contract and no credit check

Plans run for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, paid upfront, and longer plans cost less per month. Parents and tourists on a short visit may only need 1 month. Students moving for a full program can go longer, so they don't have to renew mid-term. Our guide to student phone plans in Canada helps you choose the data and length. When you're ready, compare Canada eSIM plans and prices.

Pre-departure checklist for your Canadian SIM

• Check that your phone is unlocked and on the eSIM-compatible list.
• Order your plan: the eSIM any time up to your travel day, a physical SIM at least 8 days before you fly.
• Enter your real travel date, so your number goes live 48 hours before it.
• Upload your passport photos for eKYC as soon as you've paid.
• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, and name the two lines "Canada" and "India" so you know which is which.
• Carry a physical SIM in your hand luggage, not your checked bag.
• Share your Canadian number with your college, your landlord and your family as soon as you have it.
• Keep your Indian SIM active for bank OTPs.
• Opening a Student GIC? Open an ICICI Student GIC or a BMO Student GIC through Unlimit Mobile's referral and get CAD 120 worth of mobile plans as Unlimit Coins.
• Save Unlimit Mobile's support details: help is there 24/7 by email and WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a Canadian SIM card in India?

Yes. Unlimit Mobile sells Canada plans online in India, as an eSIM sent by email or a physical SIM delivered within India. You pay from your Indian bank account or credit card.

How do I register a Canadian SIM before I arrive?

Order your plan online, pay, then upload photos of your passport for eKYC. Your number goes live 48 hours before your travel date, or within 1–2 hours of paying if you travel within two days.

Can I use my Jio SIM in Canada?

Yes, on international roaming, at Jio's roaming rates and with your Indian number. For a Canadian number and local calls and texts, you need a Canadian SIM or eSIM.

How early should I order a physical Canada SIM in India?

At least 8 days before you travel. Physical SIMs ship within India only and can't ship within 7 days of your travel date, so closer to your flight, choose the eSIM.

Can I call India from my Canadian number?

Yes. Every Unlimit Mobile Canada plan includes 1,000 minutes of international calling to 34 countries, India included, plus unlimited international SMS.